Bingöl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi

Öz

The Victorian Age (1837–1901) – prevailed almost a century of British history and has deeply affected the history of humanity – is the name of an era in the world history which the concepts and practices of industrialisation, capitalism and imperialism are culminated. The industrialisation and capitalism positively contribute to the change and transformation of both society and person. On the other hand, it cannot be ignored that they set ground for cultural/moral corruption and decadence of society and person. All the classes of society whose lifestyles, tendencies, values, and moral sentiments differ from each other are – directly or indirectly – influenced from this degeneration. The possession of elite class positioned at the top of the class hierarchy of social structure to the wealth of the country and the deprival of lower classes from such type of economic potential lead to a rapid spread of the corruption among people. And it gives rise to a hypocrite society whose lifestyle and frame of mind conflicts. This is why, today, an unfavourable image takes shape in the minds of people when someone utters ‘Victorian Age’.
In this study, considering of the conditions of the age, the social life and moral understanding in The Picture of Dorian Gray, the novel of Oscar Wilde who is accepted among the important writers of Late Victorian Age will be scrutinised. However, the critical view of the writer who contradicts/conflicts with value judgements of Victorian Age with his both practically and intellectually inconsistent life style will be discussed in our study. Furthermore, how the morality of the age has been reflected in the novel will be among the focal points of the study.