First of all, I would just like to say that I enjoyed this novel. Although, it was an engaging ‘easy’ read, I’m sure the symbolization within the novel is very complex and I’m sure there are a lot of things to discuss. I took some of Colleen’s suggestions and did a bit of internet research on Oscar Wilde. I was not surprised to find that although he was married to a woman, Oscar had a homosexual relationship with a man named, Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas. I found it curious throughout the novel that Basil was so infatuated with Dorian’s beauty. I also found it curious that Lord Henry was so obsessed with seducing Dorian’s decisions and lifestyle. (i.e. the yellow book that led Dorian to believe that “evil was now beautiful” (140). Therefore, I was not surprised that my suspicion towards homosexual bonds may not have been far fetched.
Oscar Wilde was also a big advocate of the aestheticism movement. I think this plays a major role throughout the novel. The Britannica Encyclopedia describes the aesthetic movement as
“The movement began in reaction to prevailing utilitarian social philosophies and to what was perceived as the ugliness and philistinism of the industrial age. Its philosophical foundations were laid in the 18th century by Immanuel Kant, who postulated the autonomy of aesthetic standards, setting them apart from considerations of morality, utility, or pleasure.”
Essentially, the aestheticism movement strived to free art from the considerations of morality, utility, or pleasure. Therefore, the male characters in the story (tending to allude towards homosexual relations) speak for the aestheticism movement by setting apart from utilitarian social philosophies. Homosexuality definitely was not accepted during this period in time so it was a big advancement for Oscar to make such references, and it definitely was not considered ‘moral.’
Although Oscar says to be such an advocate for the aestheticism movement, I think that in the novel, he tends to contradict his own beliefs. The aestheticism movement holds the meaning of valuing new ways of seeing the world over moral ways of seeing the world. However, throughout the story the picture of Dorian Gray becomes transformed each time Dorian commits a sin. Isn’t that saying that morality is in deed affecting art?
“The portrait had changed! It was incredible! How could such a thing occur? Was there some connection between the picture painted on the canvas and the soul that was within him? He gazed at the picture in sickened horror and fear” (100).
The above quote reiterates the idea that the portrait (art) was affected by morality. When Dorian was cruel to Sybil Vane, the portrait grew ugly, just like the ‘soul that was within in him.’
This topic leads me to the role of Sybil Vane, or shall I refer to her as Sybil VAIN. Personally, I think Sybil is very vain to fall in love with such an egocentric man whom she barely knows; she is just infatuated by his beauty. I think her role in the novel is to show that beauty can blind you from the truth behind the perfect image. I also think the notion that she falls out of love with acting when she finds real love with Dorian is a symbol of the aestheticism movement. Advocates of the movement, such as Oscar Wilde, believed that life should copy art. They considered nature as crude and lacking in design when compared to art. (I found this from wikipedia, which isn’t the most reliable source, however it supports my argument) Sybil Vane was beautiful and a wonderful performance artist, this is why Dorian fell in love with her. She flawlessly performed beautiful art and was thus considered beautiful. However, Sybil lost her talent and passion for acting when she realized she was in love with Dorian Gray. Dorian saw her untalented performance and quickly found her repulsive and fell out of love with her.
“But don’t you realize what you have done? You have killed my love for you,” Dorian coolly replied. He looked at her harshly” (84).
Dorian found her repulsive once she seemed real and not a ‘copy of art.’ Maybe I’m all wrong here, but these are just some of the things that I thought while reading the novel. Overall, I think that the picture of Dorian Gray is a symbol of this idea that life should copy art because art can be portrayed as perfect. However, as we learn in the novel, perfect is not attainable. Dorian Gray wants to remain perfect like his portrait, but he soon learns that his desires and life get in the way. Thus the imperfections of his life cause him to stab his portrait in frustration, because his life will never be as perfect art.
Works Cited
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/7474/Aestheticism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aestheticism
http://www.cmgww.com/historic/wilde/bio4.htm
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Hi Nicole!
ReplyDeleteI did not get a chance to respond this week because of family issues. W have had a few hospital visits this week but I was glad to look at yours and others blog responses to the reading for Dorian Grey I didn’t get to finish the novel but found it irrefutable that there were some homosexual undertones to the novel and storyline first with Basil quickly followed by Henry. I have always heard that Oscar Wilde’s history was inclined to similar tendencies but I never knew that he had a full fledged affair and like you said I would have to say that I am not very surprised. It definitely comes out in his writing. You made a very interesting point with the idea of aestheticism this was a brand new idea to me, a movement that I was completely unaware of. So I’m impressed, nice job looking further into the novel and bringing out ideas that would not be visible to the reader.
