There is a unique feeling and individual can get after reading such intellectually advanced works as Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and Plato's Philosophies of Art and Beauty; and once that particular individual has spent a fairly great amount of time pondering the similarities and incongruities between the two. At first glance, the two pieces seem to be quite contradictory in manner. First, there is the romanticized view expressed by the characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray: "Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself. The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul." This is spoked by Basil, the painter, to Lord Henry in regards to his portrait of Dorian Gray. The impressions that one receives from this is that Oscar Wilde's views of art are quite idealistic. At the beginning of reading excepts from Plato's works on Philosophies of Art and Beauty, one can fairly safely assume that Plato's views on art are nothing like those of Oscar Wilde.
On the subject of imitators (i. e. artists), Plato states: "... we are pretty well agreed that the imitator has no knowledge worth mentioning of what he imitates. Imitation is only a kind of play or sport." Plato shows a clear distain for those who practice art. This would apparently contrast the views of art in Wilde's novel, but once one continues into the works, they turn from contradictory to an odd sort parallel.
In the latter half of The Picture of Dorian Gray, the portrait of the book's namesake has become a curse of sorts, and the beauty has turned sour. Without revealing too much about the ending, Wilde expresses that: "Art has no influence upon action. It annihilates the desire to act. It is superbly sterile. The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame. That is all." Wilde at this point in the tale would most likely agree more with Plato's view of art. Art is imitation, and cannot be worthy of being the focus of a person's life force. Both authors might agree that art can never be truly beautiful, because it will always be overshadowed by the ideals of the human psyche.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Superficial Beauty
The concept of eternal youth is a strange one. It is thought to be desirable, but when it is attained what consequences does it bring? Surely it is a fate rather than a fortune. Dorian Gray is a model of youth and beauty, but he is young and easily controlled. Lord Henry takes advantage of this and uses Dorian as a social experiment. Eventually Dorian takes on Lord Henry's beliefs and begins making detrimental decisions of his own. This is the device through Oscar Wilde expresses his personal views on morality, society, and beauty.
Dorian Gray is young and beautiful--the envy of everyone around him. Lord Henry embodies everything that is wrong with society. Lord Henry takes this already beautiful piece of clay and molds it into a being of his creation--a being filled with corruption and evil. Dorian becomes Henry's project, his personal artistic masterpiece. Oscar Wilde is showing how easily manipulated people are by what society forces them to think. And eventually, just as Dorian begins to adopt Henry's views for himself, society will all to quickly adopt the views of influential people. Near the beginning of the book, Basil sees Dorian as the rare jewel that he is (at the time): a model of youth and beauty that has not yet been corrupted by society's influences. Basil treats him like a God... someone worthy of being worshipped. His paintings of Dorian depict him as a heroic figure. As Dorian progresses into his corruption and evil, led by Lord Henry, he comes to the realization that his actions, previously thought to have no affect on him, are slowly destroying the part of his humanity that actually matters--his soul. His actions are destroying him on the inside, even though he still appears beautiful. Oscar Wilde is showing how fleeting true beauty is--beauty on the inside. Wilde is also showing the consequences that exploitation of youth and beauty can bring.
Oscar Wilde's style of writing is distracting and beautiful at the same time. There are passages of beautiful imagery that greatly enhance the story, but there are also parts that seems to drag on forever, going into overly detailed descriptions and vague and obscure references. But all that aside, Oscar Wilde manages to get his point across loud and clear. Wild isn't just making a point though, he is presenting a warning. He is letting society know that it must change it's ways. He is warning against the exploitation of youth and beauty. People like Lord Henry will always exist--people who corrupt others just for amusement, but society has the power to fight against them. And there are many Dorian Grays in the world--those just waiting (even if they are unaware) to be corrupted. Society need to help these people, because they are weak of spirit and have trouble making judgements of morality. Oscar Wilde successful weaves together a strong message and a beautifully tragic story.
