Dorian Gray Synthesis Blog

Wilde conveys Dorian's ever progressing corruption through contrasting his reactions to the respective demises of James Vane and Basil Hallward. After Basil's murder, Dorian is able to quickly rid himself of blame and guilt. By the next morning he could be found "sleeping peacefully" (166). Conversely, after his contact with James, "when he closed his eyes he saw again the sailor's face" (205). Through this contrast Wilde displays how Dorian's sins have begun to catch up with him to the point where instead of floating airily away from him, they haunt him. After Basil's death, Dorian is able to fully place the blame onto Basil's cold dead shoulders by reminding himself "of all that he had suffered" (166). Dorian finds comfort in justifying his killing Basil by saying that Basil caused him to suffer. This makes him calm and free from the sense of culpability. As Dorian continues on his life of sin and peril, it all begins to catch up with his corrupting soul. His past has become so overwhelming that when he is finally forced to face it, it begins to haunt him. After seeing James, Dorian is anything but calm, he suddenly feels "sick with a wild terror of dying" (205). Dorian is becoming paranoid, the feeling of being "hunted, snared, (or) tracked down begun to dominate him" (205). Dorian tries to put these feelings out of his mind, much in the way that he put the feeling of blame out of him after the incident with Basil, this time by saying that all of these ideas are merely figments of his over active imagination. However, it is not mere imagination that has led him to this point. His corrupted conscience and soul are beginning to catch up with him and are making "each crime share its misshapen brood" (205). Between the Basil and James encounters, Dorian has grown a sense of paranoia and increasing corruption. Through his different reactions to both of these incidents, Wilde shows the reader just how terrible Dorian has become. Always carefree, guiltless Dorian is finally feeling the burden of his sins catch up with him.

Dorian Gray Blog 5

Wilde employs the use of strong diction and imagery about the yellow book at the conclusion of chapter 11 in order to convey his message of the corruption that Dorian has undergone. To be blunt, "Dorian Gray had been poisoned by a book" (150). Wilde's strong, concise manner of addressing this facet of Dorian shows the audience that there is no beating around the bush, Dorian has been corrupted. His innocence has been replaced by a sense of loftiness. Dorian has become not only fascinated, but haunted by the character in the book and all of the ideas he brings about in his mind, they even "trouble his imagination in the day" (150). Dorian has gone through a full paradigm shift since the beginning of the novel, before he knew not of the evils in the world, but now he "look(s) on evil simply as a mode through which he (can) realize his conception of the beautiful" (150). He has become utterly self absorbed in his youthful appearance and the secrets that lay at disposal of his key. This new, poisoned Dorian possesses a new sense of wisdom, however it has had the opposite affect that one might think, it has made him more shallow.
In chapter 12, Wilde uses selective dialogue to further convey the message of Dorian's corruption by displaying his new change in attitude. Basil speaks to him from the heart saying, " (he) want(s) (Dorian) to lead such a life as will make the world respect (him)" (156), and that he wants him to "get rid of the dreadful people (he) associate(s) with" (156). Basil is looking out for Dorian's best interests and trying to help him grow as a person. He sees that Dorian has fallen down the wrong path having heard "that (Dorian) corrupt(s) everyone with whom (he) becomes intimate"(156). Basil pours out his heart and his hopes for Dorian, and all Dorian replies is "to see my soul"(156). Wilde uses this diction to show Dorian's eminent self absorbency. After Basil goes on preaching and working to help him, Dorian's apparent indifference is shown through his short, self centered reply.

Dorian Gray Blog 4

On page 122, Wilde employs figurative language as well as strong diction in order to portray the way in which Dorian has grown to be a far more self aware character than he was before as well as to tie together Dorian's portrait to his soul. In the beginning of the novel, Dorian was a very innocent, docile character but with the influence of Lord Henry, he has blossomed into a far more confident person. Wilde's use of symbolism shows the reader how Dorian has taken control of his life. When Dorian "put(s) the key in his pocket" (122), he is taking ownership of his sins and knowingly hiding them where no one else may find them. The key is like his portrait, he will keep it hidden yet close. It is very symbolic of the power Dorian now possesses over his own emotions and his future. Wilde goes on to compare the "corruptions"(122), of what the painting portrays as being "worse than the corruption of death itself" (122). This strong comparison puts the severity of Dorian's actions in perspective for the audience. By calling the corruptions manifested in the painting worse than those of death, Wilde is stressing the fact that Dorian must now live with what he has done throughout his life. Wilde further strengthens his message of the severity of Dorian's actions to the plot by forming the analogy "what the worm is to the corpse, his sins would be to the painted image"(122). This analogy shows that his sins will eat away both at the tangible representation of his soul, as well as the one within him. The more Dorian sins, the more the sins will "defile (the painting) and make it shameful" (122), and by doing so, "mar (his) beauty and eat away (his) grace"(122). Through this passage, Wilde forever ties Dorian's portrait with his soul and brings to surface Dorian's new found knowledge of what he does.

