The Picture of Dorian Gray and the Victorian Era - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 738 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/05/13 Category Literature Essay Level High school Topics: The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay Did you like this example? In July 1890, esteemed Irish author Oscar Wilde’s first and only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was published, making its first appearance to the public (Buzwell). The novel’s main character is Dorian Gray, a young gentleman who becomes in possession of a portrait that ages for him, in addition to bearing the brunt of his sins, leading him down a path of immorality and destruction. The novel sent shock waves late Victorian England with its references to topics that, during this period, very few dare speak about. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Picture of Dorian Gray and the Victorian Era" essay for you Create order In a time where strict moral codes were in place and having a good reputation was of utmost importance, The Picture of Dorian Gray put an emphasis on the pure hypocrisy that ran rampant through high Victorian society. In doing so, the novel followed the Victorian literary trend of focusing on the darker nature of mankind. While one might refer to the Victorian Era as an age of morality, it can easily be called by another name, too. The immense focus on being extremely principled and the extreme focus on reputation quickly lead to a steep increase of hypocrisy, which, to some, earns the Victorian Era the name the Age of Hypocrisy. The pressure people faced, especially those in the upper classes, caused hypocrisy to reign; people would live a double life of sorts, committing acts that their society would deem heinous, and then hide it behind a socially acceptable facade. Several of the major hypocrisies of the upper classes appear in The Picture of Dorian Gray, such as sexuality and drug use (â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray†). The first case of hypocrisy in The Picture of Dorian Gray involves sexuality. The Victorian Era treated sexuality as a very taboo subject. However, despite the stigma it had, it remained prevalent throughout Victorian England. The story implies that Dorian had been in a variety of inappropriate relationships. While most of these were with women, several of these relations can be implied to be with men, taking history, Dorian’s past, and Wilde himself into account. While considered extremely immoral during this time, homosexuality was widespread; the fact it was especially common in the educated class and Dorian’s rocky interactions with Alan hints at a potential relationship between the two (â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray†). Basil, who at the very least, holds a deep affection for Dorian, questioned him, asking â€Å"Why is your friendship so fatal to young men?† (pg 120something). Given the apparent ruin Dorian had on the lives of the women he was involved with, it is perfectly fair to infer that   he had several relationships with men, too. To further back this claim, The Picture of Dorian Gray was later used as evidence to personally prosecute Wilde for â€Å"gross indec ency†, hinting further at the possibility of Dorian having relations with men (Buzwell). However, while homosexuality is now generally accepted by society, Dorian did participate in behaviors that, while common, were and still are taboo. The story quotes Dorian as â€Å"creeping at dawn out of dreadful houses and slinking in disguise into the foulest dens in London.† (pg 120something). This reveals another major hypocrisy for the Victorian Era. Prostitution was considered a major social problem during this time. Despite this, prostitution was rampant throughout the country; the number of prostitutes in solely London during 1887 was estimated to be about 80,000, making up 3% of the population of London (â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray†). Dorian Gray portrayed the hypocrisy of the gentleman class, as he is described as trying to save face in spite of going to places the average Victorian would consider absolutely dissolute. The second case of hypocrisy was the use of drugs. The Victorian Era was known for its drug abuse, with opium having a role as England’s drug of choice. In 1839, opium was the cause of 543 poisonings, claiming a total of 186 lives (â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray†). In an attempt to rid himself of the memory of murdering Basil, Dorian makes the decision of going to an opium den. The book states, â€Å"He hurried on towards the left, glancing back now and then to see if he was being followed† (pg something). Afterward, he became immediately unnerved by the fact he knew someone at the den. The fact that Dorian wished for no one to know he is in attendance of such a place speaks volumes to the Victorian desire to keep their dark desires hidden.

