A Starry Night Through Kant's Eyes

I, Kant, just went to the local museum and and saw a painting of "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh. I was enchanted by the stars. They swirled around the painting like butter churning in a barrel. And the night. The night was a deep blue, like the depths of the ocean. I think it's one of the most gorgeous pieces of art I've ever seen. I believe that, since I think it is beautiful, everyone in the world considers this painting beautiful. It is part of a collective feeling of beauty which enchants us all.

Under Plato's Bridge

I, Plato, just listened to the song "Under the Bridge" by Red  Hot Chili Peppers. I think that it is an excellent representation of the spiritual world. He sings, "Lonely as I am, Together we cry." This is representing the overarching feelings that we all endure. Feelings that are represented purely only in the a non-human realm. Anthony Keidis understands this. He also sings about his connection with Los Angeles. This connection is very mystical and can only exist in a different spiritual world. Keidis comprehends the importance of feelings in a idea state, not simply how we, as humans, interpret them.

Choices Aren't Universal

The Glass Castle is nothing like the Kant family, it is a train wreck. It is an example of all of the bad choices parents can make and a portrayal of struggle. However, this family does not struggle in a way that can be understood by everyone. Very few people can understand the direction this life is following. There is no beauty in this work because it does not express a theme that is universal to all people. While all people struggle, they do not follow the pattern of complete deterioration, as this family does. I cannot see my reflection in the glass, therefor I see no beauty within.

Plato Looks to the Stars

Evaluating this piece of art is a waste of my time, but I can use it as a prime example of my main points in philosophy. Starry Night is so far from being beautiful or the ideal form because it is an imitation of an imitation. Not only is it that, it is an interpretive copy of a copy. There is absolutely no worth and no importance of this piece in the world. Van Gogh's brush strokes were inventive and completely new. That is one of the only almost beautiful things about this painting. If he had taken his new painting style and proceeded to teach it to younger artists then he would be an individual who I could hold in high regard.

Aristotle Stares at Starry Night

Every evening I take I walk so that I am able to appreciate what is going on in the world outside of my head. I take this opportunity to observe the ways of the world. Typically, I follow a route into a rather secluded area where I can view nature without being interrupted by human kind, which I have had the opportunity to observe at length during the day. Many evenings I end of staring at the stars for a while. Looking at the night's sky is an interesting thing to observe. It is constantly changing, and yet one would not say that it has many different forms. In the course of my lifetime I have looked upon many beautiful things, and I have come to understand the feelings that come when I view them. Van Gogh painted an image of this sky. He captured its likeness so that I am able to recognize it under the same realm as the sky that I am looking up at tonight. It is just as beautiful as the stars of nature, for their shine appeals to the senses in just the same way.

Kant Finds Similar Ideas In Kinsey

While the movie "Kinsey" does not follow my exact thought pattern, it holds similar theories that enable myself to appreciate it on some level. Over time, ProK felt his purpose was to explore the nature of sex and allow the masses to become educated. Universally beautiful women and men were a common occurrence, which follows what I mention in the The Second Movement when aesthetic judgements are universal. There is also the common topic of the sublime. While what I believe to be the sublime, such as violent storms or buildings of grandeur, the sublime in "Kinsey" would be the experience of an orgasm, one of the initial things the led ProK into his work. I do wish that there was more of a soul to the art, which would have made the movie more enjoyable, but altogether I feel that "Kinsey" was a decent piece of work.

The Form

What is all of this noise? I do not think that they have these sounds in heaven. There is no form that could fit the banging and crashing I hear coming from the stadiums of earth. Have you heard of the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Music, when I was a part of the physical world, was a barely tolerable part of life. There is no basis for it in the world of forms. It is simply an object of the physical world, exactly like noise. In fact, I prefer to refer to music as noise, I find that this helps me disregard it's existence further especially in this time period. Those Red Hot what's their faces even have songs that are vulgar enough to talk about drugs, for example in the song Under The Bridge. I may be dead, but I keep current with the lingo. There is no ideal for that sort of behavior. This music is an indulgence in simple things that only live within the confinement of the physical world.

Nietzsche Tells It How It Is

The men in Band of Brothers need to fully understand something: they are not fighting for happiness!  In Band of Brothers, the men discuss freedom and show that they fight for freedom, which would be bring them happiness by returning to a safer country and their families.  This however, is false.  These men do not fight for the men and women in the United States, they fight for themselves!  Humans fight for existence, not the thanks of people they do not know for keeping their country safe.  If the men from Band of Brothers feel any happiness when they achieve victories, they are only feeling mere consequences of the path to staying alive and remaining in existence.  In addition, why do the men pray to God?  He is dead.  Supposedly, if he was alive, he would help them on their quest for survival.

Kan or Kant Be Overwhelmed By Love

Why does John show false emotion in Marley and Me?  This is bothersome.  He acts as if experiencing the sublime through the death of his dog.  The death of his dog is saddening, but far from overwhelming, far from John's portrayed emotions.  John seems to be overwhelmed by the death of his dog, but only things like violent storms or massive buildings can spark these emotions.  Things that one cannot rap his/her head around.  This IS something he can rap his head around, as death is common in every living thing, and there is nothing new or surprising to that.