Dorian Gray Said/Done Blog

Wilde uses the dialogue on page 81 to convey two of his main themes to the audience, Dorian's naive nature as well as the differences in character of Dorian's two biggest influences: Hallward and Henry. Dorian's hyperbolic diction show that his youth governs his views on the world, often leaving him with a less than realistic picture. To Dorian, "the world is nothing to be compared with (Sibyl)"(81), he finds her to be the greatest thing possible. Wilde uses figurative language to show that Dorian is so enthralled with her that he thinks of her in an almost dreamlike way saying that he "left her in the forest of Arden ...and shall find her in an orchard in Verona" (81). The fact that his love is so great and so dramatic shows his youthful hope and in doing so also shows his oblivion to the way the world truly works. This naive quality sets him up to be the subject of the far more sage characters in the book. Through his descriptions of mannerisms, Wilde depicts the differences between the Hallward and Henry as they act as one an other's foil characters. Hallward would like to allow Dorian to grow and learn freely and without impediments from anyone and so when Henry begins to indoctrinate Dorian again, he lays "his hand upon his arm"(81) to let him know he needs to let Dorian make his own decisions and develop in his own way. Hallward sees that Dorian "is not like other men. He would never bring misery upon anyone" (81), he fosters his naive ways and looks to allow Dorian to grow at his own pace but for now bask in his naive youth. Henry on the other hand sees Dorian as a fresh canvas on which he may paint his own ideas of society until he has created a masterpiece. He often does not know when to stop pushing Dorian's limits and often needs Hallward to remind him that he has "annoyed Dorian"(81). These two characters are opposite in both their motives and styles. Wilde uses this passage to show their differences while also highlighting the subject which they both want to have influence over.

Dorian Gray Blog 3

Writers often display their views about life and human nature through the words and actions of their characters, The Picture of Dorian Gray is no exception. However, the views of the author are never the sole ideals portrayed through the characters because then every character in every book would the same, a copy of its author. By this token, one cannot assume that Wilde is misogynistic simply because Lord Henry looks down upon women and marriage. He believes that those "who love only once in their lives are really the shallow people"(53). Lord Henry is looking to win back the focus of Dorian from Sybil, so his anti marriage and women views surface all the more. In an effort to win back Dorian's main infatuation, he makes the institution of marriage look as bad as possible and talks about how women "are always bothering us to do something for them" (83). Despite all of this talk, Dorian is emphatically in love with "Sybil Vane (who) is sacred" (56). These two conflicting views on love would leave one who believes the views of an author are expressed through their characters a bit confused. Wilde never states in the book that he himself looks down on women, he simply alludes to the fact that Lord Henry does. This is why Wilde is not a misogynist. If the views of an author are shown through characters, how can one know which character the author is living vicariously through?

Dorian Gray Blog 2

The character of Lord Henry is that of a middle aged man who has gleaned wisdom through his life and is looking for someone to bestow it upon. He disregards the opinions of others, especially when it comes to their reactions about his brash stances on life. This intriguing knack of speaking the truth makes him very enticing to those who meet him, "for days after [Dorian] met [Lord Henry], something seemed to throb in [Dorian's] veins" (52). This strong sentiment of connection displays how much others are drawn to Lord Henry. This is a result of the carefree yet wise attitude that seeps from him always, "All I want to do now is look at life. You may come and look at it with me, if you care to" (47), his manner strikes a note of curiosity within those around him and pulls them into his influential presence. Characters that meet Lord Henry naturally are shaped by his influence and Dorian is no exception. Lord Henry even admits that he "always like(s) to know everything about [his] new friends, and nothing about [his] old ones" (38), this opens up the fact that he takes a great deal of interest in Dorian. He sees Dorian as his newest protege of sorts, he wants to open him up to the world. But most of all, Lord Henry wishes "to project [his] soul into some gracious form... [and] hear [his] intellectual views echoed back...there was a real joy in that...perhaps the most satisfying joy left" (38). Lord Henry will touch Dorian's life in what will be to the boy, previously unimaginable ways and make him more jaded, meanwhile he will simply be exercising his own whims and basking in his influence.

Dorian Gray Blog 1

The character of Dorian Gray is one of an innocent and impressionable nature. His youth allows him to be not only open to the influences of those around him, but also gives him a vain sense of self. These two factors will ultimately allow those who know how to manipulate and flatter him, like Lord Henry come to have power over him. Dorian's vanity comes from his beauty, but it will ultimately become a downfall due to how much he cares for it, he is even "jealous of everything whose beauty does not die" (29). This focus on beauty has caused Dorian to be doted upon, but for the first time he has met someone who "has certainly not been paying (him) compliments"(22) in Lord Henry. This is Dorian's first intriguingly different acquaintance and his youthful curiosity draws him to want to hear more of what Lord Henry has to say. Dorian is at present, a young man on the brink of self discovery. Prior to meeting Lord Henry, he has lived a life of focus on beauty and the present, not thinking of how it will fade in the future. His new acquaintance has awakened him to the fact that "we never get back our youth" (25) which has ignited a new pining for self discovery that he previously had been numb to. The fact that Dorian has a new, ravenous hunger for thought coupled with the fact that Lord Henry finds there to be "something terribly enthralling in the exercise of influence" (39) lead one to the belief that Dorian will become a product of this influence. He has the want for more substance in life and he has the need for guidance, this leaves him perfectly open to the influence and radically realistic ideas of Lord Henry.