Leadership Styles Richard Branson Essay - 1032 Words

Leadership Paper: Richard Branson Richard Branson has been practically a household name in the U.K. for the past 20 years and is also well respected in the business world. He is the founder of the Virgin Group, known for record labels, cellular phones, airlines, and many other business ventures. He is responsible for a $5 billion empire consisting of over 200 different companies around the world. (ICFAI, 2002) Branson is also known for his unique character and leadership styles, one who is not afraid to take risks, and believes that people are the foundation to his companys success. If I were to first characterize his leadership style I would say he is definitely a democratic leader. He truly feels that getting other peoples†¦show more content†¦He was adaptable and knowing that in order to overcome his dyslexia, he decided to always keep things as simple as possible. He prefers to talk to people one on one and asks that things be broken down to the most straightforward and basic form. He says the simple r for him to understand, the easier for him to explain to others and the clearer his vision becomes. His charismatic behavior and excellent people skills tied into this have also made him an exceptional negotiator. His extreme sense of adventure is also a behavior that he is well known for. He is not afraid of failure but also has the attitude of you dont know until you try. This has been reflected in some of his personal and business adventures that he has become famous for. In 1987 he was the first to successfully cross the Atlantic Ocean in a hot air balloon and also was the lead sponsor for the GlobalFlyer, the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world. He created Virgin Airways and Virgin Records, and after words he sought to join the railway business which many thought was a risky adventure. Still he persevered against odds and was able to keep Virgin Trains alive in a struggling industry. His most recent risky business is a deal he made to start Virgin Galactic, offerin g to take passengers into orbital space by 2007. So Branson could definitely be considered a revolutionary out of the box thinker. He knows the value of not being afraid to leaveShow MoreRelatedRichard Branson s Leadership Style1015 Words   |  5 PagesThis reports provides information on who is Richard Branson, what type of leadership style he uses in his organisation. This will require me to read journals, case studies to be able to retain information about Richard Branson. These sources will aid me to find out about his leadership style and I will be using theories to support my work, to analyze critically on his style of managing a successful company like Virgin. Executive summary must include; subject matter, method of analysis, findingsRead MoreRichard Branson s Leadership Style1766 Words   |  8 PagesRichard Branson is the founder of the conglomerate Virgin Group. He allowed Virgin to explode after the beginnings. He started new ventures every second and incorporated almost every industry conceivable into his company. His net worth is 5.2 Billion. Today, the Virgin brand is ranked second among brands that have the greatest impact on consumer’s lives. Virgin Group includes more than 400 companies worldwide and reaps over 24 Billion in annual revenue. It is involved in almost every industryRead MoreRichard Branson s Leadership Style1387 Words   |  6 PagesRichard Branson’s leadership style Richard Branson’s leadership style is definitely that of transformational leadership. According to Robbins and Judge (2009: 453), transformational leaders are ‘leaders who inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests and who are capable of having a profound and extraordinary effect on followers.’ This style of leadership gives followers a vision to work towards alongside a sense of pride. This can be further described as idealized influence, inspirationalRead MoreSir Richard Branson s Leadership Styles1911 Words   |  8 Pagesimprovement in their work progress. This essay is going to discuss some of the most important characteristics and traits of Sir Richard Branson, a founder and a well known leader of the Virgin group, an international and world recognised organisation. This paper also examines Sir Richard Branson s leadership styles and how it affects the way he runs his company. Richard Branson is one of the world’s most well known businessmen; he is the founder of the Virgin Group which focuses on the growth of businessesRead MoreLeadership Style of Sir Richard Branson2305 Words   |  10 Pagesthat business would benefit from learning some management lessons from a surprisingly gifted governmental executive--Ronald Reagan. Those of us who had the good fortune of working for President Reagan witnessed firsthand the effective management style of an unusually successful chief executive. Here are 10 lessons that I learned from observing him in action. Lesson 1: Set Clear and Attainable Objectives, albeit Goals that Seem Difficult to Achieve. In early 1981, President Reagan set his sightsRead MoreThe Leadership Style of Richard Branson Contributes to the Success of the Virgin Group2109 Words   |  8 PagesOverview Virgin Group, Ltd. The Virgin Group, Ltd. is a British based venture capital organization founded by Richard Branson, incorporated in 1989. The focus of their business group is travel, entertainment, and lifestyle, and while actually incorporating as a venture capital group in the late 1980s, they had a number of activities in the 1970s. To date, Virgin has created more than 300 companies globally, employing over 50,000 people