A Hundred Years Of Solitude And Dorian Gray Essay
Sara Vargas
Thesis / outline page.
Thesis statement:
Even though The Picture Of Dorian Gray and
A Hundred Years Of Solitude were written over 50 years apart they both deal with the fortunate and unfortunate effects of time in a personal level for Dorian Grey and in a more general level for the Buendia family and the entire town of Macondo. These two literary merits both present the story of people who are affected by time and either welcome it as a sign of progress in the case of the Buendia family or do not accept it in the case of Dorian. Both main characters have different views in the way they perceive time and the ultimate effect it has on them and the people in their surroundings.
I. The effects of time
A. Time in Macondo …show more content…
B. Time to Dorian Grey
II. The “experienced” reality
A. Macondo’s reality
B. Dorian’s reality
III. Influence of outsiders and insiders
A. Influence of the Buendia family and gypsies
B. Influence of Society on Grey
IV. Reference of the novel to real world events.
A. Macondo and Colombia during 1960s
B. Oscar Wilde and the 1890s
Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Oscar Wilde analyze and portray the effects that time can have in certain people when they are presented to situations that will be affected by time either in a positive or negative manner. With their literary works the authors manage to deeply show how a town or a person can be driven to the extremes in order to cheat time like Dorian Grey did or to simply understand it and control it like Arcadio Buendia did. The effects of time presented in these works are also tied to the “reality” each character seems to encounter as it is not the reality the common person experiences and to the influence of figures that play crucial roles to either convince, deceive or confuse the characters.
The effect of time is a very important theme when discussing the novels as the process of time is what motivates and inspires the characters. In the novel A Hundred Years of Solitude time is best understood by classifying periods based on the generation in which the Buendia family encounters itself. Time is not a guide for perception but it is just a large ongoing entity (Shay). The repetition of names through the novel and the back and forth movement between the past, present and future indicate a certain mix between the time periods. This is due to the wide but at the same time closed structure of time that lets different people that are from different situations to live within each other because they somehow are always related (Shay). This overshadows the essence of time as a whole and focuses the story by connecting events not necessarily in chronological order but by the significance and meaning that such event will have on the future or the reason found in the past of why such event occurred. “...time was not passing...it was turning in a circle...” The past and present collide as there is a direct relationship between every situation occurred in the beginning of the story and every situation occurred as the novel progresses as all of these are related. The effects of time can also be analyzed by overlooking the way in which Macondo as a town suffered from technological advances and developments such as the industrialization era. Macondo is the town that encounters conflict between the traditions that have been kept for many years which founded the town and the new ways which will be more aggressive and maybe too revolutionary. The battle between the old and the new (Shay). This creates a contrast between the frozen age the town seems to be encountering and the progress of society and the world around them which is developing at a faster pace. The city is unaware of this as they do not seem to have any contact with the outside world besides an unreliable source of gypsies. They live within their very own time period. In The Picture of Dorian gray beauty is the sole purpose for greys actions in the novel. As he is guided by the idea that beauty is the purpose of life. These ideas are initially cultivated by Lord Henry: ‘You have a wonderfully beautiful face, Mr. Gray. Don 't frown. You have. And beauty is a form of genius -- is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation” this ideology is why Gray attempts to stop the inevitable effects of time in order to stay beautiful; he challenges time and its consequences in order to rein in the social world which seems to be a good enough reason to give up everything morally but his looks. This extremist love and obsession that Gray has for himself is what leads to his insane need to be able to “preserve” that exact period of his life and avoid time (Cummings). Time to Dorian is the enemy and is the reason why he fights to treasure it and freeze it, as time will take away his most important assets which consist of his physical qualities and youth. As time is Dorian’s “enemy” it certainly has final effect on him even if he managed to cheat time it eventually presented itself as the portrait which reflected his own destruction (Cummings). Time is portrayed all around Dorian during the novel as an ongoing subject but it is not sensed in Dorian which creates a barrier between reality and him. Present and future collide in the story as Dorian lives in a frozen present- day while his portrait lives in his actual real age which creates friction between Dorian as a young man and an adult.
