Abstract: As a representative personage of aestheticism, Oscar Wilde is a world famous dramatist, poet, fairy tale writer and novelist. The Picture of Dorian Gray is his only novel that tells a story about three characters: Dorian Gray, Henry Lord and Basil. This thesis cites Freud’s theory of personality to analyze the relation among the leading characters and the author. It is discovered that Wilde’s reflections on life are shown from many plots in the novel and the three leading characters serve exactly as the embodiments of Wilde’s own id, ego, and superego. The novel thus fully reveals Wilde’s artistic ideas and moral codes. It is concluded that the disastrous death of Dorian Gray, just like the tragic fate of Wilde himself, is the result of the irreconcilable conflicts of the author’s id, ego and superego. 

Key words: Oscar Wilde; The Picture of Dorian Gray; personality theory

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要：

1．Introduction1

1.1Introduction to the Author

1.2Introduction to the Novel

1.3Introduction to Freud’s Personality Theory

2. Literature Review 3

3. Oscar Wilde’s Personality Reflected from the Three Characters 4

3.1 Henry: Wilde’s Id 

 3.2 Hallward: Wilde’s Superego

3.3 Gray: Wilde’s Ego 

4. Conclusions .8

Bibliography11

Acknowledgements12