Hi, Nicole.
ReplyDeleteAnn, I hope everything is okay with your family!
I found this part of your blog very compelling:
The aestheticism movement holds the meaning of valuing new ways of seeing the world over moral ways of seeing the world. However, throughout the story the picture of Dorian Gray becomes transformed each time Dorian commits a sin. Isn’t that saying that morality is in deed affecting art?
“The portrait had changed! It was incredible! How could such a thing occur? Was there some connection between the picture painted on the canvas and the soul that was within him? He gazed at the picture in sickened horror and fear” (100).
The above quote reiterates the idea that the portrait (art) was affected by morality.
I think you make a great point here. Can art ever exist in a vacuum? Can it only signify itself or does it always already signify aspects of its author, its cultural context, etc? Hallward states on page 13, "We live in an age when men treat art as if it were meant to be a form of autobiography. We have lost the abstract sense of beauty." Do you think it's "wrong" of us to read into these works as we tend to do in this course--politically, socially, etc? Does Wilde's autobiography have anything to bear on this text? In the Preface, Wilde states, "All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do a their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril." What do you think Wilde means by this statement?
Nice post this week. It gives me a lot to think about in terms of the novel. I wonder if the "ugly" painting is what allows Dorian, the "true" work of art that is all surface," to exist? Consider Chapter XI, for instance, where Wilde lists all this "stuff." While all these consumer goods and collectibles are beautiful, they're collected at a great cost to indigenous tribes and cultures from colonized countries. It kind of makes me think of "blood diamonds." The diamond ring is beautiful, but, as Nicole suggests, can we, or rather should we, read "morality" in it since it comes at such an incredible human cost?
Sorry I'm kind of rambling today, but I enjoyed this post. I wonder what other students feel about these questions surrounding the nature of art?
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteWell I'm not going to be the first to say this, but thank you for this very interesting and extensive blog. Once again I know that I'm glad to have someone with a lot of background reference material to draw upon. Now you did miss one little fact about Oscar Wilde, he had more than affair, and a number of them were with men of ill repute. The one he had with Lord Douglas was just his major serious relationship that he was caught in around the time of his trial.
Now commenting on the book itself... Wow does everyone seem to be really harsh on Sybil! I was just commenting on Fay's blog and there was also some seriously harsh statements made about her weak character here. You stated "I think Sybil is very vain to fall in love with such an egocentric man whom she barely knows; she is just infatuated by his beauty. I think her role in the novel is to show that beauty can blind you from the truth behind the perfect image." I'm really not disagreeing with the commentary on her vanity because I can see that as well as what that could possibly stand for. I just think that Sybil's character is a bit more than just the surface views that we get from her. That's just me though.
I also enjoyed your comments on the aesthetic movement and the mixed signals that we get from the book about aestheticism because they're very very true. The movement's message itself is often confusing and lost in translation, much like this book. So definitely a nice job on bringing all of those things to light.
WS
Hey Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the book too and like you it did not come as a huge surprise to me to find out about Wilde’s homosexuality. One part of your blog that I found really interesting was when you stated, “Throughout the story the picture of Dorian Gray becomes transformed each time Dorian commits a sin. Isn’t that saying that morality is in deed affecting art?” I have to admit, I found myself asking the same question when I read the book. The whole aestheticism movement attempted to lift the burden that was placed on art at the time, which stated that art had the ability to educate and provide moral enlightenment. "But beauty, real beauty, ends where an intellectual expression begins. Intellect is in itself a mode of exaggeration, and destroys the harmony of any face." (6)
If Wilde was trying to avoid the criticism that he received from the novel then he should have taken a lesson from his own book. "An artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing of his own life into them." (13) The implications of homosexuality throughout the novel were not exactly subtle. I feel as though Wilde used the whole aestheticism movement as a cover so that when people questioned the morality of the novel, he could just fall back on the whole “Art for Art’s Sake” argument. “We live in an age when men treat art as if it were meant to be a form of autobiography. We have lost the abstract sense of beauty.” (13) It felt as though the whole preface was placed in the novel by Wilde to cover his butt and as somewhat of a warning, “All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.” (3) I do not know if that was his true intention, but it got me wondering, was Wilde a genuine follower of the aestheticism movement, or was it all just a hoax to protect himself from the criticism of the public. Either way, it was not all that successful in keeping him out of trouble.