The Picture of Dorian Grey—Novel Unit Pretest 1. Which of the following is a characteristic of Gothic literature? a. Dark and gloomy setting b. Has a male protagonist c. Set in England d. Set between the years 1800-1850 2. Gothic literature often includes ______________________ elements. a. Supernatural b. Realistic c. Romantic d. None of the above e. Both A and C 3. The Victorian era roughly takes place when? a. 1900-1950 b. 1750-1820 c. 1850-1900 d. 1800-1900 4. Which of the following was occurring during the Victorian era? a. New forms of technology, such as telephones and telegraphs b. Social upheaval and more awareness of inequality between classes c. The rise of the middle class and the diminishing of the Church d. The rise of the novel’s popularity e. All of the above 5. The Picture of Dorian Grey is considered the most autobiographical of Oscar Wilde’s works. This theory is best proven by what? a. The fact that pieces of the book were read aloud in his trial b. The fact that Oscar Wilde led an immoral life c. The fact that Oscar Wilde named a minor character after himself d. The fact that Dorian Grey was Wilde’s favorite work. 6. Dorian is considered a member of the gentry class. This means what? a. He does not have to follow society’s rules. b. He is eligible to hold a seat in government. c. He is independently wealthy and does not have to work. d. He owns several factories around town. 7. Match the character to the description which best matches them. 1. Basil Hallward An immoral, wealthy man who delights in influencing others to commit bad deeds. 2. Lord Henry A young, naïve actress who falls in love with Dorian. 3. Dorian Grey A painter who regards Dorian as his muse. He tries to convince Dorian to behave better. 4. Sibyl Vane A young man who becomes obsessed with his own youth and beauty. 1. _____________ 2. _____________ 3. _____________ 4. _____________ 5. Idolatry can be defined as what? a. Not going to church regularly b. Worship of a person or an object as God c. Defamation of character d. The desire to be worshipped as a God 6. “The only thing worth having is youth and beauty. When they are lost you will have nothing.” Said by Lord Henry, these lines influence Dorian to do what? a. Get a portrait made b. End his relationship with Sibyl c. Wish that he could remain forever young while his portrait ages d. Destroy his portrait in a fit of rage 7. How is Lord Henry responsible for Dorian meeting Sibyl Vane? a. Lord Henry recommends her as an actress b. Lord Henry gives Dorian a playbill advertising her theater c. Lord Henry throws a party where Sibyl and Dorian are both guests d. Lord Henry urges Dorian to explore the world and seek beauty, Dorian does so and finds Sibyl 8. A dynamic character _______________, while a static character_______________. a. Lives, dies b. Changes, stays the same c. Is the protagonist; is the antagonist d. Dies; lives 9. Dorian Grey cannot abide bad art. How does this affect his relationship with Sibyl? a. She acts badly so he ends their relationship b. She insults his portrait so he ends their relationship c. She cannot understand the difference between good art and bad art so he stops loving her d. She is a masterful painter so he falls deeply in love with her 10. “Sibyl Vane is always acting. She is never herself.” This idea is best expressed how? a. She is playing Juliet when Dorian first meets her. b. She is a professional actress. c. Lord Henry and Dorian relate her death to an event within a play. d. She cannot be trusted; she is always lying. 11. As the years pass Dorian spends most of his time studying what? a. Religion b. The nature of good and evil c. Mathematics d. Different forms of art 12. Gentry men did not have jobs which they could take pride in. Instead, what could a gentry man take pride in? a. Their reputation b. Their house c. The number of acquaintances they had d. The number of women in love with them 13. What happens to those who fall underneath Dorian’s influence? a. They receive large amounts of money b. They end up ruined or dead c. They become crueler than Dorian, often taking pleasure in committing foul acts d. They give Dorian all of their money 14. Basil blames the portrait’s appearance on two factors. What are they? a. Lord Henry’s influence and Dorian’s vanity b. The nature of evil and man’s weakness c. Basil’s worship of Dorian and Dorian’s worship of himself d. The evils of opium and Dorian’s weakness 15. How does the portrait influence the murder of Basil Hallward? a. The portrait speaks to Dorian and tells him to kill Basil b. Basil tries to destroy the portrait