The Social Position of Women in The Picture of Dorian Gray and Comparison with Another Literary Character In Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), the excerpt presented reveals the deeply i
📋 Exam Question
The excerpt below is from the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, which was published in 1891 when women’s position in society was very different than today.
Read the excerpt.
Write a text in which you interpret and discuss the views expressed about women’s social position in the excerpt. Compare this to another female character’s social position in a literary text, film or television series you have studied.
“Who are you in love with?” asked Lord Henry after a pause.
“With an actress,” said Dorian Gray, blushing.
- Lord Henry shrugged his shoulders. “That is a rather commonplace début.”
- “You would not say so if you saw her, Harry.”
- “Who is she?”
- “Her name is Sibyl Vane.”
- “Never heard of her.”
- “No one has. People will some day, however. She is a genius.”
“My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals.”
“My dear Dorian, it is quite true. I am analysing women at present, so I ought to know. The subject is not so abstruse as I thought it was. I find that, ultimately, there are only two kinds of women, the plain and the coloured. The plain women are very useful. If you want to gain a reputation for respectability, you have merely to take them down to supper. The other women are very charming. They commit one mistake, however. They paint in order to try and look young. Our grandmothers painted in order to try and talk brilliantly. Rouge and esprit used to go together. That is all over now. As long as a woman can look ten years younger than her own daughter, she is perfectly satisfied. As for conversation, there are only five women in London worth talking to, and two of these can’t be admitted into decent society. However, tell me about your genius. How long have you known her?”
- Excerpt, adapted for this exam by Udir
Reference:
- Wilde, O. (1891). The Picture of Dorian Gray. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/174/174-h/174-h.htm
✏️ Model Answer
The Social Position of Women in The Picture of Dorian Gray and Comparison with Another Literary Character
In Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), the excerpt presented reveals the deeply ingrained views on women's social position during the late 19th century. Lord Henry's comments reflect the widespread societal attitudes toward women, which were largely shaped by restrictive gender norms and expectations of the time. His assertion that "no woman is a genius" and that "women are a decorative sex" underscores the belief that women were seen primarily as objects of beauty and charm, rather than intellectual or moral equals to men. Wilde, through Lord Henry, expresses the view that women were valued for their appearance and the social roles they played, such as the idealized roles of the "plain" or "charming" women, rather than for their talents, intellect, or creativity. …