Plato and the Second Coming

Although The Second Coming by Yeats is an emotionally moving and stimulating piece, but I think that it was a complete waste of time. That precious time that we have so little of could have been used to accomplish much more meaningful tasks that would have a much greater and more important impact on the world. Reading this poem I was emotionally drawn in, but that is not what I consider beautiful. Beautiful is the ideal form of that one object, this poem did not accomplish this. Also, writing down anything that isn't philosophy or lessons, should not have been written at all. We need to be focusing ourselves on teaching the younger generations so that they may become a microscopic step closer to the ideal. Creating a poem such as this one is worthless to me because it is being used as entertainment and as a tool to engage a person, but not in a practical way. If Yeats had spent more time applying his intelligence and creativity to more applicable art, than he would be more respectable and renowned.

Plato Finds The Sunshine

Interesting song Bill Withers, interesting song.  His strong love for this young woman he is singing about is admiring, but is he sure he is singing for her?  He says, "It's not warm when she's away, ain't no sunshine when she's gone, she always gone too long anytime she goes away," but I believe this woman is not his main attraction.  Bill yearns for Beauty itself, and this girl is simply an outlet to that which he seeks.  He had it right, singing about his feelings and showing his emotions for the concept of beauty, but he needs to better understand what he is searching for.  Instead of waiting for this girl to return to him, Bill must use philosophy as a direct route to get what he desires.

Plato Goes Under the Bridge

Under the Bridge by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is well on its way to approaching true beauty, although it is not quite there yet. It is not the ideal, universal, form of a piece of artwork. It is simply a replica that was made with extreme talent and passion. Comparative to most music in this generation, it is one of the few songs that is not written simply for profits or entertainment. One can definitely conclude that this artist took time and put their passion into this song. It has soul and that is much more respectable than what is filling society's ears in these modern times.

"The Wave" Displeases Plato

Hokusai wasted his time when he created "The Wave" for it is not the Ideal Wave. It is not even close to this ideal form because it has unrealistic characteristics. The painting also contains a mountain or volcano, and people in boats. I truly believe the Ideal Wave would not have words on its side, would be more powerful, and would appear realistic. In that same manner, the mountain/volcano in the background would me a more striking feature were it the Ideal Mountain or Volcano (presumably there would also be a distinction as to which of the two it truly was). The people in their boats that appear in Hokusai's painting are barely discernible, and therefore were a waste of effort to paint because there was not even an effort to create these objects in their ideal forms. Hokusai would have better spent his time studying instead of creating a useless piece of work such as "The Wave".

Nietzsche's Landslide of Appreciation

From its simplistic guitar melody to the beautiful lyrics that are open to interpretation, Fleetwood Mac has succeeded in creating a song that I truly enjoy: "Landslide". The simplistic melody takes from the Dionysian ideals and the lyrics, which are also simple, follow Apollonian principles which together create an ideal experience for the world to hear. The lyrics tell the story of the fear and uncertainty that come with growing up. From "Well I've been afraid of changing/cause I built my life around you/but time makes you bolder/children get older/I'm getting older too" to "well the landslide will bring you down" there is a tragic idea of not knowing where you are going that is a common thought in one's mind at some point in their life. Therefore, I applaud Fleetwood Mac for their ability to create a noteworthy song.

Aristotle is a Little Confused

How...how are they moving...? In that box? And what on earth are they using to murder each other? Magical staves blasting holes into one another, crazy metal dragons spitting fire and death... Needless to say, this is a bit wacky to me. Where are the swords? I understand bows and arrows, but this is simply bananas. I must say, if this is how the stories of such wars are to be told nowadays, I can certainly make a place for such an epic in my ideal of a recreation! How bold and shocking it is! I do believe that if war is to be related in a theatrical sense as art, this is the way it should be done. Theater that I have seen until this day has not been nearly as believable (which is shocking, since the players of this show use powers that I cannot comprehend). Thus I believe I must shift my ideology and accept such works of moving art into my ideal performance. Bravo, Tom Hanks, bravo. You save this "private Ryan" fellow. Aristotle approves.

Friedrich Approves of these Humans in New York

Humans in New York. How very awesome. I do believe this artist has gotten it right. Using his highly advanced camera, he has managed to capture the human essence time and time again, something I personally consider aesthetically wonderful. As I've said, "In art man enjoys himself as perfection", and what better way to celebrate that aesthetic perfection than taking picture after picture of it? Each photograph raises questions about each person, small conflicts arising in each installment. Luckily, the artist follows through, attempting to resolve these conflicts by revealing more facets of the New York personality in continued portraiture.This conflict, akin to Dionysion and Appolonian disagreement, only serves to further beautify the project. Carry on, Brandon. Carry on. 

Plato Gettin' Under the Bridge

I have just finished a wonderful session of musical enjoyment. The Red Hot Chili Peppers just presented a wonderful rendering of musical near-perfection in their song "Under The Bridge". So close was it to perfection that I would say it very nearly defined the melodic ideal, rather than being a simple representation of such a thing. The non-complex, easygoing guitar, in combination with a steady, anchoring percussion and beautiful, provoking lyrics allowed me to glimpse that template of harmonious sounds that lies in the realm beyond. I, Plato, must say that this song, while doomed to become a decaying replication of harmonious flawlessness, took me to that wonderful realm of perfection. if only for four minutes and twenty-eight seconds. Now if only I could figure out what the ideal blogger name could be... I have the oddest feeling it relates to felines living in spacious rock formations...