When connecting the two novels and the theme of time it is visible how in both works the main characters must deal with time as a motive. In a hundred years of solitude time is what uncovers prophecies and brings hope to the town of macondo as sign of progress but sometimes it creates a negative effect as time perceived by the town of macondo is perceived differently by the outside world due to macondos isolation from society. In the picture of Dorian grey the fear of time and aging is what leads Dorian to go down the dark path and give a part of himself in order to not get older, time is also perceived differently by Dorian in the novel as he doesn’t accept it like everyone else as he is too blinded by the elite world he lived in and the pressure to be perfect. Time is perceived mostly like an asset that must be worshipped and extended rather than just a process of learning and development. Both works also deal with time being defied whether it was Dorian ignoring aging but aging on his picture or Macondo constantly analyzing the past and living in it to be able to understand the future and present. Magic takes a big role in the story as Macondo is a fictional town full of unnatural creatures, stories and people. This magic realism used by Gabriel Garcia enhances the magical, mystic facts of the story and proceeds to discuss them in a normal common way which makes the unrealistic seemingly realistic. The reality experienced by the Buendia family and the town is a unique reality that only they will witness due to their “Hundred years of solitude”. Gabriel Garcia Marquez does this in order to contrast the way in which the town thinks as an isolated, primitive place versus the real world which seems to develop at a faster rate. The characters of the novel are self- aware of the changes taking place but have a hard time adjusting to them, this type of growth as fast and strong as it is presented in Macondo is almost self-destruction as it serves as a “scale” to leading the protagonists to feel even more isolated and out of place than before due to not being able to adapt to all the change happening in front of them. This eventually leads the people towards more isolation from the world (Shay). By giving the town a touch of fantasy and mystery it is easier to understand how their “experienced” reality actually has a lot in common with today’s society as macondo experiences everything a normal town would go through but in an intensified level mixed with mystical effects. This “connection” between Macondo and the real outside world can be seen in the complicated relationship the characters have with time as it is a representation of nature and history as a whole and not just a generation or a period of measured time (Shay). Dorian experiences a reality unlike any other character in the book.
He is able to perceive the world from the eyes of an immortal man which creates a parallel world between reality and his life. This make- believe reality that Dorian lives in believes that there is no restriction on desire as that is all life is about (Gale). "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful.” This quote said by Lord Henry is a clear example of the approach Dorian has towards life, this belief that nothing but experiences matter is what creates the reality experienced by Dorian. Henry is able to greatly shape Dorian’s view of life as he induces Gray to the idea of beauty as disloyal and untrustworthy (Moehlig). This creates an alternate reality for Dorian which leads to the need for more beauty and fame. Therefore, developing the magical factors that enable his picture to age as he stays the same. His changing image represents the way in which people change due to influences or trends and his actual self manages to send a similar message as he does NOT change due to the pressure by society to stay beautiful which portrays
irony.
Both novels have influence from fictional items that allow for the fantasy to play a very important role. Such ideas enable both stories to experience a reality that is different from the one perceived by the “common man”. Which in the end are what lead these novels to achieve such levels of greatness and deepness. Whether it is the arrival of gypsies with magical objects that can make love or Dorian managing to stay the way he is as his unanimated picture ages. These alternate realities lived by the characters connect with a deeper meaning of what society expects or wants from men. Macondo is forced to trade with gypsies believe in witches and listen to prophecies because this reality is the only one they know. Grey is forced to change his life and give up aging in order to satisfy the ridiculous high standards he had to meet in order to be considered someone in the world. Both of these realities are just pressures from a bigger hand to fit in like Gray or simply do what seems natural or right like Macondo. In a Hundred Years of Solitude we experience an alternate reality in the town of macondo as whole. But, in The picture of Dorian Gray we find this other reality to be only within Gray himself.
The Buendia family has a great influence within the community through the entire novel. They are known for their inventions, marriages, affairs, and sense of tradition. This affects the town of macondo as an inside influence that in many cases is able to persuade the habitants to change their mind or make certain choices, a clear example of this is seen as Jose Arcadio deteriorates during the progression of the novel. His downfall and clear insanity as a result of a life-long quest for knowledge has a great impact on the town due to his influence in the community. “The idea of a peninsular Macondo prevailed for a long time, inspired by the arbitrary map that José Arcadio Buendía sketched on his return from the expedition” This inner influence causes people in this case to believe in an unreliable map that is taken seriously ONLY because Jose drew it showing the clear influence that him and his family have on the town. The influence of outsiders in the novel might be one of the most important themes as the book itself describes the town to be living a hundred years isolated from society. This made them vulnerable and highly gullible to the gypsies who brought technology to the town and were their only connection with any other type of humans but the ones found in the town. As this is their only link of knowledge it can be expected that the attempt to industrialize the town will fail. The new industrialized society with its modern ways and complicated processes is hard for Macondo to assimilate which creates unbalance and unsteadiness through the town as they have never encountered this before (Shay). Citizens are just not accustomed to the technology shown by the Americans and do not understand their ways. This is when the inside influence by the Buendia comes in and their sense of tradition is what manages to isolate the town once again from all contact.
