The Picture of Dorian Gray Lesson Plan

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde's first and only novel, is a Faustian story of a man who trades the purity of his soul for undying youth. It was written in 1889 and first published in the literary magazine Lippincott's Monthly in July 1890 (Drew ix). This was a shorter version, without the preface or Chapters 3, 5, or 15-18, which were added for later publication in 1891. These additional chapters, which are now indispensable to the work, introduce the character of James Vane, the vengeful brother of one of the victims of Dorian's many careless affairs. At the time it was published, the novel elicited a sensational amount of negative criticism, with detractors condemning its...