Plato Viewing Picasso's "Girl Before a Mirror"

This is exactly the type of art that presents a threat to humanity. This is very far removed from the true form. Everything that exists in the material world is already a copy of an ideal form. This painting is a copy of a copy of a true form. Even to say it it a copy of a copy is a stretch though... It is distorted and abstracted beyond recognition. This type of art is detrimental to society and could change the world for the worse. This will only further remove people from the ideal form... which is what everyone should be striving for. This type of art will distract people from the truth. This is a perfect example of why art is harmful to society.

Nietzsche Gets Lost In Amsterdam

As I stated in chapter five of The Birth of Tragedy, music is the highest form of art, the most supreme of that being tragedy. It combines Dionysian musical beats with Apollonian imagery of words to provide an experience for the listener which consists of the ways of the world. 'Amsterdam' by Guster combines these two concepts beautifully, with a catchy melody to draw in its audience while imagery such as "From your red balloon you were/ a super high tech jet fighter/ Floating over planet earth" retains the audience's attention and stimulates the imagination. Through this passion, the singer distances himself from the circumstances and brings the experience to a higher level. It is no longer merely a break up, but something worthy of memorializing in song. The singer's grief, though expressing itself in a somewhat upbeat manner, turns the song to a tragedy worthy of praise.

How Can David Have Beauty?

How can it be that a stone has beauty? The statue David’s perceived beauty must have been provided directly from God bypassing the other harmonious elements required. Michelangelo, acting through love, has transformed a chaotic mass of stone into an image of God’s creation, a perfect man. David stands under a skylight and glows “as if illuminated by the glory of God, Himself” (205). Beauty is to be found in the form and line of the statue, unfortunately only by the eye. If only he were living he would have a soul and sound and could be truly perceived as beautiful instead of man soul’s effort to escape the material world. However the perceived beauty of the statue, as a representation of God’s greatest love, humans, still inspires love within the soul. Michelangelo has somehow given his stature inhuman beauty, almost a gift from God Himself, A soulless, soundless statue inspiring love.       

Aristotle Viewing Jackson Pollock

This is not true art. This is simply paint splattered on a canvas. There is no recognizable form; it does not imitate nature. True art comes from the human affinity for imitation, and I see none of that here. It does not convey rhythm, language, or harmony--the necessary elements of real art. There is nothing here that portrays our human nature. Good art should do this. Whether is be positive or negative, comedy or tragedy, art is brought to life through the expression of human nature. Through art we should come to realize a true idea... I see none of that here. Simply paint splattered on a canvas. 

Aristotle Finds That 'Humans of New York' Exemplifies Ideals As A Reflection of Shared Experience

An online collection of photographs of the people of New York City, Humans of New York shows how our experiences influence our Ideals. The photographs themselves depict the 'interesting' people the photographer felt worthy of capturing with his camera. The comments of the viewers also shows which forms they consider closest to Ideal, and how certain traits make up the collective human Ideal. For instance, there are consistently comments on the 'cute' factor of a smiling older man, leading it to seem that our Ideal older gentleman has a happy countenance. The website depicts hundreds of such examples of semi-universal Ideals based off a collective opinion of hundreds of comments. The images have many shared qualities that combine to form an Ideal 'Human of New York': a stylish, happy person with a unique quirk that marks them as extraordinary. An Ideal 'Human of New York' made up of hundreds of singular experiences.

Nietzsche's Newsweek Notice

Readers, I have a true piece of art to share with you today. Moulin Rouge is a movie unrestrained by Apollonian culture. Bez Luhrman ripped off the veil of reason, misleading science, and clarity and created a world of pure Dionysian song and spectacle. Yet, he still retained the balance of the fantasy of dreams and the chaos of wild intoxication. He removes the limits of appearance and moderation of the artistic world and presents a “bewitching and alluring,” reminder of “the ecstatic sounds of the Dionysian festival.” How can “the psalmodizing artists of Apollo, with his phantom harp-sound…[compare] with this demonic folk-song! The muses of the arts of ‘appearance’ [pale] before an art which, in intoxication, spoke the truth” (509). Other directors of late have shown us weak, unemotional movies filled with politically correct moderation.  Just Moulin Rouge’s main character Christian has more knowledge and truth than all of the recent movies combined. He is the perfect example of “the esthetically sensitive man”(499) driven only by passion and looses restrain through his exploration of Dionysian emotion and love. Though an actual life must be lived with a balance of the two, Moulin Rouge is the new Dionysian orgy of the senses.   

You Can Leave It All Behind -Plato Wary of 'Moulin Rouge'

Moulin Rouge is a film about a play, based on the 'real' story of the actors, who are characters of a story making it an imitation of an imitation of an imitation of an imitation of the Ideal love story. Any work that is an imitation to the fourth degree is utterly useless, and one such as Moulin Rouge is worse in its corrupting influence. Art should be restricted solely to those things which encourage good behavior of citizens. It should not inspire rebelliousness, whimsy, or overindulgence. Moulin Rouge does all of these things, and is the very epitome of why we must have laws banning such works. It is crass in its scandalous nature, and though the tale ends in despair, it does much to promote the rebellion of youth in the name of those for whom they have attraction. The bright, gaudy music captivates the viewer, enticing them to a life of impulse. This is a dangerous influence and must be eviscerated.

