Date: August 20th, 2008
Title of the book: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Author: Oscar Wilde
Main Characters: Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward, Lord Henry Wotton, Sibyl Vane
Theme: Dorian Gray seems like the main character of the story, and technically, he is. But looking through his soul, you’ll find out that he was just a puppet of his destiny- Basil and Harry were actually where he got his ways of thinking. Indeed, as the beauty came into our horizons, who could imagine this seemly, respectable young man would change completely by himself? Nevertheless, it was nothing but himself that betrayed the innocence- so that the transformation could took place rapidly. Lord Henry’s sweet words turned out to be his own practices- at the meantime, he bring ruin and shame to himself and was abandoned by the high. It was his misfortune- for as soon as he noticed his beauty, he quickly loosed himself into the worldly society, clubs, liquors, and women. He never returned to the innocence where he came from- the innocence of physical and also sentimental charm which the artist created. He is a paradox- a devil with angel-like face, and a horrible beast with tremendous beauty. Perhaps that is also Oscar Wilde’s paradox- was he showing the conflicts of his heart? Only the magical portrait of soul could tell us the answer.
Setting: “Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming.” – As the first, and the last published fiction of Oscar Wilde, this book retained most of his theories on appreciation of beauty. As a critic, his was considered the traitor of tradition- his works had greatly impulse the social morals of the 19th century, though, during his lifetime, the authority did much to stop him from “polluting” the public customs. Oscar himself was a paradox. As the preface hint, this book is rather like an aut0biolography- Dorian Gray, who shared the similar early-life experience, obtained his hopes and weaknesses. But he didn’t give him much wisdom, but fragile innocence of life, the beliefs of art and beauty that can be easily torn away by the evil. And, as for Henry- he used all his absurd theories of hedonism to show what he desires- but afraid to get. “To reveal art and conceal the artist”- that’s the aim of art, and also, the purpose of his all his great literature works.
Plot: The story is about a man named Dorian Gray, who was then a boy of innocence with extreme beauty- though he didn’t realize it at that time, the painter of his portrait, Basil, had regarded him as an attribute of his art, and truly believed that he would bring a brand-new mode of beauty to everyone. But, after a short talk with Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian soon found out to his horror that he is slowly losing his valuable youth- Afterward he fell in love with Sibyl, a young actress who always played in Shakespeare’s tragedies. But what Dorian loved was only the girl’s ability of art- or the characters she played, the emotions that had never been to her heart. After an unsuccessful show, Dorian left her without pity. In despair, Sibyl killed herself in the dark dressing room- when Dorian first heard about it, he was regretful- but the pity was soon torn away, as his “composure” regained and forgot all he had done. Meanwhile, Basil was planning to give a show of the portrait- but, to his dismay, what he saw on the canvas was totally different from what he painted- filled with sins of scarlet, the face looked extremely hideous, he cried, but the little boy who sat quietly beside the piano has gone forever- he was at that time, standing in front of the mirror, admiring the sins that lay on his young face. During an argument, Dorian killed the painter- he wished, if the painter died, no one could stop him from loosing himself in the desires of eternal youth. But one day- as he saw himself in the mirror, the hideous puppet of life had turned out to be the lines on his faces, he regretted for it- but it was too late. Dorian Gray lived for the portrait, but he had also ruined his lifetime by destroying the beauty- he himself had become a tragedy, the abandoned devil of the world.
Recommendation: It was the phantom- not the physical charm that destroyed Dorian Gray, though, that might be the betrayed artist talent, the ending was rather like a tragedy that nobody likes. But, considering the contents of this great novel, this book still remains one of the most successful novels of English language of the nineteenth century- innocence and crime, shown clearly between the lines, but, at the meantime, it was quite confusing why the words of Lord Henry could be so impulsive to Dorian was beyond my understanding.
Nevertheless, we should admit that Dorian’s beauty was nothing but a misfortune to him- like what Oscar Wilde said at the beginning of this book, he was attracted by the desires of eternal youth, the philosophy of Lord Henry soon made him a faithful worshiper of social wisdom- beauty, at this time, was just the principal to loose himself. So it seems that if a person with extreme beauty notices himself as an extraordinary charming- innocence might be poisonous. As we’ve learned from the Hellenic mythology, Narcissus, the self-admirer who was intoxicated by his angelic face- was also a victim of beauty. But was beauty really harmful to everyone? Of course not, seeking the problems that they share- it was just the complex of feelings that hidden in our mind- the plethora of passion, and horrible carnal desires. Beauty is the scapegoat of their weak defence- but not the true offender of the crimes. Perhaps it was the conflict between artists and philosophers- innocence can be a sort of artistry, but it is fragile, and dangerous, too. As the years passed, sins had broken the silence of his soul- he became a pretender with only physical charm, but a hideous, ugly face under the mask of beauty.
We could remember how the young actress, Sibyl Vane, who fell in love with her “charming princess” died after the great shock of losing her love. She performed for her living- one night she was Juliet, but the next evening, dressing like a noble, her tears dropped for her father, Lear- she was a girl of illusions who believed the romance of innocence- but she ruined herself in love.
It was the shadow of young Dorian- and also, hinted his destiny to the evil world. As for we readers, this story might be an inspiration of life and beauty, but, the most important thing is, to have the wisdoms of appreciation, and to keep our composure- art might not be useless, but the basic necessity is always the same: to own our soul, and let the puppet vanish forever.