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!
I agree Oscar Wilde's characters were difficult to connect with. Henry and Dorian seemed to have no honest emotions and Basil and Sybil were too emotional to be taken seriously. But did you connect with James Vane's desire for revenge? Also would you really label Basil's feelings for Dorian as lust? there is a physical desire, but Dorian is also his muse, a new lens to see the world through, a medium to reveal himself in. Finally, do you think *The Picture of Dorian Gray's* message is one of importance of inner beauty or the ugly progression of a soul's decay? To me, there seemed to be nothing positive about pure inner souls in the book the charitable and vile alike are scrutinized and both are found wanting.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your view on Dorian Gray and agree that the poetry we read gave more emotional value than the book. I also definitely agree on today's society and the beauty concept you mentioned. I do however disagree about Lord Henry. I actually liked Lord Henry, sure he's a horrible wretched soul, but who doesn't like a deviant character? Lord Henry was the person who kept the story going and without him, there wouldn't be much of a book.
DeleteGreat writing! I like how you explained that some people can look handsome on the outside, but are cruel and hurtful on the inside. I'm sure many of us have met people like this! I also really like your final paragraph, and I read it over twice because I was feeling fearless. You did a good job explaining the difference between romantic love stories found in our class' love poetry and love in Dorian Gray. I too felt a different response of love when reading the book, and missed the traditional, mushy love story. I would have to disagree with you though, that the reader automatically dislikes Lord Henry, as I feel some readers would like him for his confidence and find his lack of conventional morality cool or rebellious.
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