Life of Pi Earns Nietzsche’s Approval

I find life cannot be seen purely through knowledge. And I find nothing meaningful can be fully rationalized. As I have written about the Apollonian and the Dionysian needing to exist together, there is always need for some opposition. The Life of Pi is filled with this opposition. In fact the book presents two completely opposed versions of the same story. Did Pi survive off of the food he could catch, living with a tiger on a boat? Or did Pi revert to cannibalism? Additionally to that, Pi is well versed in several religions, but does not blindly accept them- he is willing to contradict their teachings. The Life of Pi succeeds in encompassing tension between the Apollonian and the Dionysian, and successfully holds on to an unrationalized story. 

Kant Witnesses a Starry Night

I have seen a Starry Night, and I know that it is beautiful. Though my experience is subjective, the beauty of the subject matter is universal. For when I looked upon the painting of the swirling stars and little church, I experience a great pleasure. I do not find the images beautiful simply because I take joy from them, but rather I find pleasure because the Starry Night is filled with beauty. And I know the painting is beautiful because I think not of a practical second use for it, but merely appreciate the aesthetics of the work. Should you be looking for beauty in art, I recommend you too go out and experience a Starry Night.

Plato Visits the Moulin Rouge

Last night I visited the Moulin Rouge, “a night club, a dance hall and a bordello.” I was there to witness a supposed great love story. Yet there I found no love, no beauty, merely imitations of the concepts. First there is Satine, she is know as the most beautiful woman at the Moulin Rouge, yet how can a courtesan be beautiful? For her love is not real, she is paid for her love, and it is purely a replication of the beauty love. Next there is Christian, an aspiring writer. He spends his time not on intellectual study, but on the creation of love stories. Such an act as writing a love story is simply a different form of imitating the beauty of love. With his stories and “silly love songs,” Christian could easily have a negative affect on any true intellectuals around him. Finally there is love story itself. It seems only to be filled with physical love, sex and lust, nothing to produce a meaningful outcome. I believe Satine and Christian would be much better served to leave the Moulin Rouge, and find pursuits of wisdom and virtue. 

Kant Can't Say Ain't No Sunshine Is Beautiful

First off, I cannot say this is a beautiful piece of music. Not everyone can agree that this song is pleasant therefore it doesn't make it beautiful. Some people might be able to relate to this song, because they may have had a time in their lives where this has happened to them, which makes this song have purposiveness. It is also not disinterested because an individual will most likely judge it because it is pleasurable instead of having beautiful characteristics. Because it creates pleasure in someone, it can be damaging to a person's aesthetic judgement.

Nietzsche Rants About Sweeny Todd

Sweeny Todd in my opinion lacked some Apollonian structure. With more of it incorporated it could have been an "ideal" movie. The movie consisted a lot of Dionysian concepts such as imagination, frenzy, faith, ritual, and mild passion. Even though these are important it still needed more Apollonian. Sure it had some order in it, but where's the analysis? Or the whole reason behind the film itself? That is what makes and breaks a movie.

Plato Critiques The Wave

Hokusai's The Wave is a very odd piece of "art." Not only does it not even look realistic, but it just looks wrong all together. It puts shame to the Ideal Wave. The Ideal Wave does not have writing next to it and certainly the Ideal volcano/mountain is a lot more impressive than that. I can honestly say that people especially do not look like that either. Not only does this not even come close to the Ideal concept, but it can also be dangerous towards society. It could evoke fear by showing people how powerful nature can be.

Life of Pi's Idiocy

I, Aristotle, just having finished Yann Martel's novel Life of Pi, think that it is one of the worst novels I've ever read. There is no way that a tiger and a man can live on a boat for months together. That is simply impossible. A tiger would sense that the man is food, and would eat him. What an absurd story. Also, the chapters where Pi is living with these magical plants is completely preposterous. Plants and islands can not be carnivorous. I like scientific novels. Hard facts. This fantasy "piece of literature" is just terrible.

Nietzsche Viewing Michelangelo's David

This is a beautiful example of what every artist should strive to create. It shows the true beauty of man and man alone--the way it should be. Man reflects the beauty he has inside himself onto the outside world... onto nature. This gives everyone the notion that nature is what is beautiful. The truth of the matter is that man is the true source of beauty in the universe. This beautiful sculpture shows the human form and it is not cluttered up with images of nature. This statue showcases man's true beauty all by itself. If more artists created art like this, without the distraction of any other imagery but man alone, maybe we would all come  to realize the truth about beauty.

All The Mornings of Ficino's World

The film, All The Mornings of the World portrays the very essence of love. The husband devoted to his viol, played godly music that brought tears to my eyes. The Tune of Sorrows played on the viol is the definition of triple love. His soul brought back his wife from the dead only for as long as he played the song. The wife was purely beautiful and he was entranced by his love for her. The Tune of Sorrows enters through the ear and touches the soul in a way II have never been touched. All The Mornings of the World is the best example of triple beauty ever to exist.

Moulin Rouge Suffers Excessively for Nietzche

The film entitled Moulin Rouge is purely devoted to suffering. I see the male lead as a weak individual. He believes he suffers alone in his tragedies of losing the one he loves. He is wrong and must understand that to strive in society. Everyone suffers and everyone has pain. The key to not letting this pain consume you is to merely look into all the hearts of men and you will find a dark chaos. Rejoice in this chaos and simply grow beyond your suffering. Dwelling on the suffering and loss will only bring more of which you are experiencing.

