Essay on The Picture of Dorian Gray help: The Role of the Artist and/or the Arts in Society

Like beauty, art and the artist are important concepts in The Picture of Dorian Gray, though beauty and art should not be confused; they are related yet distinct concepts. The very title of the novel positions art as an integral component to the novel’s thematic content, as well as the action of its plot. There is certainly a great deal of rich material in the text, and many ways to approach this topic. One way may be to study the portrait of Dorian Gray and its relevance to the plot. How and why does the portrait change over time, and what is the significance of the final scene, in which Dorian believes himself to be stabbing the portrait, but in which he really kills himself?