Another Literary Element

Imagery
I have to go back to the beginning, to the very first page of chapter one where the author says, "The studio was filled with the rich odor of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the most delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn."
My, my, my, how I loved opening to this. What a beginning! I loved it the second I read it! I also love how, in a way, it's irony and foreshadowing because it kind of sets up Dorian, how sweet and lovely he is, but it says nothing of how he turns. That is, until the studio is re-described as stuffy and unbearable by Dorian and Henry. I love how the studio represents the story as a whole and Dorian, and I love the fact that the author decided to begin with this!

Historical Context

Social status, rich and poor, is the biggest thing I noticed. The situation hit close to home, and I hate how terrible people can be, claiming to be better than someone simply because they have some extra money. And how horrible to look down upon a union of true love, even if they are not of the same class. What should money matter so long as you are happy and with the one you love!
I could not believe how Dorian let Sybil go, as if she had never meant anything to him. I said this in a comment already, but I was practically in tears after the engagement had been broken. I wanted to leap into the book and slap him silly!

Elements of Romance

Of course, I must talk about Dorian and Sybil's relationship. However, neither side of the relationship was true love. He was only a fan, not a lover, and she, that poor girl, was caught up in a web of lust and innocent ignorance. They both were, really.
This relationship not only develops the character of Dorian Gray, but the plot as a whole. I believe this is included to show the significance of Lord Henry's effects on Dorian. He is changing him completely, into someone he never would have been before. He seems heartless after Sybil's death, hardly caring, when just a matter of days before, he worshipped the ground she walked on. It's rather annoying, actually, the way the two ended up.

Dorian Gray-Literary Element

Characterization-Lord Henry Wotton
Oscar Wilde certainly spent alot of time on this charater. He has much to say and people have much to say about him, which really creates his character. In my opinion, he is all talk and no walk, and all of his ideas are twisted and warped. Of course, that may just be me, but my opinion is very similar to that of Basil's. He states on page 18, "He has a very bad influence over all his friends, with the single exception of myself." While Dorian's view of him is awe-filled and overwhelmed. This shows he is very manipulative and clever, and often molds people to think as he would. I do not agree with most of what he says in the book, but I can see where he is coming from.