A Less Starry Night for Plato

Starry Night is a renowned piece of art work. In my opinion, it just portrays a lesser version of the true Starry Night. In the belief that all art is a mere copy of an ideal and perfect starry night in which only exists outside of our human realm, I deem this painting pathetic. The actual atmosphere of night invokes a peaceful feeling. This painting is the third copy of an ideal night. Perhaps, if this artist knew of the ideal piece of art only located in another realm, then he would focus his attentions on something he could improve in the world. This artist should have pursued a more respectable profession, such as politics or teaching and not painting lesser copies of an ideal night.

Aristotle saves Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan can be seen as a tragedy if we look at Private Stanley Mellish and not Private Ryan. In this movie I can see the story as a fable as it is a story and begins with a problem that develops throughout. Mellish has a strong love for his country so is willing to risk his life as well as the lives of others to save one man. The manner is very dramatic, and the music adds to the drama.  These are also emphasized through diction which as I once said is an essential part of tragedy. Sentiments and decoration are also highly used in Saving Private Ryan. In this movie the battle was never won and all Mellish’s trials lead to his death and his small seemingly insignificant goal was not truly accomplished.  As I indicated in my writings on tragedy, tragedy shows genius when there is no moral gratification, affecting or terrible. This movie displays the lack of these things as Private Ryan’s choice to not leave with Mellish lead to Mellish’s death and sorrow for years to come.

Plato is against “You and Me”

Lighthouse is wasting the time they used to write the words when they are obviously trying to prove something though they claim they are not. With the love felt for this woman that is being sung about the man should not be singing but showing her his love. He claims he is losing time but if he did other things besides writing and singing this song he would get things done. He is also not using his brain to the fullest as there must be logic to figure out his attraction or it cannot truly be love. This song appears to me to have little wisdom and therefore the artist cannot be a true artist as his soul appears to have been given fruitlessly to a woman. This “art” is not the true thing as it is art and therefore a replica; it is also not the creator so begins at being twice removed. Once I look further I see that this song is about a love that he has made further removing it from the true form. I have said that “... When any sorrow of our own happens to us … we (men) would fain be quiet and patient… “ meaning we as men should not show sorrow as we would be as women. Due to this the artist as a man should stop wallowing in song and make something of himself, with or without the woman that his song appears to be about.

Ficino Stares at the Starry Night

In this painting I can see the forming of the skies. This painting displays the universal idea of God as the center point. Fire, air, and earth are three of the ideas of the angelic mind and are shown in this painting by Van Gogh. There is also a kind of beauty as one can experience the art using the senses. I can see the stars in my mind’s eye as I recall with my mind the true stars in each clear night. As “the World-Soul turned toward the Mind and toward God ...  it found the ornament, from the Soul, of all the forms which are seen in this world; thus out of chaos was made a world” so too in “Starry Night” there is also a calm on the earth while the chaos in the sky points back to the way love connects back to God (Ficino 206).  

Plato’s Public Service Announcement

I’m writing today to warn the public of a dangerous and dissolute musician, Nina Simore, specifically about her song “Sinnerman.” Music has a proper time and place but there is no place for corrupt music in this society. Jazz is a vile tool used by artists to wallow in emotion; its influence is leading our youth to irrational emotion based thought. Her discordant tones set the soul even further away from the harmony that can be achieved through other worthy rational artists like Bach.  He offers the hearer order, logical applied mathematics, repetition, patterns, and every note influencing, creating, and organizing harmony in the mind. As I have said before, “imitations are ruinous to the understanding of the hearer and that the knowledge of their true nature is the only antidote to them,” (30 Philosophies of Art and Beauty) Nina Simore is the poisoning the carefully trained minds of our impressionable young. If we, as a society, wish to avoid the vulnerability susceptible to the deceptions and manipulations of tyrants (3Aesthetics- -Plato’s Aesthetics) we cannot let the source of our immortality be corrupted by disharmonious influences. Stop your children, your students, and your legacy, from corroding their rational facilities. We cannot allow the spontaneity and emotional wallowing shamefully displayed in this piece to dominate over logical, pure, thought that will lead us to the true Forms merely reflected, copied and distorted in art and mimicked in music.      

Dorian's Mythical Invulnerability

The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, is an interesting, if at times rather strange, novel.  Oscar Wilde used elements of several Greek myths, such as that of Adonis, as the vehicle for his own personal agenda. He wished to disseminate his beliefs about the intrinsic value of art. He believed that anything that is beautiful has worth, a sentiment that is evident in the value that the Victorian society places on Dorian. Even as all of Dorian’s other attributes became further and further degraded by his immoral living and stories of his terrible acts spread, he was still accepted based solely upon his enduring beauty. However, I don’t believe that Wilde held this aestheticism to be the ultimate truth, because Dorian begins to doubt that his beauty truly endows him with such worth. The guilt that he experienced after brutally murdering Basil begins to eat away at the remains of his conscience, destroying him mentally while his physical beauty remains perfect.