The greatest influences found in the novel come from the painting of Dorian and society which can be represented by Lord Henry. Lord henrys philosophy of life is “living in a constant quest for beauty”; Dorian adopts this philosophy and decides to live his life looking for all means of beauty no matter the cost (Gale). These influences are what lead Dorian to want to be immortal and not age because he believes he will receive more acceptances if he stays within the status quo. "Life has everything in store for you, Dorian. There is nothing that you, with your extraordinary good looks, will not be able to do." This said by Lord Henry who is a major outside influence supports the shallow materialistic views society had during this time period. “It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible....” this said by Dorian clearly shows his pride for the empty views of his generation which are a great influence for Dorian as it is this exact society and mindset that leads to his own downfall due to his ego and obsession towards himself that is encouraged by the people he is surrounded with.
In a hundred years of solitude unlike the picture of Dorian grey influences have both a positive and negative impact. Here we find how inside influences “save” macondo from becoming a colony or worst but outside influences are what lead the town to stay hidden and solitary. In the picture of Dorian grey influences only have a negative effect as they do not benefit Dorian and are what ultimately dooms him. Influences play a major role in both works as time and influence are what lead the main characters to act the way they do. Either as an influence from society like the one Dorian encountered or an influence from the Buendia family and its sense of tradition which Macondo experienced.
When looking at the tragedy of Macondo. A town viewed from the eyes of an entire generation from its creation to its destruction. The non-existent place located in Colombia resembles the country’s most historic years that were marked by attempts of industrialization, violence and revolution. During this era (mid 1960’s) Colombia at the time accounted with countries such as present day Venezuela and Bolivia. With the extensive amount of land and such a recently made government with barely any political experience or history, the country had trouble industrializing itself. Many remote towns such as Macondo existed in Colombia at the time and never had any sort of contact with anyone outside of their own boundaries. In addition Macondo serves as a metaphor for Latin America and mostly Colombia as it portrays the never ending cycle that violence leads to and the giant impact it has had on these countries along the way. These are shown in the book by Colonel Aureliano Buendía as he was an active fighter against the industrializing forces from the Banana Company which relates to the rebellion of the Colombian people at the time to be heard and respected by their leaders.
The Picture of Dorian Gray was Oscar Wilde’s form of expressing his Aesthetic views to the 1890’s public. He was imprisoned for his work as it seemed too erotic and highly inappropriate. The Aesthetic movement which Wilde was an advocate of solely believes that art is not didactic and it should not be used for simple amusement but it must be used only to achieve pleasure (Brookes). Art was meant to be everywhere as preached by this movement in every possible shape or form no matter its size or proportion as art was everything. Connecting Dorian’s obsession with beauty and himself. He needs to be beautiful as he is art and he must represent art for all it is, perfect. This is when the pressure from the outsiders comes in and persuades Dorian. This pressure was experienced by Oscar himself as he was surrounded by an era filled with shallow, closed minded people who only believed in what they saw and perceived all beauty to be skin-deep. Oscar had to hide his secret love with a man in order to survive the cruel world he lived in just as Dorian gives his life away in order to stay young and be accepted by the judging society.
These two novels are windows into two very different time periods. But even if they do not relate to the same underlying issue they both advocate for either a country like Gabriel Garcia Marquez did or for a group such as Oscar Wilde. This relation found within each book to its corresponding time period gives each novel a deeper significance of what the entire story is trying to achieve as they are silent protest against the unfairness of the social system in Grays case or the Government when it comes to Macondo.
Works Cited
David, Shay. "Concepts of Time in One Hundred Years Of Solitude: A means for social criticism." Anamesa. New York University, Feb. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .
Moehlig, Baya. "The Picture of Dorian Grey." Google Sites. Google, 6 Dec. 2010. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
"The Picture of Dorian Gray." Cummings Study Guide. Michael J Cummings, 2005. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .
"The Picture of Dorian Gray." Novelguide. Gale group, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .
Cranleigh Decorative Fine Arts Society. N.p., 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. .
Thesis / outline page.
Thesis statement:
Even though The Picture Of Dorian Gray and
A Hundred Years Of Solitude were written over 50 years apart they both deal with the fortunate and unfortunate effects of time in a personal level for Dorian Grey and in a more general level for the Buendia family and the entire town of Macondo. These two literary merits both present the story of people who are affected by time and either welcome it as a sign of progress in the case of the Buendia family or do not accept it in the case of Dorian. Both main characters have different views in the way they perceive time and the ultimate effect it has on them and the people in their surroundings.
I. The effects of time
A. Time in Macondo …show more content…
B. Time to Dorian Grey
II. The “experienced” reality
A. Macondo’s reality
B. Dorian’s reality
III. Influence of outsiders and insiders
A. Influence of the Buendia family and gypsies
B. Influence of Society on Grey
IV. Reference of the novel to real world events.
A. Macondo and Colombia during 1960s
B. Oscar Wilde and the 1890s
Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Oscar Wilde analyze and portray the effects that time can have in certain people when they are presented to situations that will be affected by time either in a positive or negative manner. With their literary works the authors manage to deeply show how a town or a person can be driven to the extremes in order to cheat time like Dorian Grey did or to simply understand it and control it like Arcadio Buendia did. The effects of time presented in these works are also tied to the “reality” each character seems to encounter as it is not the reality the common person experiences and to the influence of figures that play crucial roles to either convince, deceive or confuse the characters.
The effect of time is a very important theme when discussing the novels as the process of time is what motivates and inspires the characters. In the novel A Hundred Years of Solitude time is best understood by classifying periods based on the generation in which the Buendia family encounters itself. Time is not a guide for perception but it is just a large ongoing entity (Shay). The repetition of names through the novel and the back and forth movement between the past, present and future indicate a certain mix between the time periods. This is due to the wide but at the same time closed structure of time that lets different people that are from different situations to live within each other because they somehow are always related (Shay). This overshadows the essence of time as a whole and focuses the story by connecting events not necessarily in chronological order but by the significance and meaning that such event will have on the future or the reason found in the past of why such event occurred. “...time was not passing...it was turning in a circle...” The past and present collide as there is a direct relationship between every situation occurred in the beginning of the story and every situation occurred as the novel progresses as all of these are related. The effects of time can also be analyzed by overlooking the way in which Macondo as a town suffered from technological advances and developments such as the industrialization era. Macondo is the town that encounters conflict between the traditions that have been kept for many years which founded the town and the new ways which will be more aggressive and maybe too revolutionary. The battle between the old and the new (Shay). This creates a contrast between the frozen age the town seems to be encountering and the progress of society and the world around them which is developing at a faster pace. The city is unaware of this as they do not seem to have any contact with the outside world besides an unreliable source of gypsies. They live within their very own time period. In The Picture of Dorian gray beauty is the sole purpose for greys actions in the novel. As he is guided by the idea that beauty is the purpose of life. These ideas are initially cultivated by Lord Henry: ‘You have a wonderfully beautiful face, Mr. Gray. Don 't frown. You have. And beauty is a form of genius -- is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation” this ideology is why Gray attempts to stop the inevitable effects of time in order to stay beautiful; he challenges time and its consequences in order to rein in the social world which seems to be a good enough reason to give up everything morally but his looks. This extremist love and obsession that Gray has for himself is what leads to his insane need to be able to “preserve” that exact period of his life and avoid time (Cummings). Time to Dorian is the enemy and is the reason why he fights to treasure it and freeze it, as time will take away his most important assets which consist of his physical qualities and youth. As time is Dorian’s “enemy” it certainly has final effect on him even if he managed to cheat time it eventually presented itself as the portrait which reflected his own destruction (Cummings). Time is portrayed all around Dorian during the novel as an ongoing subject but it is not sensed in Dorian which creates a barrier between reality and him. Present and future collide in the story as Dorian lives in a frozen present- day while his portrait lives in his actual real age which creates friction between Dorian as a young man and an adult.
