The Picture of Dorian Gray
Just out of curiosity: why is it "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and not "Dorian Gray's picture"?
Thank you.
Top answer
Dorian Gray is the subject of the picture. 'Dorian Gray's picture' could a picture of a horse belonging to him.
- Dorian Gray is the subject of the picture.
- 'Dorian Gray's picture' could a picture of a horse belonging to him.
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Dorian Gray is the subject of the picture.
'Dorian Gray's picture' could a picture of a horse belonging to him.
0In great measure because Wilde was a wordsmith. He wrote that title in 1890, remember, so we don't really know what the difference sounded like to him, but from our perspective, I can think of a couple of reasons. On first hearing, the possessive makes it sound like the picture belonged to him, and it may have, but that is not what it is supposed to mean. Also, there is a convention in the nam
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