Representation of Landscape in Literary Works
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Running head: REPRESENTATION OF LANDSCAPE IN LITERARY WORKS
REPRESENTATION OF LANDSCAPE IN LITERARY WORKS: ANALYSIS OF
BRAM STOKER’S “DRACULA” AND OSCAR WILDE’S “THE PICTURE OF
DORIAN GRAY”
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:
REPRESENTATION OF LANDSCAPE IN LITERARY WORKS: ANALYSIS OF
BRAM STOKER’S “DRACULA” AND OSCAR WILDE’S “THE PICTURE OF
DORIAN GRAY”
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:
REPRESENTATION OF LANDSCAPE IN LITERARY WORKS1
As opined by McCrum (2019), the different literary works over the years had used the
landscape or the setting of the scenes as an essential prop or entity for highlighting important
aspects or the details of the lives of the characters of their literary works. Davis and Dierkes-
Thrun (2018) are of the viewpoint that the different landscapes in the works of the famous
authors are being used in an effective manner and as a matter of fact are as important as the
central protagonists or the plots of the literary works for enhancing the reading pleasure of
the readers. More importantly, it is seen that the different authors over the years had used the
landscape setting to highlight the mood or the emotional condition in which the central
characters are in or for that to elevate the gravity of the scene which is being narrated by
them. This is important because of the fact that mere words or dialogues of the characters do
not offer succinct information to the readers regarding the emotional condition of the central
protagonists around whom the entire novel or the literary works revolve (Walsh 2018). As a
matter of fact, the entity of landscape or the setting becomes all the more important in the
particular context of the gothic literature which takes the hep of complex settings or
landscapes to effectively convey information regarding the pivotal plot details and also the
things that are going on in the minds of the protagonists (Punter 2015). In this regard, Oscar
Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” are two important novels
which effectively use the entity of landscape setting to highlight important details regarding
the plot and also the emotions of the central characters of the novel. This essay will explore
the representation of landscape in the two novels, namely, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and
Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” and also the manner in which the authors’ effective usage of the
landscape setting had been helped them to enhance the reading pleasure of the novels.
Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” published in 1890 in the Lippincott's
Monthly Magazine, is generally considered to be the masterpiece of Wilde and also one of
the best novels of the 19th century (McCrum 2019). Davis and Dierkes-Thrun (2018) are of
As opined by McCrum (2019), the different literary works over the years had used the
landscape or the setting of the scenes as an essential prop or entity for highlighting important
aspects or the details of the lives of the characters of their literary works. Davis and Dierkes-
Thrun (2018) are of the viewpoint that the different landscapes in the works of the famous
authors are being used in an effective manner and as a matter of fact are as important as the
central protagonists or the plots of the literary works for enhancing the reading pleasure of
the readers. More importantly, it is seen that the different authors over the years had used the
landscape setting to highlight the mood or the emotional condition in which the central
characters are in or for that to elevate the gravity of the scene which is being narrated by
them. This is important because of the fact that mere words or dialogues of the characters do
not offer succinct information to the readers regarding the emotional condition of the central
protagonists around whom the entire novel or the literary works revolve (Walsh 2018). As a
matter of fact, the entity of landscape or the setting becomes all the more important in the
particular context of the gothic literature which takes the hep of complex settings or
landscapes to effectively convey information regarding the pivotal plot details and also the
things that are going on in the minds of the protagonists (Punter 2015). In this regard, Oscar
Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” are two important novels
which effectively use the entity of landscape setting to highlight important details regarding
the plot and also the emotions of the central characters of the novel. This essay will explore
the representation of landscape in the two novels, namely, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and
Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” and also the manner in which the authors’ effective usage of the
landscape setting had been helped them to enhance the reading pleasure of the novels.
Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” published in 1890 in the Lippincott's
Monthly Magazine, is generally considered to be the masterpiece of Wilde and also one of
the best novels of the 19th century (McCrum 2019). Davis and Dierkes-Thrun (2018) are of
REPRESENTATION OF LANDSCAPE IN LITERARY WORKS2
the viewpoint that concerned novel had to face a significant amount of criticism as well as
negative backlash because of the content as well as the usage of themes like sensualism,
hedonism and others that the novelist used for the completion of the concerned novel. In this
regard, it needs to be said that the novel under discussion here is the only novel that Oscar
Wilde in his entire literary career and as a matter of fact he used the vessel of novel to
elaborate the themes or the concepts that the vessel of short stories or poems did not offer
him the opportunity to articulate in an effective manner (Stern 2017). As a matter of fact,
commenting on the criticism that he received after the publication of the concerned novel he
says “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not
being talked about” (Wilde 2003). As opined by Zhang (2016), one of the best aspects of
Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is the fact it in a subtle manner repudiates or
uses the follies or the foibles of the 19th century English society which were to become
representative of the concerned age and this is one of the major reasons for the criticism that
the concerned novel had received not only at the time of its publication but also in the
subsequent ages as well.