When connecting the two novels and the theme of time it is visible how in both works the main characters must deal with time as a motive. In a hundred years of solitude time is what uncovers prophecies and brings hope to the town of macondo as sign of progress but sometimes it creates a negative effect as time perceived by the town of macondo is perceived differently by the outside world due to macondos isolation from society. In the picture of Dorian grey the fear of time and aging is what leads Dorian to go down the dark path and give a part of himself in order to not get older, time is also perceived differently by Dorian in the novel as he doesn’t accept it like everyone else as he is too blinded by the elite world he lived in and the pressure to be perfect. Time is perceived mostly like an asset that must be worshipped and extended rather than just a process of learning and development. Both works also deal with time being defied whether it was Dorian ignoring aging but aging on his picture or Macondo constantly analyzing the past and living in it to be able to understand the future and present. Magic takes a big role in the story as Macondo is a fictional town full of unnatural creatures, stories and people. This magic realism used by Gabriel Garcia enhances the magical, mystic facts of the story and proceeds to discuss them in a normal common way which makes the unrealistic seemingly realistic. The reality experienced by the Buendia family and the town is a unique reality that only they will witness due to their “Hundred years of solitude”. Gabriel Garcia Marquez does this in order to contrast the way in which the town thinks as an isolated, primitive place versus the real world which seems to develop at a faster rate. The characters of the novel are self- aware of the changes taking place but have a hard time adjusting to them, this type of growth as fast and strong as it is presented in Macondo is almost self-destruction as it serves as a “scale” to leading the protagonists to feel even more isolated and out of place than before due to not being able to adapt to all the change happening in front of them. This eventually leads the people towards more isolation from the world (Shay). By giving the town a touch of fantasy and mystery it is easier to understand how their “experienced” reality actually has a lot in common with today’s society as macondo experiences everything a normal town would go through but in an intensified level mixed with mystical effects. This “connection” between Macondo and the real outside world can be seen in the complicated relationship the characters have with time as it is a representation of nature and history as a whole and not just a generation or a period of measured time (Shay). Dorian experiences a reality unlike any other character in the book.
He is able to perceive the world from the eyes of an immortal man which creates a parallel world between reality and his life. This make- believe reality that Dorian lives in believes that there is no restriction on desire as that is all life is about (Gale). "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful.” This quote said by Lord Henry is a clear example of the approach Dorian has towards life, this belief that nothing but experiences matter is what creates the reality experienced by Dorian. Henry is able to greatly shape Dorian’s view of life as he induces Gray to the idea of beauty as disloyal and untrustworthy (Moehlig). This creates an alternate reality for Dorian which leads to the need for more beauty and fame. Therefore, developing the magical factors that enable his picture to age as he stays the same. His changing image represents the way in which people change due to influences or trends and his actual self manages to send a similar message as he does NOT change due to the pressure by society to stay beautiful which portrays
irony.
Both novels have influence from fictional items that allow for the fantasy to play a very important role. Such ideas enable both stories to experience a reality that is different from the one perceived by the “common man”. Which in the end are what lead these novels to achieve such levels of greatness and deepness. Whether it is the arrival of gypsies with magical objects that can make love or Dorian managing to stay the way he is as his unanimated picture ages. These alternate realities lived by the characters connect with a deeper meaning of what society expects or wants from men. Macondo is forced to trade with gypsies believe in witches and listen to prophecies because this reality is the only one they know. Grey is forced to change his life and give up aging in order to satisfy the ridiculous high standards he had to meet in order to be considered someone in the world. Both of these realities are just pressures from a bigger hand to fit in like Gray or simply do what seems natural or right like Macondo. In a Hundred Years of Solitude we experience an alternate reality in the town of macondo as whole. But, in The picture of Dorian Gray we find this other reality to be only within Gray himself.
The Buendia family has a great influence within the community through the entire novel. They are known for their inventions, marriages, affairs, and sense of tradition. This affects the town of macondo as an inside influence that in many cases is able to persuade the habitants to change their mind or make certain choices, a clear example of this is seen as Jose Arcadio deteriorates during the progression of the novel. His downfall and clear insanity as a result of a life-long quest for knowledge has a great impact on the town due to his influence in the community. “The idea of a peninsular Macondo prevailed for a long time, inspired by the arbitrary map that José Arcadio Buendía sketched on his return from the expedition” This inner influence causes people in this case to believe in an unreliable map that is taken seriously ONLY because Jose drew it showing the clear influence that him and his family have on the town. The influence of outsiders in the novel might be one of the most important themes as the book itself describes the town to be living a hundred years isolated from society. This made them vulnerable and highly gullible to the gypsies who brought technology to the town and were their only connection with any other type of humans but the ones found in the town. As this is their only link of knowledge it can be expected that the attempt to industrialize the town will fail. The new industrialized society with its modern ways and complicated processes is hard for Macondo to assimilate which creates unbalance and unsteadiness through the town as they have never encountered this before (Shay). Citizens are just not accustomed to the technology shown by the Americans and do not understand their ways. This is when the inside influence by the Buendia comes in and their sense of tradition is what manages to isolate the town once again from all contact.