and as a result Dorian murders him c. Dorian is overcome with hatred for the man who has created the portrait d. Since Basil has seen the portrait Dorian must kill him before Basil talks 16. True or False—Dorian exhibits great remorse for his actions. a. True b. False 17. “It does not do to pepper beaters. It makes it seem as though one is a bad shot.” Spoken by Lord Henry these words serve to illustrate what? a. Lord Henry’s views on shooting b. The dangers of hunting as a sport c. The superficiality of upper-class society d. Lord Henry’s evil views on life 18. “Tears ran down his face, for he was finally safe.” This reaction from Dorian Grey upon the death of James Vane proves what? a. Dorian’s plot to kill James was successful. b. Dorian only cares about himself. c. James was an evil man, focused only on murder d. Dorian mourns the death of James. 19. “I believe that I truly loved her. We were to have run away but I resolved to leave her as flower-like as I had found her.” By saying this, Dorian seeks to prove what? a. That he is truly ready to become a good person b. That he is desirable to women c. That Lord Henry no longer has any sway over him d. That he can no longer be tempted by marriage Victorian Literature: The movement roughly corresponds to the rule of Queen Victoria, from 1830-1900. Characterized by change and upheaval, society was in flux during this time with the advent of new technology and new social movements. This time saw the rise of the middle-class as well as the diminishing of the power of the Church. Many essayists and novelists spoke against the inequality present within society, directly addressing problems such as child labor or poverty. This era saw the rise in the novel’s popularity—as a preferred form of fiction it overtook the poem, a trend which continues to this day. Serial novels (novels published in magazines and newspapers) were immensely popular. The idea of “manners” was important to Victorian society—rules of personal conduct were inflexible. The status of the nobility suffered underneath the rise of the middle- class, while the poor suffered underneath the middle-class. Gothic novel: a particular genre which includes dark settings, gloomy atmosphere, and evidence of the supernatural. The Picture of Dorian Gray is classified as urban gothic, along with The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Oscar Wilde 1854-1900 Famous for his novels, poems, and plays, especially The Importance of Being Earnest. Wilde was known for his wit as well as his controversial work. While in college, Wilde helped form the Aesthetic Movement (Art for art’s sake). Wilde wrote several poems, plays, and novels, gathering popularity. However, his flamboyant lifestyle also gathered him many critics. Oscar Wilde was charged with ‘gross indecency’ for ‘homosexual acts’. He was found guilty and sentenced to two years hard labor. Wilde emerged from prison penniless and changed—He would die two years later from meningitis. “The wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has to go.”— Spoken by Wilde in the Left Bank Hotel, where he would eventually die. Controversy about Dorian Grey When it was published the novel came underneath harsh criticism. It was immediately called ‘effeminate’ and ‘unmanly’. It was criticized for its decadence as well as its homosexual subtext. The Picture of Dorian Grey is considered Wilde’s most autobiographical work: pieces of it were even used in his trial. Questions to Consider (students can answer either individually or in small groups): One theme of the novel is that of moral goodness. What does it mean to be a ‘good’ person? Can you be a good person and still enjoy yourself? Does enjoying yourself necessarily mean that you are a ‘bad’ person? Our friends and family have the power to influence us, for good or bad. If you are influenced by someone into performing a ‘bad’ act does that make you a ‘bad’ person? “The only way to resist a temptation is to yield to it”. This is said by one of the novel’s characters. Does it make sense? What is the best way to resist temptation? Victorian society believed that the evils of the soul were reflected on the body. What would the world look like if this were the case? Would the world be a better place if your bad deeds were reflected onto your body? The Picture of Dorian Grey—Pre-Reading Activities ENG 12 CB Time: 60 min Materials/Resources: ActivBoard Discussion sheets Instructor Powerpoint Technology Used: Microsoft Powerpoint ActivBoard SOL: 12.4 d) The student will relate literary works and authors to major themes and issues of their era.