The Picture of Dorian Gray 

 Study Hub

How to Use This Study Hub: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1 - WATCH Begin with the video. Listen for the key structural terms: symmetry, expansion, Faustian bargain, compression, and resolution. Do not take notes on the first watch. Focus on understanding the shape of the story.

Step 2 - BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY Open the Interactive Word List below the video. Work through each term before watching the video a second time. Pay particular attention to the Useful Expressions, as these are the phrases that will allow you to speak about the plot analytically rather than just retelling it.

Step 3 - STUDY THE MIND MAPS Use the complete mind map to see how the novel's structure and plot connect. Then move to the simplified map to focus on the essential symmetry. Use the blank map as a self-test: close your notes and try to fill it in from memory.

Step 4 - SPEAK Use the video as a model for your own oral presentation. Pause after each section and repeat what you have just heard in your own words. Aim to speak for at least two minutes about the structure and two minutes about the plot without looking at your notes.

Welcome to our study resource hub for The Picture of Dorian Gray. This page is designed for learners of English who want to understand the structure and plot of the novel and improve their English at the same time. Here you will find a clear video that explains the story, vocabulary and grammar support to help you understand important language and visual mind maps that show how the structure and the plot are connected. 

Our video series (three videos) guide you through this process: 

- the first video explores the analysis of the structure and plot of the novel through the creation of a mind map; click on the tab below for the mind maps and word list.

- the second one analyses the title, genre and setting through the creation of a mind map; 

- the third one brings the maps together to demonstrate how to create a complete oral text from a mind map that integrates the title, genre, structure/plot and setting.

Use these tools to gain confidence in speaking, review key literary elements of the book analysis and build your English skills step-by-step.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this Study Hub for? This Study Hub is a complete learning resource for The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. It brings together video explanations, interactive vocabulary support, grammar notes, and visual mind maps to help B1 and B2 English learners understand the novel and prepare for oral exams.

How many videos are in the series? The series consists of three videos. The first video analyses the structure and plot of the novel through the creation of a mind map. The second analyses the title, genre, and setting through a second mind map. The third brings both maps together and demonstrates how to build a complete oral text from them.

What is a Faustian bargain and why does it matter in The Picture of Dorian Gray? A Faustian bargain is a deal in which a person sacrifices their moral values or soul in exchange for worldly gain. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian's wish that his portrait should age in his place while he remains young is the novel's central Faustian bargain. It is the event that drives every other event in the plot.

What does symmetrical structure mean in the context of this novel? The novel is divided into three symmetrical parts. Part one covers Dorian's youth in chapters one to ten. Part two is a single chapter, chapter eleven, which acts as a bridge and compresses approximately eighteen years into one section. Part three covers the final destruction in chapters twelve to twenty. The three-part structure mirrors the arc of rise, stasis, and fall.

What is the locked room and why is it important? The locked room is the upstairs space where Dorian hides his portrait. It is the only place in the novel where the truth about Dorian's moral corruption is stored and visible. It represents his hidden conscience and is the location where the novel's resolution takes place.

What is the Victorian compromise? The Victorian compromise is the unspoken social understanding in Victorian England that public image matters more than private reality. Dorian embodies this principle throughout the novel, performing respectability in public while concealing the portrait and his crimes in private.

What are the Useful Expressions in the word list and how do I use them? The Useful Expressions are short analytical phrases drawn from the language of the video. They are designed to replace simple descriptions with more precise academic language. For example, instead of saying the plot has three parts, you can say the novel is divided into three symmetrical sections. Practise each expression with both the literary example and the everyday English example provided.

Is this page suitable for liceo students preparing for an oral exam? Yes. The Study Hub was built specifically for liceo classico, liceo linguistico, and liceo scientifico students who need to present The Picture of Dorian Gray in English during an oral exam. The three-video series, the word list, and the mind maps together provide everything needed to speak analytically for three or more minutes without notes.