Dorian Gray is young and beautiful--the envy of everyone around him. Lord Henry embodies everything that is wrong with society. Lord Henry takes this already beautiful piece of clay and molds it into a being of his creation--a being filled with corruption and evil. Dorian becomes Henry's project, his personal artistic masterpiece. Oscar Wilde is showing how easily manipulated people are by what society forces them to think. And eventually, just as Dorian begins to adopt Henry's views for himself, society will all to quickly adopt the views of influential people. Near the beginning of the book, Basil sees Dorian as the rare jewel that he is (at the time): a model of youth and beauty that has not yet been corrupted by society's influences. Basil treats him like a God... someone worthy of being worshipped. His paintings of Dorian depict him as a heroic figure. As Dorian progresses into his corruption and evil, led by Lord Henry, he comes to the realization that his actions, previously thought to have no affect on him, are slowly destroying the part of his humanity that actually matters--his soul. His actions are destroying him on the inside, even though he still appears beautiful. Oscar Wilde is showing how fleeting true beauty is--beauty on the inside. Wilde is also showing the consequences that exploitation of youth and beauty can bring.
Oscar Wilde's style of writing is distracting and beautiful at the same time. There are passages of beautiful imagery that greatly enhance the story, but there are also parts that seems to drag on forever, going into overly detailed descriptions and vague and obscure references. But all that aside, Oscar Wilde manages to get his point across loud and clear. Wild isn't just making a point though, he is presenting a warning. He is letting society know that it must change it's ways. He is warning against the exploitation of youth and beauty. People like Lord Henry will always exist--people who corrupt others just for amusement, but society has the power to fight against them. And there are many Dorian Grays in the world--those just waiting (even if they are unaware) to be corrupted. Society need to help these people, because they are weak of spirit and have trouble making judgements of morality. Oscar Wilde successful weaves together a strong message and a beautifully tragic story.
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.
Flowers and Falsehoods
Oscar Wilde explores the concept of true beauty in The Picture of Dorian Gray. He uses Dorian as an example of natural, physical beauty with several characters commenting on his ideal looks and spirit. As Dorian grows more and more fond of sinning through drugs, women, the arts, and luxury, his spirit begins distorting in the painting and Dorian's beauty is merely physical rather than all-encompassing. Wilde questions the validity of the beauty of youth and actions without consequence, and the tale implies that our spiritual beauty is what counts. Though youth and physical form are to be enjoyed while they last, we need to age to comprehend consequences and the impact our actions have upon our lives. Without these physical deformities our spiritual beauty will be forever corrupted which is a far worse loss.
As Plato views art as a cheap imitation of the ideal, Oscar Wilde contrasts with Dorian's everlasting level of physical attraction as a facsimile of the true beauty of youth. Where Plato would call the painting the imitation, Wilde sees the painting as the real version of Dorian, showing his many faults and sins, and even goes so far as to have Dorian kill himself when meaning to stab the painting. Wilde also portrays Sybil as being more truth in her many characters than as a human being herself. Dorian can only bring himself to love her as Juliet, as Rosalind, as Artemis, and is disgusted when he sees the human being Sybil truly is. When his muse is destroyed by a poor performance, the real woman behind it also matters not. Wilde takes this one step further with Sybil's suicide, the destruction of Sybil's imitation killing the girl.
Wilde's style is flowery -quite literally with dozens of comparisons to flowers throughout the novel- to the point of distraction. While the wordiness suits the characters of Basil, Dorian, and Lord Henry, it occasionally feels as if the point would be better clarified if Wilde would write his intention simply. However, Wilde uses the language to make Lord Henry's cynical views seem less shocking and allows the reader to feel more connected to his words. Lord Henry's cynicism comes off, at first, as beautiful rebellion rather than a shocking rant against society solely for the sake of argument because of the way Wilde presents it. It is not until later in the novel, when the reader sees the effect on Dorian, that they realize the harmful nature of Lord Henry's words. Overall the style was effective in its purpose, if tiresome in places.
Bad-Eyed and Beautiful
Eternal youth. This is a concept Dorian Gray from The Picture of Dorian Gray wants to master. He wants to be forever young so that he can further cherish his youthful beauty and take action with no consequence. However, Oscar Wilde, the author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, uses Dorian to show how powerful (for good or for bad) youth can be.
