Kevin McAdam

AP English 11/ Mr. George

3/30/10

Dorian Gray Character Analysis #1

Dorian Gray

Dorian is a naïve, selfish character who lived for his beauty with no regard for others.

In society, we believe beauty to be a wonderful gift that can be very beneficial to a person. Dorian realized his beauty and the advantages that came with it, but not without the help of Lord Henry. Beauty can bring one power and allow one to influence others solely based on their appearance alone. Dorian understood this fact and longed to have eternal beauty, hence gaining eternal power. Dorian’s goal to preserve his own beauty at all costs led him to a lifetime of selfishness. Unfortunately, Dorian’s egotism allowed him to take the wonders of his beauty and turn them into a terrible hindrance that lingered over his own head. His naiveté blinded him from witnessing his own immorality, which led him to committing more horrible acts, eventually resulting in his own demise. Dorian used his beauty to gain power and influence, but Lord Henry rightly begged the question: “What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose … his own soul” (Wilde 220).

Dorian is like bum on the street. Dorian’s beauty is his existence on earth, and like a homeless person, Dorian will do whatever is necessary to maintain his existence. Neither has any sense of morality in reaching their goals either. Also, both accept themselves as how they are and do nothing to try and change their lives for the better.

A modern day example of Dorian would be Terrell Owens because of the way he uses his flamboyant character to gain attention, positively or negatively, reluctant to change, and without any care for what is said about himself.

Kevin McAdam

AP English 11/ Mr. George

3/30/10

Dorian Gray Character Analysis #2

Lord Henry

Lord Henry is a cunning convincing man who influences others through his articulate speeches.

Throughout the text, Lord Henry continually expressed believable statements that had no true meaning or emotion behind them. Dorian was especially hooked into Lord Henry as, “there was something in his low, languid voice that was absolutely fascinating” (Wilde 23), making him a perfect subject for Lord Henry to influence. Lord Henry never had a direct goal in his relationship with Dorian because Lord Henry always conducted himself in a position of indifference. Without the hindrance of being biased, Lord Henry was able to spout off any theory that popped into his mind and let people like Dorian carry it out. Lord Henry’s fantastic witticisms captivated his listeners and influenced them to do some foolish things, painting him in a negative light.

Lord Henry is like an everyday scientist. He must not be confused with a mad scientist because a mad scientist works towards an evil goal while a normal scientist searches for greater understanding. Like Lord Henry, a scientist works in a position of complete indifference. Lord Henry influenced Dorian so that he could observe the way he acted in regards to the information Lord Henry spread to him, not to improve his soul. They are both only interested in the result of their experiment and not in the well-being of the test subject.

Lord Henry is like Hitler because they both influenced innocent human lives and were indifferent to their well-being; only the well-being of the cause was important.

Witticisms

1. Homework is so useless that anyone who ever does it is surely a pathetic loser.

2. There is no point in living if you cannot feel alive.

3. Only those who are hesitant are those who make mistakes.

4. There is no such thing as humility; the humble man is humble for all to see.

5. We dream to live a perfect life, but a perfect dream is the life we live.

6. A martyr never dies if the cause does not die with him.

7. A relationship is what makes two lovers sail apart from one another.

8. Money makes one rich in the wallet, but poor in the soul.

9. Our family is our closest friend and our biggest enemy.

10. Love is a thief; in searching for love, it steals the rest of your life.

DG Ch. 19-20

"Yet it was his duty to confess, to suffer public shame, and to make public atonement. There was a God who called upon men to tell their sins to earth as well as to heaven. Nothing that he could do would cleanse him till he had told his own sin" (228)

Throughout all of the books we have read, all of the characters who gained redemption for their sins did so by bearing their sins publicly. They realized their flaws and tried to work on them to become more virtuous people. We see Dorian try this, but one act of kindness by Dorian cannot make up for years of wrongdoings. Dorian had continually tried to hide his sins from others so that he could live a more pleasurable life on earth. What he did not realize is that living a pleasurable life on earth does not always bring happiness. I think that, in a way, Dorian did bear his sins publicly, causing his death. Perhaps he did not know that stabbing the portrait would turn him into an old man and kill him, but the act of stabbing the painting proved that he wanted to cleanse himself and get rid of the secret he had been living with for most of his life.

