Considering the fact that The Picture of Dorian Gray is a classic, I strongly believe the history, behavior, and social issues are reflected very accurately. The story takes place in London, England during the 1890s. I did not find much reference to the history of that time, but behavior was something obviously exposed in this book. Because the main character of the book, Dorian, is very wealthy, we get a glimpse at the behavior of the wealthy class during this time. I have found that the wealthy really enjoy going out. Dorian and Lord Henry went to many operas, plays, and attended many parties through out the entire book. Dorian, though spent a great deal of time watching Sibyl Vane in her many plays and because of Dorian's wealth, he was able to afford to go to her performances every night. Another thing that I noticed was all of the extravagant objects Dorian bought during a period of time. These included perfumes, rare musical instruments, and even jewels. "For these treasures, and everything that he collected in his lovely house, were to be to him means of forgetfulness, modes by which he could escape, for a season, from the fear that seemed to him at times to be almost too great to be borne" (Wilde, page 143, paragraph 2). The only social issues really dealt with in this book is the differences between classes; Dorian wanting to marry Sibyl Vane.
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.
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