Dorian Gray is a young, wealthy man who's beauty strikes envy in most people who meet him. He is also the key to letting Oscar Wilde show that youth is a temporary state of life that should be enjoyed to the fullest, but not embraced for all of life. Early in the book Basil sees Dorian as a mythical hero with qualities that very few (if not any) people possess. As the book progresses, Dorian is more and more influenced by Lord Henry, as he progressively celebrates the beauty of youth and egocentric pursuit of disagrees and self-pleasure. Dorian is intrigued with these new feelings, and this causes him to act without consequence and stay in a never-ending phase of youthfulness. Because of this, Dorian ends up becoming an enemy of many people and a root for many negative rumors that attack his legacy. This change of people's view about Dorian lets Wilde express that being young is something that should be enjoyed, where people look their best and can mostly act naive and get away with it, but is something that doesn't last for too long, to prevent a ruin of people and reputation.
Oscar Wilde writes with a creative style, where the beginning of the book is somewhat slow in unraveling Dorian's character. As soon as Dorian is introduced to Lord Henry and starts following his lifestyles, his character development skyrockets and quickly turns into a negative journey, rather than one finding virtue. This showcases Wilde's views on how fast youth, with its selfish pleasures and pursuits, can flee. Loving Sibyl Vane is one of the many selfish pursuits of Dorian, and he ends up making this poor girl kill herself. If only Sibyl knew that her immediate love for Dorian was actually an immediate infection, leading her to her death. Sibyl and Dorian's naive love reminds me of a passage in The Love of Beauty by Plato when it says, "See you not how all animals, birds, as well as beasts, in their desire of procreation, are in agony when they take the infection of love, which begins with the desire of union; .." Dorian's love for Sibyl served as her infection, and their desire to be together only hurt them both.
Dorian Gray is a young, wealthy man who's beauty strikes envy in most people who meet him. He is also the key to letting Oscar Wilde show that youth is a temporary state of life that should be enjoyed to the fullest, but not embraced for all of life. Early in the book Basil sees Dorian as a mythical hero with qualities that very few (if not any) people possess. As the book progresses, Dorian is more and more influenced by Lord Henry, as he progressively celebrates the beauty of youth and egocentric pursuit of disagrees and self-pleasure. Dorian is intrigued with these new feelings, and this causes him to act without consequence and stay in a never-ending phase of youthfulness. Because of this, Dorian ends up becoming an enemy of many people and a root for many negative rumors that attack his legacy. This change of people's view about Dorian lets Wilde express that being young is something that should be enjoyed, where people look their best and can mostly act naive and get away with it, but is something that doesn't last for too long, to prevent a ruin of people and reputation.
Oscar Wilde writes with a creative style, where the beginning of the book is somewhat slow in unraveling Dorian's character. As soon as Dorian is introduced to Lord Henry and starts following his lifestyles, his character development skyrockets and quickly turns into a negative journey, rather than one finding virtue. This showcases Wilde's views on how fast youth, with its selfish pleasures and pursuits, can flee. Loving Sibyl Vane is one of the many selfish pursuits of Dorian, and he ends up making this poor girl kill herself. If only Sibyl knew that her immediate love for Dorian was actually an immediate infection, leading her to her death. Sibyl and Dorian's naive love reminds me of a passage in The Love of Beauty by Plato when it says, "See you not how all animals, birds, as well as beasts, in their desire of procreation, are in agony when they take the infection of love, which begins with the desire of union; .." Dorian's love for Sibyl served as her infection, and their desire to be together only hurt them both.
The Pink Flowering Thorn
In the first sentence of the Dorian Gray it mentions how the garden looked and the "heavy scent of the lilac or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn. This described Dorian very accurately in the beginning. How he was a young, innocent, and extremely beautiful man. The thorn of Dorian Gray was Lord Henry a cynical yet witty man, who used Dorian like a scientist uses a lab rat. Throughout the book Lord Henry becomes more and more of a thorn to Dorian which leads him to become a vile and twisted being. Even though his soul is withered and black Dorian keeps his "rosy" state, which in the end is the death of him.