    Dorian is similar to the heroes of several Greek myths, such as those of Adonis and Anchises. Adonis was a man of unsurpassed beauty and power. He “may die not from his self-inflicted wound but by the tusk of the boar…” (The Myth of Creation: The Gods) None of Dorian’s immoral acts had any effect on him, and his demise was not directly self-inflicted, as he was unaware that by cursing his portrait and attacking it he would be killed by the crushing weight of his immoral life. Anchises was another man of godly beauty and youth, and was treated much like Dorian. His beauty was such that it made Aphrodite fall in love with him.

    While the entire book deals with Dorian’s immoral lifestyle and actions, only specific, especially meaningful events are detailed. The remainder of the events is mentioned briefly, but the true focus is the changes that occur in Dorian’s psyche and in the portrait. The first changes are small changes in his expression.  Those small changes buildup, resulting in a visage that becomes ever increasingly horrific to Dorian. Eventually, Dorian comes to comprehend the consequences of his actions, and attempts to pay penance. But he cannot change his true nature, a fact that is made evident when the portrait shows the hypocrisy of that belief.

What's Truly Beautiful

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a beautifully composed piece of literature. The story begins with Basil painting the beautiful and wealthy Dorian Gray. Basil discovered Dorian and immediately sunk into a deep trance, automatically knowing that he must depict this mysterious boy. He portrayed Dorian many times, but one time he became disgusted with his work of art because he thought that he had put too much of himself into. This revealed his life, which is not what he wanted the painting to evoke. Despite his negative attitude towards his piece, Lord Henry thought that it was a mastery work of art. He demanded that it be his, but Basil denied him as he thought the painting belonged strictly to Dorian. Once Dorian met Lord Henry he began to worry constantly that every second of the day he was getting older and could never return to that former youth. This attitude, implanted by Lord Henry, grew and he began to hate being painted because it would only remind him of what he was losing.

Later Dorian proposed to an actress named Sibyl, but later broke it off because she was going to quit acting, and that is what he fell in love with her for. If she no longer played all of those roles, then there was nothing left that interested him. Sibyl in distress over the break up, commits suicide. Lord Henry convinces Dorian that her death is art because it is a beautiful tragedy and that he should constantly remind himself of this to help him through this difficult situation. As time goes on Dorian starts to live a life of sin and corruption and with that the picture of himself that he has in his room starts to get uglier and uglier. But if he is strictly naturally beautiful, then why is his portrait getting more unattractive? This is because something cannot be beautiful unless it is good.

Beauty, especially that of a person, is symmetrical and superficial at first, but once you get to know the ins and outs of that particular being, they become either more or less beautiful. This is because if something, anything, is bad or corrupt it cannot be beautiful. Once a person starts heading to that evil side, the more monstrous they become and they can only reach beauty again by changing paths to the virtuous side. This is why tragedy was not beautiful to Plato. Something that arouses unpleasant emotion and was based on sin and pollution could not truly hold beautiful.

Oscar Wilde; The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray is the story of one beautiful, innocent young man's seduction, moral corruption and eventual downfall. In the beginning of the book, we are first introduced to two of the three main characters; Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wolton. We meet Basil and Lord Henry when they are discussing how perfectly perfect Dorian is; how completely innocent and good he is. Also how is the most beautiful man that has ever walked the earth. Lord Henry wants to meet this mysterious boy, but Basil does not want him to; we figure out later in the book that he has a romantic interest in Dorian. However Lord Henry gets his wish and meets Dorian Gray. Lord Henry manages to drastically change Dorian's perspective on the world. From this moment forward, Dorian's previously innocent point of view is dramatically different. Dorian begins to see life just as Lord Henry does. One thing that Dorian did do that Lord Henry would never, was fall in love with a woman; Sybil Vane, a young, beautiful, talented actress. Dorian falls head over heels for her (and her talent). She becomes so overcome with her love for him that her roles on stage lose their importance. This destroys Dorian's love for her, and he brutally dumps her. Sybil then commits suicide just as Dorian decides to turn around and take back his words.Lord Henry's influence on Dorian continues through out the rest of the novel, to Basil's dismay, until Dorian's eventual suicide.

I find it disgusting how sly Lord Henry is. Through out the book, I continuously felt bad for Dorian for falling under his "spell". Lord Henry's very narrow and harsh view of the world quickly overtook Dorian's perfect, innocent and good perspective on the world (which is very sad). Not only did Dorian lose his sense of good and innocence, but he also lost someone that was so important to him; Sybil Vane. Because of his newly shaped, narrow mind, Dorian viewed Sybil as a muse. Dorian's perspective on this relationship is very like that of Plato. Plato viewed love as wanting to possess something that is good. Dorian wanted to possess Sybil who was good, but when she was no longer a talented actress, she was no longer good. Therefore he no longer wanted to possess her.

Oscar Wilde's writing style is one of a kind. His pieces of literature are known for their witty and pointed styles. Another Oscar Wilde writing trait is that he's world renowned for his clever sayings.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Eternal youth. It is a common topic in stories throughout time, one that appears in as early as the writings from Herodotus in Ancient Greece and is still alive today. Over the centuries, the idea has evolved to fit each story's need, but there is a common misconception at the first enticement of eternal youth: that it is a joyous, carefree existence. After all, one would never experience the horrors of watching their body and mind deteriorate. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde initially portrays Dorian with this mindset, only to have him reconsider his decision like countless of characters before and after him.