in 30 countries. In 2009, global revenues exceeded $18 billionRead MoreBransons Leadership Style1562 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Sir Richard Branson Leadership: The personal styles of leaders vary depending on the personality, and strengths of these leaders. The differences in personal styles are evident in the fact some leaders are extraverted and loud while others tend to be analytical and subdued. In several organizations in the modern society, leadership has developed to become more than position as these firms expect and seek for more. In the past two decades, Sir Richard Branson has been a common household name inRead MoreRichard Branson Essay1264 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: THE LEADERSHIP OF SIR RICHARD BRANSON The Leadership of Sir Richard Branson Name University The Leadership of Sir Richard Branson GET Cheap CUSTOM ESSAYS at http://www.accnerd.com/products/custom-essay-service Every individual expresses unique leadership traits and behaviors that define the way they interact with their followers. Few business leaders have managed to make an impact on the world like that of Sir Richard Branson. His leadership style has been analyzed by expertsRead MoreLeadership in Business Richard Branson1570 Words   |  7 PagesPERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN TUTORING â€Å"LEADERSHIP IN BUSINESS† By: Dr. Saskia J.M. Harkema MBA [pic] Richard Branson Founder of Virgin Group Made by: Bernadette Yolanda S 36010 - Pre Master Program yolanda.bernadette@yahoo.com +31647326417 March 19th 2013 †¢ Wittenborg University Apeldoorn, Netherlands 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS Title†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 Table of Contents†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.....†¦. 2 1. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Read MoreRichard Branson Leadership1651 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Richard Branson Richard Branson was born in England in 1950. Since a little kid, he was encouraged to be independent accomplishing challenges set by his mother at short age. Branson â€Å"saw this as opportunities to overcome weaknesses and conquer a small part of the world†. He was not a good student, for he was struggling at school due to dyslexia, and ended up dropping from school at age of 16. It was the beginning of an entrepreneurial career. At that time he founded a Magazine called â€Å"Student†

Exploratory essay Free Essays

There are many students that excel in reading and writing but moieties there are writing challenges that even they come upon on. And with approaching them, are their minds in the most activeness that they can be in? This begins a question of if students were to emphasize all these habits they already have, will that achieve themselves a fuller active mind with greater flexibility in their reading and writing? And is this an idea that all students should be taking an advantage of. Every year we have all these new students entering into their college lives ready to stretch their knowledge and learn all these new techniques in school. We will write a custom essay sample on Exploratory essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Taking with them, everything that have learned in high school and beginning to build more on those things. Learning how to approach all these different challenges and growing towards becoming more intellectual in their writings. But before they can begin to approach these things, they need to find where they stand in reading and writing. To know how well their abilities are and what is it that they need to begin working on so that they are ready for the bigger writing challenges that will come before them. Knowing the habits of mind is what is going to help them understand here they stand it will help them improve and position themselves for every new writing assignment they encounter. In high school these habits of mind criteria helped me understand more about where I stand in reading and writing. The habits of mind include things like curiosity and openness where you want to know more and begin to approach things in different ways. This helps me understand that in high school, curiosity and openness is what helped motivated me to seek for answers and explore new ways to find the connections and information I needed. Having engagement and creativity is what gave me that sense to build on the new things I learned and begin to approach things differently. My ability in high school with persistence and responsibility gave me a constant need to keep on trying and share my ideas with others and acted upon them. And lastly, the habits of mind include habits of flexibility and metrification. Flexibility helped me recognize different situations and helped me learn how to approach them and metrification is what helped me reflect on everything to improve on the newer things. Knowing these habits of mind criteria has helped me understand what my threaten are and what are the things I need more strength in. We all have different abilities in reading and writing and there are always certain areas that we can improve in. After learning what these habits of minds are, it has shown me that I can become a great writer and I know the places I need to improve on. I do believe that these habits are the pinpoints of becoming a great writer and if we emphasize these points, then it can only bring a bigger improvement for every student in college. It’s a foundation that can help people improve in their reading and writing skills and help them have a broaden mind. How to cite Exploratory essay, Essays