The style and tone of the story is very well written. Throughout the book many words were capitalized when not needed to, such as Genius, Art, and Beauty to emphasize the meaning and importance to the book. The tone seemed subtle even at the most exciting parts, and the characters had unique and life-like personalities. The style is extremely well done, especially when it comes to quotes.
This book has many themes, especially the theme of beauty. It reminds me a lot about the Greek myth Narcissus, about the hunter for fell in love with his own beauty and died gazing at his reflection in the water. It seems that Wilde is trying to tell us to cherish our youth and beauty for as long as we can, because without it everything goes down hill.
The style and tone of the story is very well written. Throughout the book many words were capitalized when not needed to, such as Genius, Art, and Beauty to emphasize the meaning and importance to the book. The tone seemed subtle even at the most exciting parts, and the characters had unique and life-like personalities. The style is extremely well done, especially when it comes to quotes.
This book has many themes, especially the theme of beauty. It reminds me a lot about the Greek myth Narcissus, about the hunter for fell in love with his own beauty and died gazing at his reflection in the water. It seems that Wilde is trying to tell us to cherish our youth and beauty for as long as we can, because without it everything goes down hill.
Wilde's Warning
Journalist Jack Weinberg wrote "don't trust anyone over 30." He dedicated this slogan to the hippie generation, a new generation. Yet, The Picture of Dorian Gray also displays this theme and it was published 74 years before Jack Weinberg coined the phrase. Dorian Gray is a novel that is devoted to youth and its fleeting existence. It explains how youth (the mid-teen to late twenties era) is an obsession in our culture for irrelevant purposes. I believe Oscar Wilde was trying to show to the values of aging and a lived life.
Dorian devoted his life to his youth. He saw his own beauty and was so enchanted he wanted to maintain it forever. Most of us, including Dorian, would believe eternal youth would be constant learning, loving, and fun. But, Oscar Wilde shows us the realities of this seemingly glorious lifestyle with Dorian's, extreme loneliness, despair, and his eventual death. Dorian devoted his life to mastering the arts and living vicariously, yet he never aged and never enjoyed the beauties of elderly life. Oscar Wilde shows us an idea very similar to Plato's writings. They both believed that life was meant to be lived, not devoted to copying others. Dorian followed the contrary belief of Plato and Oscar Wilde, and paid the inevitable price.
Oscar Wilde warns us of the pitfalls of eternal youth mainly through Dorian's character development. In the beginning of the book Dorian is cheerful, cheeky, youthful, and enthusiastic. Youth starts to eat at
Dorian, however, and he snaps, killing Basil with a steak knife. He continues deteriorating as he visits opium dens and closely evading death. The last third of the book shows us Dorian's complete degradation. This is when Oscar Wilde reveals his true thoughts about youth; it is meant to be lived once. Eventually Dorian dies, due to his insanity, and Wilde is proven right. Youth is only a part of life, not life's entirety.
Dorian devoted his life to his youth. He saw his own beauty and was so enchanted he wanted to maintain it forever. Most of us, including Dorian, would believe eternal youth would be constant learning, loving, and fun. But, Oscar Wilde shows us the realities of this seemingly glorious lifestyle with Dorian's, extreme loneliness, despair, and his eventual death. Dorian devoted his life to mastering the arts and living vicariously, yet he never aged and never enjoyed the beauties of elderly life. Oscar Wilde shows us an idea very similar to Plato's writings. They both believed that life was meant to be lived, not devoted to copying others. Dorian followed the contrary belief of Plato and Oscar Wilde, and paid the inevitable price.
Oscar Wilde warns us of the pitfalls of eternal youth mainly through Dorian's character development. In the beginning of the book Dorian is cheerful, cheeky, youthful, and enthusiastic. Youth starts to eat at
Dorian, however, and he snaps, killing Basil with a steak knife. He continues deteriorating as he visits opium dens and closely evading death. The last third of the book shows us Dorian's complete degradation. This is when Oscar Wilde reveals his true thoughts about youth; it is meant to be lived once. Eventually Dorian dies, due to his insanity, and Wilde is proven right. Youth is only a part of life, not life's entirety.
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