Abstract：As the most successful writer after William Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde (16 October 1854 - 30 November 1900) is famous for his plays, novel, fair tales and poems. The Picture of Dorian Gray which is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde not only is the representative work of Aestheticism in nineteenth century, but also shows the unique feeling of Wilde towards beauty. The novel tells a story of the fallen beauty. A lad named Dorian Gray wanted to sell his soul to make his portrait taking the place of himself bearing his sins and age. Unfortunately, he committed suicide in the end. My paper will study the Oscar Wilde’s understanding of beauty and through Dorian Gray’s dramatic life prove that the conception of “beauty” in The Picture of Dorian Gray is both amoral and moral.
Key Words: Oscar Wilde，The Picture of Dorian Gray，Beauty
摘要:作为继威廉•莎士比亚之后最著名的作家，奥斯卡•王尔德因其极具盛名的戏剧作品，小说，童话，诗歌为世人所熟知。而作为王尔德唯一一部出版过的小说，《道林•格雷的画像》不仅成为了19世纪唯美主义的代表之作，更使得人们了解到了王尔德独特的美学思想。小说主要讲述的是主人公美少年道林•格雷企图让自己的画像代替自己变老，逐渐堕落最终走向自我毁灭的一生。本文便从主人公道林戏剧化的一生入手，逐步揭露王尔德对于美的理解，从而最终证明《道林•格雷的画像》中王尔德想体现的美既无关道德，又与道德有着密切的联系。
关键词：奥斯卡•王尔德，《道林•格雷的画像》，美
In conclusion, Wilde writes about beauty in a threefold sense in The Picture of Dorian Gray. The first part is the personal beauty which is pure but fleeting. The second part is much higher but more dangerous: the pursuit of permanent beauty. It is the way that is complex and it is full of temptation. Walking in this way, people may lose themselves easily but if they can keep a pure and disinterested heart and find the beauty in the end, they will taste the sweetest fruits and their lives will also reach a new height. The highest part of beauty is the beauty of arts, which is amoral but also have a strong connection with morality in our real lives. There are only a few people who could get to such a high level, but it is the beauty that we are pursuing and advocating. Although we cannot know what is Wilde’s real notion, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a journey to explore beauty and a journey to explore morality. And there is no denying that morality is a kind of conception of beauty which can last forever in people’s eyes and minds.
