literary devices

Question 1

setting if essential for what

Answer 1

•the overall character and plot development as it provides a foundation for the readers to understand and visualize the social and psychological mindsets and typical behaviors during that era

Question 2

the novel sets what mood and atmosphere

Answer 2

•sets a gothic mood & atmosphere as the setting provides an eerie like ambiance since it was a time where black magic and witchcraft was well feared

Question 3

the setting produces clues as to what to

Answer 3

•expect in the novel which can be accomplished through referencing one’s historical knowledge regarding the time period

Question 4

when was TPDG set

Answer 4

•set in 19th century, victorian era
•specially 1890 in london, when poverty, famine and racism like slavery was at an all time high, while the rich did absolutely nothing but continue to be rich

Question 5

dorian gray contrasts the typical what at the time

Answer 5

•contrasts the typical low class family at the time, as he was born into a, wealthy, luxurious family

Question 6

dorian is about to afford and sustain his lavish lifestyle through

Answer 6

•his fathers money, more specifically to support his luxurious entertainment, being the highest forms of art, whether it be operas, paintings, novels or music, which he glorifies so much

Question 7

how will his love for the arts cause an irony

Answer 7

•his love for the arts would later cause an irony as it’ll be the one to generate his inevitable downfall

Question 8

how is poverty depicted and seen

Answer 8

•depicted through women using their body’s in exchange for money
•the immense difference between the prosperous West End and poor East End

Question 9

what is West End like

Answer 9

•consists of well known places where the richest people hang out, such as “Grosvenor Square” and “Curzon Street”

Question 10

what’s East End like

Answer 10

•consists of underprivileged visions and is described as “a black web of some sprawling spider”

Question 11

what does “a black web of some sprawling spider” provide

Answer 11

•imagery presented here allows readers to comprehend the dirty, fearful and filthy environment of how the East End looks like

Question 12

beyond the difference of classes represented by the West and East Ends, what does division of setting also provide

Answer 12

•the division of the setting also reflects dorian’s behavior

Question 13

what does each end relate to in regards to dorian

Answer 13

•each end parallels dorian’s two faced persona
•the west end signifies dorian’s brilliant side, a man who enjoys the arts and is admired by many
•the east end represents the young man’s evil character who commits immoral inhumane acts

Question 14

dorian’s intense desire to stay young and handsome has led him to

Answer 14

•be corrupt to the point that he’s willing to sell his soul to the devil in return for his eternal youth and beauty
•this ultimately produces a chain of supernatural events beyond the scientific understanding and the natural state of nature

Question 15

what does this establish

Answer 15

•establishes the gothic elements of the novel which adhere to his immoral acts of destroying the lives others as well as his inevitable demise

Question 16

the youthful Dorian Gray was once innocent and naive, but due to the morally wrongful guidance of lord henry, it negatively influenced him to

Answer 16

•live a morally wrongful life of having such a hedonistic mindset; only caring for one’s youth and beauty while ignoring the struggles of others in society, as well as neglecting the essential elements of having a genuine life such as being kinds & compassionate to others

Question 17

dorian’s eagerness and longing for eternal youth and beauty constructed his development towards

Answer 17

•immorality, in which he exchanged his life for, causing his soul to be trapped in a painting of himself

Question 18

lord henry has severely instilled the importance of outer image in dorian’s mind, ultimately..

Answer 18

•altering and reshaping his beliefs, morals and views in life which highlights his distorted judgement

Question 19

lord henry further tarnished dorian’s mindset about the significance of beauty when he says

Answer 19

•”Yes Mr.Gray, the gods have been good to you. But what the gods give they quickly take away”

Question 20

lord henry’s input of dorian’s physical appearance has

Answer 20

•reshaped dorian’s intense obsession for his beauty
•dorian’s desire to have a flawless outer facade further manifests his character to be overly ambitious, leading to his downfall & for him to be prone to all sorts of diseases +illnesses

Question 21

dorian’s longing to maintain his physical appearance…

Answer 21

•overstrips his intuition to be righteous

Question 22

dorian’s longing to maintain his physical appearance..

Answer 22

•overstrips his intuition to be righteous

Question 23

in anonymous 3rd person who

Answer 23

•had an exclusive insight into each characters internal thoughts, mindset, feelings and perspective

Question 24

having an anonymous 3rd person pov therefore means..

Answer 24

•such credible ability to read each individuals minds and personal motives, as well as to fully understand the environmental state and tensions surrounding the centers, established the omniscient narrator as trustworthy, fair and dependable

Question 25

narrators ability to knit almost everything provides

Answer 25

•a perspective for the readers to anazlyse the genuine intentions of the characters w/o the other characters fully understanding what one is feeling

Question 26

what does the narrators ability to know almost everything do to readers

Answer 26

•makes the readers analytical thinkers as it has an effect on one’s imagination; almost like it’s forcing the reader to come up with their own personal assumptions about the characters

Question 27

3rd person pov allows audience to

Answer 27

•fully comprehend and understand what’s going on causing them to be more engaged

Question 28

through use of 3rd person, readers are

Answer 28

•able to be aware of every aspect of the novel

Question 29

setting being in 19th century is a way of

Answer 29

•introducing the fact that the novel is gothic, as such literature was become a trend in the Victorian Era

Question 30

the way narrator describes certain places through gloomy and pessimistic words is

