Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The Atrocious Adonis

Dorian Gray was a beautiful naïve pure boy until it was brought to his attention that he was beautiful, a muse, a “young Adonis”. Before his beauty and acquaintance was brought to Lord Henry’s attentions he was just a model and inspiration but with Lord Henry’s experimentation he became a living work of art. Humanity is Henry’s medium and Dorian his new piece to play with. Through Dorian, Henry rebels and with his guidance Dorian becomes both a social scientist and a social experiment. When Dorian realizes he will age and loss his powers of perfect beauty he trades his soul with his portrait literally becoming a work of art now he shows no age or sins on his face but appear on the previously untarnished portrait . Though Lord Henry’s theories, Dorian’s actions and the portraits appearance, Oscar Wilde frames his ideas on the concepts of Beauty and morality. Through a gothic lens The Picture of Dorian Gray illustrates the society in which Wilde lived and critiqued.

Dorian is a work of art, created by Lord Henry, his purpose is to amuse himself “it was delightful to watch him [Dorian]. With his beautiful face and his beautiful soul, he was a thing to wonder at. It was no matter how it all ended, or was destined to end…Dorian gray was a subject made to his hand, and seemed to promise rich and fruitful results”(51-52). Henry represents all things scornful of society. H is all posture, words and appearance he encourages others with stylish words to do immoral possible detrimental things yet has no inclination of what he is encouraging, he is fake and his disingenuous mentorship of Dorian guides the boy to ruin. Later in the story lord hennery asks his creation"'what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose'-how does the quotation run?-'his own soul'?"(180). To wich dorian, after alife of homicide and debachery replies “The soul is a teribble reality. It can be bought, and solded, and barterd away. It can be poisned or made perfect”(181). Dorian relized that his crimes against others and himself had left not a mark upon his face but destroyed the beauty of his suol reflecting portrait. For normal humans sin has ramifivcations. It slowly destroys the one thing individyually your own, your suol. Dorian still had a soul and it was reflected in his portrate. He origionally though his sin had no affect on him but it turned him into a murderer and a monster. His soul was only reflected in the picture. He relized that having an uglie side og himself mede him les than art and through destoying his soul he destroyed himelf. according to Wilde books are niether moral or immoral they only can reflect the sins of the reader. His exploration of beauty, apperinces, and thehypocrassy of society was ment for his readers to be a self exporation. To discove the dark, crul and curious side of ourselves or the light loving sides hidden by apperance and give us the choice of possible endings. He shows that behind the beatuly unmarred face lives the choice betteewn good and evil and shows theconsequences of only thinking of pleasure.

Oscar Wilde’s stlye was difficult to follow. He makes a million referances a page that date his writing and makes it inaccessible to a modern reader without an advanced degree in the history of Victorian England or one well versed in french literature and expression. The constant distraction of flipping to the glossary prevented me from connecting to the emotions in the story and broke the lyrical nature of the writing. However, if one ignores the referances one will notice Wilde’s deliberate phrasing. Dorian was not distraught but “each delicate fiber of his nature quiver[ed]…a hand of ice had been laid upon his heart”(23). What imagry! This book is alluring its discriptions haunt and captivate the reader, forcing even the disintrested to heed his words. I must admit, I forced myself to finnish the book, there was too much disconnect for me. However, I loved the very last paragraph. It is a brilliant image to conclude Dorian’s depraved life. The old, ugly soul returned to its disgraced owner and the perfection of inspiring beauty back on the visage of the portrait.

                                                                                 

1 comment:

  1. Sarah once again I am blown away by your writing. You did an excellent job reviewing the book thoroughly. Not only that but you really went into the deeper meaning of the novel. Despite saying that you felt that Oscar Wilde was difficult to understand I feel as though you understood him on a deeper level than most of us. Excellent work!

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