Civilisation in The Picture of Dorian Gray and Heart of Darkness. Wilde and Conrad's view of man in society.

The depictions of Dorian, the 'young Adonis' in The Picture of Dorian Gray, and of Kurtz, the 'universal genius' in Heart of Darkness leads one to question the effects of society on man: does civilisation help or hinder morality? Although many critics have argued the former, there is much evidence which shows that elements within society have detrimental effects on the two protagonists. I believe that the deterioration the men experience is a result of …

…Both Dorian and Kurtz eventually come to realise 'the horror' of their atrocities, but, for both, their epiphanies come too late. As the portrait bears the ugliness of Dorian's sins and eventually destroys him, so Kurtz' power leads him to a life of corruption that he will ultimately regret. Their various virtues, Dorian's beauty and Kurtz' 'voice', give them a mask to conceal their corruption, just as society's civil appearance disguises its immorality and injustices.