The entire plot of the novel under discussion here revolves around Dorian Gray and
his painting or portrait that had been created by Basil Hallward which is meant to be a
symbolical as well as true representation of the Dorian Gray (Stern 2017). More importantly,
he wants the artist Basil Hallward to portray the sensual or hedonist side of his character
along with the positive aspects of his character however when the portrait is being completed
rather than representing the positive aspects of his character it becomes a heightened
representation of the negative aspects of his character and all the attributes of his characters
which he detests (McCrum 2019). In this regard, it needs to be said that in order to overcome
the negative connotations of the portrait that had been created of him by Basil he says “I don't
want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate
the viewpoint that concerned novel had to face a significant amount of criticism as well as
negative backlash because of the content as well as the usage of themes like sensualism,
hedonism and others that the novelist used for the completion of the concerned novel. In this
regard, it needs to be said that the novel under discussion here is the only novel that Oscar
Wilde in his entire literary career and as a matter of fact he used the vessel of novel to
elaborate the themes or the concepts that the vessel of short stories or poems did not offer
him the opportunity to articulate in an effective manner (Stern 2017). As a matter of fact,
commenting on the criticism that he received after the publication of the concerned novel he
says “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not
being talked about” (Wilde 2003). As opined by Zhang (2016), one of the best aspects of
Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is the fact it in a subtle manner repudiates or
uses the follies or the foibles of the 19th century English society which were to become
representative of the concerned age and this is one of the major reasons for the criticism that
the concerned novel had received not only at the time of its publication but also in the
subsequent ages as well.
The entire plot of the novel under discussion here revolves around Dorian Gray and
his painting or portrait that had been created by Basil Hallward which is meant to be a
symbolical as well as true representation of the Dorian Gray (Stern 2017). More importantly,
he wants the artist Basil Hallward to portray the sensual or hedonist side of his character
along with the positive aspects of his character however when the portrait is being completed
rather than representing the positive aspects of his character it becomes a heightened
representation of the negative aspects of his character and all the attributes of his characters
which he detests (McCrum 2019). In this regard, it needs to be said that in order to overcome
the negative connotations of the portrait that had been created of him by Basil he says “I don't
want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate
REPRESENTATION OF LANDSCAPE IN LITERARY WORKS3
them” yet as the novel unfolds it becomes clear that he is unable to overcome the negative
aspects of his landscape as well as the portrait (Wilde 2003). However, at the same time it
needs to be said that the grotesque painting takes a negative toll on the character of Dorian
and he indulges in different kinds of detesting activities including the murder of Sibyl Vane,
whom he once loved, Basil Hallward, the artist who created the painting and others. It is
pertinent to note that Wilde tried to show the concerned painting as a gothic object which
hinders the ageing of Dorian Gray and this in turn keeps him young even after the passage of
18 years. In this regard, it needs to be said that during the span of these 18 years he indulges
in different kinds of maliceful or detestable activities and along with the character of Dorian
Gray himself the portrait also becomes grotesque and he is being able to free himself of the
evil aspects of the portrait at the end of the novel when he not only destroys the painting with
a knife but also kills himself with the same knife (Stern 2017). In this regard, discussing the
toll that the portrait and also the landscape had taken on him he says “Behind every exquisite
thing that existed, there was something tragic” (Wilde 2019).
Davis and Dierkes-Thrun (2018) are of the viewpoint that the novel “The Picture of
Dorian Gray” belongs to the genre of gothic fiction or literature and thereby is redolent with
the diverse aspects of the concerned genre of literature. As opined by Punter (2015), one of
the most important aspects of the gothic fiction is the fact that it not only takes the help of
elements or gothic architecture but at the same time uses grotesque landscape setting to
denote the horror or the mundanity of the story which is being narrated or for that to convey
the emotions of the central characters of the story itself. This aspect of the gothic novels
become applicable within the particular context of the novel under discussion here as well.
As a matter of fact, it is seen that one of the most important examples of the gothic objects
which is been used in the concerned novel is the portrait of Dorian Gray itself (Zhang 2016).
A subtle representation of the character of Dorian is being given by his natural surroundings
them” yet as the novel unfolds it becomes clear that he is unable to overcome the negative
aspects of his landscape as well as the portrait (Wilde 2003). However, at the same time it
needs to be said that the grotesque painting takes a negative toll on the character of Dorian
and he indulges in different kinds of detesting activities including the murder of Sibyl Vane,
whom he once loved, Basil Hallward, the artist who created the painting and others. It is
pertinent to note that Wilde tried to show the concerned painting as a gothic object which
hinders the ageing of Dorian Gray and this in turn keeps him young even after the passage of
18 years. In this regard, it needs to be said that during the span of these 18 years he indulges
in different kinds of maliceful or detestable activities and along with the character of Dorian
Gray himself the portrait also becomes grotesque and he is being able to free himself of the
evil aspects of the portrait at the end of the novel when he not only destroys the painting with
a knife but also kills himself with the same knife (Stern 2017). In this regard, discussing the
toll that the portrait and also the landscape had taken on him he says “Behind every exquisite
thing that existed, there was something tragic” (Wilde 2019).
Davis and Dierkes-Thrun (2018) are of the viewpoint that the novel “The Picture of
Dorian Gray” belongs to the genre of gothic fiction or literature and thereby is redolent with
the diverse aspects of the concerned genre of literature. As opined by Punter (2015), one of
the most important aspects of the gothic fiction is the fact that it not only takes the help of
elements or gothic architecture but at the same time uses grotesque landscape setting to
denote the horror or the mundanity of the story which is being narrated or for that to convey
the emotions of the central characters of the story itself. This aspect of the gothic novels
become applicable within the particular context of the novel under discussion here as well.
As a matter of fact, it is seen that one of the most important examples of the gothic objects
which is been used in the concerned novel is the portrait of Dorian Gray itself (Zhang 2016).
A subtle representation of the character of Dorian is being given by his natural surroundings
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