One of the most reliable essay prompts on Dorian Gray asks who is responsible for what Dorian becomes. Students can choose Lord Henry for his influence, Basil for creating the portrait, or Dorian himself for his choices. Every answer can be defended, which is exactly why the prompt works well.

It is also a good prompt for teaching argument. Students have to take a position, support it, and deal with objections. Those are skills that carry well beyond English class.

The grading trap is that some positions feel more obvious than others. Most students will blame Dorian or Lord Henry. A student who argues that Basil bears real responsibility deserves credit for the risk, but only if the case holds up.

Your rubric should reward the strength of the argument and not the popularity of the position. Score reasoning, evidence, and treatment of counterarguments. A weak argument for a common position should not beat a strong argument for an unusual one.

The counterargument test

The clearest sign of a strong argument essay is how it handles the other side. A student who blames Lord Henry should explain why Dorian still made his own choices. Papers that ignore opposing views read as one-sided and thin.

• Takes a clear position on who bears the most responsibility
• Supports the position with specific events, not general impressions
• Presents at least one serious counterargument in its own paragraph
• Responds to the counterargument with evidence, not dismissal
• Reaches a conclusion that adds something beyond restating the thesis

Common feedback themes

Many essays overstate their case, claiming that one character is entirely to blame. Encourage students to use language that reflects the shared responsibility in the story. Words like "primarily" or "most directly" show more careful thinking.

Another frequent problem is relying on a single scene. Dorian's choices happen over many years in the novel, and strong essays use evidence from across that span. Ask students to include at least one moment from the later chapters.

Grading debate-style essays efficiently

Because these essays follow a predictable structure, you can check them quickly against a checklist. Look for thesis, evidence, counterargument, and response, in that order. It shortens the time it takes to find where the essay is strong or weak.

GraideMind can run that same checklist across a class set and draft comments on where a counterargument is missing or underdeveloped. You confirm each one and adjust the score. It is a useful way to keep argument grading consistent across many essays.