At first glance, Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" might appear as a novel written to tell a moral lesson by showing the devastating result of unrestrained aestheticism. After all, when the readers consider the ending of the novel, they can easily recognize that Oscar Wilde thought Dorian's decadent deeds to be self-destroying. This claim becomes more persuasive when the readers consider the background of the novel. Many of Wilde's contemporaries thought that British society was experiencing moral decline, and they sought to restore morality of British society. However, Lord Henry, who is heavily responsible for corrupting Dorian, does not receive any punishment. Moreover, in the preface of the novel, Wilde states that "there is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book." This statement clearly shows that "The Picture of Dorian Gray" was not written to serve a purely moral purpose. Instead, Wilde states in the preface that "books are well written, or badly written." Therefore, it is perhaps more accurate to assume that Wilde wrote this novel just to write a well written novel. In this sense, the moral lessons of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" are only tools for a beautiful novel.
Very clear and succinct, and also very valid claim. I would avoid words like "only," however. The moral lessons are there to tease critics, confound readers, and ultimately to warp our expectations as we read. Wilde seems to enjoy toying with us, and your paragraph captures that well. Good stuff.
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