The greatest influences found in the novel come from the painting of Dorian and society which can be represented by Lord Henry. Lord henrys philosophy of life is “living in a constant quest for beauty”; Dorian adopts this philosophy and decides to live his life looking for all means of beauty no matter the cost (Gale). These influences are what lead Dorian to want to be immortal and not age because he believes he will receive more acceptances if he stays within the status quo. "Life has everything in store for you, Dorian. There is nothing that you, with your extraordinary good looks, will not be able to do." This said by Lord Henry who is a major outside influence supports the shallow materialistic views society had during this time period. “It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible....” this said by Dorian clearly shows his pride for the empty views of his generation which are a great influence for Dorian as it is this exact society and mindset that leads to his own downfall due to his ego and obsession towards himself that is encouraged by the people he is surrounded with.
In a hundred years of solitude unlike the picture of Dorian grey influences have both a positive and negative impact. Here we find how inside influences “save” macondo from becoming a colony or worst but outside influences are what lead the town to stay hidden and solitary. In the picture of Dorian grey influences only have a negative effect as they do not benefit Dorian and are what ultimately dooms him. Influences play a major role in both works as time and influence are what lead the main characters to act the way they do. Either as an influence from society like the one Dorian encountered or an influence from the Buendia family and its sense of tradition which Macondo experienced.
When looking at the tragedy of Macondo. A town viewed from the eyes of an entire generation from its creation to its destruction. The non-existent place located in Colombia resembles the country’s most historic years that were marked by attempts of industrialization, violence and revolution. During this era (mid 1960’s) Colombia at the time accounted with countries such as present day Venezuela and Bolivia. With the extensive amount of land and such a recently made government with barely any political experience or history, the country had trouble industrializing itself. Many remote towns such as Macondo existed in Colombia at the time and never had any sort of contact with anyone outside of their own boundaries. In addition Macondo serves as a metaphor for Latin America and mostly Colombia as it portrays the never ending cycle that violence leads to and the giant impact it has had on these countries along the way. These are shown in the book by Colonel Aureliano Buendía as he was an active fighter against the industrializing forces from the Banana Company which relates to the rebellion of the Colombian people at the time to be heard and respected by their leaders.
The Picture of Dorian Gray was Oscar Wilde’s form of expressing his Aesthetic views to the 1890’s public. He was imprisoned for his work as it seemed too erotic and highly inappropriate. The Aesthetic movement which Wilde was an advocate of solely believes that art is not didactic and it should not be used for simple amusement but it must be used only to achieve pleasure (Brookes). Art was meant to be everywhere as preached by this movement in every possible shape or form no matter its size or proportion as art was everything. Connecting Dorian’s obsession with beauty and himself. He needs to be beautiful as he is art and he must represent art for all it is, perfect. This is when the pressure from the outsiders comes in and persuades Dorian. This pressure was experienced by Oscar himself as he was surrounded by an era filled with shallow, closed minded people who only believed in what they saw and perceived all beauty to be skin-deep. Oscar had to hide his secret love with a man in order to survive the cruel world he lived in just as Dorian gives his life away in order to stay young and be accepted by the judging society.
These two novels are windows into two very different time periods. But even if they do not relate to the same underlying issue they both advocate for either a country like Gabriel Garcia Marquez did or for a group such as Oscar Wilde. This relation found within each book to its corresponding time period gives each novel a deeper significance of what the entire story is trying to achieve as they are silent protest against the unfairness of the social system in Grays case or the Government when it comes to Macondo.
Works Cited
David, Shay. "Concepts of Time in One Hundred Years Of Solitude: A means for social criticism." Anamesa. New York University, Feb. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .
Moehlig, Baya. "The Picture of Dorian Grey." Google Sites. Google, 6 Dec. 2010. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
"The Picture of Dorian Gray." Cummings Study Guide. Michael J Cummings, 2005. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .
"The Picture of Dorian Gray." Novelguide. Gale group, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .
Cranleigh Decorative Fine Arts Society. N.p., 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. .