The Picture of Dorian Gray is a classic example of victorian writing by Oscar Wilde, in it he explores ideas and themes that at the time were thought to be obscene or controversial for writing of the time. Looking at it with in a different time and place the meaning of the writing still becomes clear and easy to discern, and Wilde has done this in a careful and delicate manner that could not have been easy for the time in which it was written. In it Wilde writes of Dorian Gray as a young man coming up into the world without knowledge of what it is that a man could be capable of. In the first half of the book when we first meet him at Basil’s studio with Lord Henry and he talks about how the horrors of life leave their mark on the soul and that is reflected on the body and face. After the death of Sibyl Vane he see the horror of his actions reflected in the portrait of him and not on his face. After hiding away the painting Gray continues down a path of life that gave him the ability to enjoy the sensations of life with no cost to his good name and reputation because of his good looks. However, after a period of time goes by that Gray becomes aware of how people see him and perceive him in their actions toward him, and he knows that he no longer carries a spotless reputation, but could be dismissed as rumors because the stress of a hard life had not shown themselves on his face. It is only that he tries to make amends that he learns that once a make is made upon his soul that there is no going back and undoing the sin or evil thing that prompted the mark to be made in the first place, that he decides to destroy the picture and in doing so undoes the work that has preserved his good image and is reduced to the horror that had the painting had bore.
Knowing what we know about Oscar Wilde and his life and this book what parts would found so objectionable that this book should be censored and what about those parts would cause this book to be censored or banned?
What was it that caused Dorian Gray to become corrupted, curiosity, the need to seek out new thing or experiences, or was it his own vanity or outside influence by way of Lord Henry?
What parts or characters do you think Oscar Wilde’s voice as a writer are most clearly heard? What topics does he address and does he address those topics in a positive light or negative light?
Oscar Wilde certainty creates the characters motivations thru simple means of ego. Basil becomes enamored by his self and his art. The picture of dorian is simply his possession as much as the person is.
ReplyDeleteI think that Dorian's corruption stemmed from the idea that to age is to become ugly and unwanted, that his physical appearance dictates his social standing in life. To loose his beauty was to lose his power and control over people, and that was something that Dorian could not give up. His mad pursuit of new sensations was influenced by Lord Henry, but it was Dorian's youth and gullibility that caused him to take it to such an extreme. Dorian as a youth consumes all without thought of consequence, but as a man in his forties, he tires and begins to look back on his misdeeds with regret despite their lack of influence on his good looks. Dorian learns that the soul of a man is separate from a man's physical appearance, and a wretched soul can make one despise even the most beautiful face.
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