When a young, innocent Dorian Gray sits for a portrait done by Basil, he is unaware as to what the portrait will become. Add Lord Henry's sinful ideas into the mix, and Dorian pleads for the painting to grow old instead of him. As he is corrupted more and more by Lord Henry, using drugs and women at free will, the painting does exactly as he wishes, turning into a sinister form of the "perfect" Dorian. His physical self however, remains as youthful as ever, which becomes a point of contention among his friends.

There is a love that flows through the painting that is two-fold. Basil is entranced by Dorian's beauty, and initially is afraid to show anyone his work for fear that his feelings for the young man will be revealed. The painting also contains Dorian's love for himself, specifically for his youth. Plato would feel that the painting is simply a copy of the ideal beauty, and therefore feel that Basil has wasted his life away when he could have been doing something useful.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is Oscar Wilde's warning to all those that wish to posses eternal youth and beauty. While initially carefree, Dorian soon becomes obsessed with the paintings new form because of its horrific nature. He hides the painting away, yet that does not stop him from thinking about it or sneaking away to look at it. In Plato's writings, Diotima states, "at the sight of ugliness [beauty] frowns and contracts and has a sense of pain, turns away, and shrivels up..." (72). Dorian has a similar reaction viewing the painting. Finally fed up with the hold the painting has on him, he stabs the painting with a knife only to be killed, with the painting restored to its original, youthful state and Dorian in the older, sinister form that painting had. It is the true message of Dorian Gray to be young while you can, but to avoid looking for ways in which to stay young, because that leads to a life of misery. It is a message that in today's society of botox and plastic surgery should be embraced.

Twisted Shadows of Perfect Youth

    Oscar Wilde's  The Picture of Dorian Gray is an intricately composed criticism of human vanity and the folly of the young mind. The book follows the introduction and carefully orchestrated destruction of a perfect specimen of beautiful youth, revealing in his vices the darker points of desire and the sickening search for pleasure and happiness that plagues the human condition. The maestro of this ill-fated symphony of corruption manifests in the character that is Lord Henry Wotton. When Lord Henry first analyzes Dorian Gray, he describes the young man as Plato would describe any beautiful specimen: "Grace was his, and the white purity of boyhood, and beauty such as old Greek Marbles kept for us...Dryad-like, and not afraid, because in his soul who sought for her there had been wakened that wonderful vision, to which alone are wonderful things revealed: the mere shapes and patterns of things becoming, as it were, refined, and gaining a kind of symbolical value, as though they were themselves patterns of some other and more perfect form whose shadow they made real"(Wilde 34). Dorian is to Lord Henry the closest thing to Plato's vision of a perfect ideal, the universal as in when Plato stated "If particulars are to have meaning, there must be universals." In this case, Dorian is the universal for young, naive beauty. What Lord Henry decides to do with this ideal model is what gives the story its sadistic draw. 


    Lord Henry plants in Dorian's mind a fear of maturation, and the seeds of corruption. One of the most dangerous ideas that is planted is this: "'The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.'" (Wilde 19). This, in combination with the notion that "'youth is the only thing worth having.'" (Wilde 21), is the slight blemish on Dorian Gray's innocent psyche that allows him to tear himself apart, piece by piece. As the reader pulls his or herself through the story, Dorian spirals more and more deeply into sin and waste, seeking out only things that he finds new and stimulating, while giving in to his rawest emotional desires. He even kills one he once regarded as a friend for little more than an opinion. 


    As the book comes to an end, one is left with a sense of something, once pure, that has been so twisted and deformed that it is a saddening thought to even consider, yet thought provoking and beautiful in its significance. 
    

Playdough

Plato wrote of a world of ideal forms, separate from the physical world (filled with forged copies of objects from the ideal world). In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde uses the character of Dorian Gray to explore how close to Plato's ideal world humanity can tread. Dorian is described as the expression of beauty itself, no mere copy. There is something in his countenance that entrances all those who look upon him. One such onlooker is a man called Lord Henry, who takes special interest in Dorian. Lord Henry wishes to take Dorian and his beauty on as his own experiment, to mold his personality into an ideal form (Henry's form) worthy of the body which encases it.

This project that Lord Henry takes on is much like that of Pygmalion in Pygmalion and Galatea. Dorian begins as something more than man, purer, like a face of white marble. Lord Henry chips off flecks of marble bit by bit, in order to create the form he desires and instill the correct emotion into the piece. He has complete control over the artwork. When the work is finished it is marveled at, for, to the beholder, it still holds all of the purity of the original slab even in  the human likeness. However, there is something within the stone that has changed- it's identity comes in question. Are the curves of the body real enough to caress or will the coldness of the stone turn away the hand? Out of this internal change, a man is born. But with this new birth, the aw of the stone is lost. I wonder if Pygmalion felt this way. For no man or woman will ever hold the beauty of the stone for very long.

The Picture of Dorian Gray shows the destruction of innocence and corruption of human weakness. It made me cringe to watch Dorian bend so easily under the greasy palm of Lord Henry. I do not believe that beauty is as frail as it was portrayed in this novel. The destruction of vanity does not cause stir in me, I would not call that beauty. Beauty is strength in spite of weakness. Dorian was strong when he was told he deserved to be so based on the vanity of the time, and weak almost constantly. I did not find him at all beautiful. He is mush, not Plato's ideal but playdough in a child's fingertips.