Answer 30

•one of the essential elements that has successfully influenced the plot to establish its genre as gothic
•eg. the room Dorian would be locked up in when he was young, ultimately causing flashbacks of his traumatizing childhood

Question 31

novel also includes presence of a demonic character, depicted through

Answer 31

•lord henry who is a wicked man of manipulation, leading the innocent dorian to commit inhumane acts, especially murder

Question 32

lord henry also gives a gift to the naive young man

Answer 32

•a venomous yellow book, which dorian would read religiously as if it were his bible, completely dominating and influencing his way of life

Question 33

symbolism of yellow book

Answer 33

•symbolise the potential damage art can do to an individual who’s easily and heavily influenced by it

Question 34

when dorian wants to keep his beauty, he says

Answer 34

•”I would give my soul..”
•dorian bargaining with the devil by surrendering his soul for eternal youth and beauty shoes another important piece of a gothic element which further contributes to the plot as the demon itself has become a character in its own

Question 35

a woman in distress is also another major element

Answer 35

•sibyl vane and dorian gray had fallen in love, however dorian only loved her for her appearance and her ability to perform

Question 36

dorian describes sibyl as having

Answer 36

•”a little flower-like face, a small Greek head with plaited coils of dark brown hair, eyes that were violet wells of passion.”

Question 37

one can see from this quote that

Answer 37

•dorian only describes her physical appearance, not her personality, further concluding his supposed love for her was only lust
•their relationship is tragically cut short, as she later kills herself

Question 38

author being alive in victorian era immensely influenced and affected his way of living as

Answer 38

•he’s been exposed to the negativity of the time period
•he uses the novel as a way to divulge and reveal the hidden barbaric features of it

Question 39

novel consists of multiple arrays of themes cornering

Answer 39

•out societies social issues that are even relevant till now
•theme also touched upon the subject of human nature and its vile qualities

Question 40

specific themes regarding social issues that were explicitly visible in the novel are:

Answer 40

•classism exhibited and depicted by how the narrator describes the differences & boundaries between the rich West End and poor East End
•sexism or prejudice against women who were described as simply a charming necessity whose only job was to provide sexual pleasure for men
•the conscious ignorance of not providing aid to those in need, esp poor
•they’d rather exploit & use those who’re underprivileged to further maintain their wealth

Question 41

other themes regarding the selfish side of human nature are:

Answer 41

•how individuals are more of an importance + value to one’s external appearance & physical attractiveness than one’s internal & genuine beauty
•how manipulation can negatively influence the mindset of those who’re vulnerable, specifically the youth, leading them to be corrupt in one’s society
•how committing evil acts only produced temporary pleasure & would later cause one’s downfall

Question 42

major conflict in the novel depicted by

Answer 42

•the devil like character of lord gender who majorly influenced dorian’s stance in terms of the value beauty & youth possess, as well as the power it contains

Question 43

dorian’s best feature, his beauty, is also the cause of the diminishment of his morality which

Answer 43

•establishes his arrogant persona, as his mindset to having good looks holds more worth in his mind, that it overstrips his desire of having internal beauty due to his selfish fear of losing the pleasure he’s experiencing which he gains through his physical appearance

Question 44

dorian’s obsession for immortal beauty establishes his major conflict in the novel

Answer 44

•his outer facade doesn’t parallel with his characteristics, behavior & attitude, causing his demise
•eg. the way he mistreated, abused and used Sibyl Vane, his one love, who later killed herself

Question 45

when arguing with Sibyl he says

Answer 45

•”Now you don’t even stir my curiosity. You simply produce no effect…. You are shallow and stupid.”

Question 46

dorian’s diction highlights what

Answer 46

•his mistreatment to Sibyl, which is essential to understanding why she committed suicide, as his ignorant & cruel behavior has immensely attributed to her decision

Question 47

other conflict that caused Dorian’s rep to fall is

Answer 47

•his need to feel & be superior to others
•his toxic and obsessive possibility trait has influenced his immoral decisions, tarnishing his once innocent & admired rep, leading him to sell his soul to the painting

Question 48

why does dorian sell his soul to the painting

Answer 48

•in hopes that it might produce happiness, though his desperation to obtain happiness in the form of good looks has generated & led to his miserable state of mind

Question 49

novel exhibits multiple literary devices which produces a

Answer 49

•double entendre, ultimately developing the literal and figurative meaning of the novel

Question 50

lord henry was a walking allusion throughout the novel as

Answer 50

•he references a religious belief, specifically the devil, which he converted through his diabolical acts of manipulation & evil dictions

Question 51

symbolism and allegory were also essential for the development of the plot as

Answer 51

•there was a collection of them
•may it be the yellow book which signifies dorian’s intense obsession over such a physical object to the point that it’s affecting how he lives

Question 52

dorian’s painting of himself is a living allegory as

Answer 52

•it’s the visual image of dorian’s soul & inner self which he exchanged for eternal youth and beauty
•it gets tarnished every time he commits something immoral, almost like it’s a character in its own

Question 53

the importance and significance of the painting is gained through

Answer 53

•the narrators diction. “This portrait would be to him the most magical of mirrors. As it had revealed to him his own body, so it would reveal to him his own soul.”

Question 54

quote further highlights how the painting portrays dorian’s inner self:

Answer 54

•his characteristics, attitude, behavior and mindset, which the painting turns ugly as it parallels who he truly is on the inside

Question 55

these examples of figurative language & literary devices help the readers to

Answer 55

•connect to the storyline to further understand & enjoy the plot