Motionless in Wonder

The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wild, tells the story of a beautiful youth. He is happy to be young and beautiful and live his life, until he is convinced he will be worthless after his youth and looks fade. This young man, Dorian Gray, does not get caught up in his own looks until he is shown a portrait of himself. When he was first shown this picture, “A look of joy came into her eyes, as if he had recognized himself for the first time. He stood there motionless and in wonder” (24).  Dorian is mesmerized by the image of himself. It is easy to view this as an allusion to the story of Narcissus, a Greek man of great beauty. The very first time Narcissus saw an image of himself, in the manner of his reflection in a pool, he was entranced by his own beauty. Narcissus fell in love with his own beauty and became so obsessed with his imaged that he died because he was unable to stop gazing at his reflection.

Dorian Gray’s life parallels that of Narcissus, from the he stands “motionless and in wonder” at his own picture, to the moment of his death. Dorian’s downward spiral toward his death occurs because of his own image and beauty, though he does not stay physically staring at his portrait, he instead attempts to keep the beauty of the portrait on his actual visage, and as the youth captured in the picture. Yet like Narcissus, Dorian dies in front of his image.

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde includes ornate imagery, adding detail after detail, creating an image-by-image picture of every scene for the reader. Stylistically, this makes the writing develop like a painting. Many people would view using prose that reflect the content of a story, in this case painting, to add to the beauty of it, however, if Greek Philosopher Plato were to review The Picture of Dorian Gray, he would find the writing style to detract from the book. In Book X of his work The Republic, Plato conveys his contempt for the artist. He expresses that the artist’s “creations have an inferior degree of truth” (41).  The inferiority of art’s truthfulness comes from the fact that artwork is merely an imitation of something more real.

Plato would look with scorn on Dorian Gray and Narcissus for falling for such imitations of their beauty, however his view of Oscar Wilde would be harsher. Wilde’s writing style, while trying to emulate painting, becomes in Plato’s view, an imitation of an imitation. Plato would therefore believe that only a minute amount of truth could possibly be represented in the work. He would view Dorian as having wasted away his life with no hope of finding truth. Plato would advise Dorian and Narcissus to leave their motionless wonder, and try to find the beauty of the real world. 

Got Morals?

The Portrait of Dorain Gray was a very interesting piece of literature. It was a great novel for the unit we're currently in, and overall it had a really strong message. It was a true testament towards the importance of inner beauty. Dorian did horrible things, breaking up with Sybil because she chose not act anymore for example, and his outer looks were never affected by it. That shows that a person can be aweful on the inside, but appear beautiful on the inside. I thought the portrait was a really cool representation of the change Dorian under goes during the novel. It's really a great metaphor for today's society. People are so wrapped up in achieving outer beauty, and neglecting what's truly important which is the person on the inside.

The overall style of the novel was beautiful to read. His usage of diction was well done. I thought he did a good job of developing the characters, and it's easy for the reader to hate Lord Henry, and have sympathy for Basil, and his hopeless lust over Dorian. I really like the capitalization of certain words in the text emphasizing their importance to the core meaning of the novel.

My experience reading Dorian Gray, was very different from my experience listening to and analyzing the love poetry. The love poetry spoke to the closet romantic within myself, and it brought me to an almost daydream state. It made me remember those butterfly feelings I had during previous romances, which was pleasant and innocent. Dorian Gray however was a much more cognitive experience for me. It allowed me as a reader to really reflect on how I view myself, and I how I view the world. It made me question my beliefs, and those of the characters. It was also alot more pessimistic than the love poetry when it came to romance which made it a little less fun. It wasn't as relatable as the love poetry, and when I was reading I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters as I typically do when I read a novel. There were characters I liked and didn't like, but none I could empathize with. Overall Dorian Gray was a very interesting, enjoyable book to read!

Aphrodite and Dorian

Aphrodite is known to the world as the goddess of love. She is the sheer essence of beauty, it is in her definition. Gods find themselves becoming attracted to her when ever she is around. In the classical mythology 179 has quoted Aphrodite as "the goddess of physical attraction and procreation." On the other hand she can act in cruel ways. Such as, turning a village of women into  prostitutes for not obeying her enough. Although, the man who is repulsed by such prostitutes was granted a wife by Aphrodite. It seems as though her will to do good and bad are equal. As for love, Aphrodite is capable of loving. She also is capable of only loving herself.

Dorian Gray is known from the book The Picture of Dorian Gray. It is remarked in almost every page of the novel that Dorian is a stunningly, beautiful person. This beauty is merely aesthetic. He is corrupt from beauty and does unpleasant things. He bares no sign of corruption on his face. Dorian stays as beautiful as he did when he was twenty. He has the will to do bad, yet at the same time he morns killing his friend and fiance. He thought he loved her, that was just beauty though.

Aphrodite and Dorian are unique symbols of love. They both are capable of loving and doing punishable deeds. I wonder what would happen if these two met. First Dorian would be entranced by Aphrodite's beauty and vice versa. Neither of them can resist beauty. Dorian, I believe, would become bewildered by his feelings for Aphrodite. Aphrodite would most likely do everything in her power to have Dorian. She could even put a spell upon him. Their love would be epic and godly. A half god half perfect human would be their child. With both of Aphrodite and Dorian obtaining unimaginable beauty, a lust for things which are beautiful and a dark side that prevails, it is hard to think these two wouldn't be an unimaginable force of entrancing desire and beauty.