“A cry of pain and indignation broke from him. He could see no change, save that in the eyes there was a look of cunning, and in the mouth the curved wrinkle of the hypocrite” (227)

The idea that we are dynamic individuals with the ability to change is something that Dorian relied on towards the end of the text. He realized the error of his ways and did what he could to fix it. As a result, the portrait basically laughed at him for believing he could ever be a good person. Dorian had followed a life of immorality for many years, turning him into a terrible person. After all of the things he had done, why would Dorian believe that his soul would be renewed just like that? I think hypocritical is a good way to put it because Dorian had lived a life so full of pleasure and selfishness, but suddenly decided to change his mind, throwing away everything he stood for. Dorian's selfish attitude lingered with him throughout the text, making it impossible for him to change his entire character after everything he did.

DG Ch. 16-18

"The hideous hunger for opium began to gnaw at him" (190)

It is clear that now the portrait of Dorian is not the only thing feeling the effect of his actions. Before, Dorian was able to do whatever he wanted and never feel any sense of regret for anything. Now, it seems that Dorian is aware of what he has done and is ashamed of himself. He goes to the opium den to forget his troubles, but if Dorian did not feel any pain for what he has done, he would still feel great and would not need to go there. I think that Dorian changed the final time he spoke with Basil before he killed him. Dorian realized the pain he has caused others, and now he wants to forget everything bad that ever happened to him.

"We can have in life but one great experience at best, and the secret to life is to reproduce that experience as often as possible" (201)

I disagree with this statement by Lord Henry on a few levels. First, I do not think that we only have one great experience in life and that is it. We all have many great memorable experiences in our lives that are equally significant. Also, I do not think that the goal of our lives is to reproduce one experience, but to continually take advantage of new opportunities to have other experiences. We must step outside of our comfort zones and try new things to fulfill our existence on earth. Another disagreement I have with this statement is the term "reproduce". I feel that we should always try to remember tremendous experiences in our lives, but never try to reproduce them. We must accept that each moment in our lives is unique and we must treat them as such. By trying to reproduce our life experiences, we are living in the past and not opening ourselves up to the wonders of life yet to be explored.

“Those finely shaped fingers could never have clutched a knife for sin, nor those smiting lips have cried out God and goodness” (179)

This quote plays perfectly into the debate of whether or not beautiful people are capable of sinning. In the text, we have clearly observed that beautiful people can sin. However, another concept we have talked about is that beauty can be found in different things. For instance, in the text, Dorian Gray is a very handsome man, but he has a dark soul. People may not look beautiful on the outside, but they may have a beautiful and pure soul inside. Because of this, I think that someone with a clean soul, like Dorian used to have, would be considered beautiful and would not do such terrible things.

"A man can be happy with any woman, as long as he does not love her"(184)

I disagree with this statement because love is the greatest form of happiness two people can share. Yes, happiness can be found in a friendship between two teammates, but that happiness is nowhere near the level of happiness found through true love. If our goal in life is to be as happy as possible, then this statement would be false because they are not trying to experience the maximum happiness in their lives. If one tries to avoid being in love, what is the point of that friendship anyways if it is not meant to be lived up to its full potential.

DG Ch. 14

"'You are mad, Dorian.' 'Ah! I was waiting for you to call me Dorian'"(172)

Dorian has become so consumed with himself that he does not matter in what context his name is spoken, but only that his name is spoken. In this quote his name is clearly being tarnished, but Dorian does not recognize what is happening. Because of his change in character, Dorian seeks the attention of others no matter if the attention is good or bad. As we have continually seen throughout the text, it is Dorian's selfish conduct that has drawn most of the attention towards him, and because of his selfish personality, Dorian only cares that he is spoken about which does not help his character at all.

“Whatever my life is, he had more to do with the making or the marring of it than poor Harry has had. He may not have intended it, the result was the same” (173)

Dorian simply cannot admit his flaws. Instead of accepting that he has changed for the worse and deciding to do something about it, Dorian blames his negative influence on Basil, the one person who attempted to help him through his struggle. After all the struggle Dorian went through, Basil was the one person who truly cared about him and saw his true beauty. Dorian was blind to the feelings Basil had for him, and continued his free-fall to the bottom of the social ladder. Because of these facts, I believe that Dorian himself is most at fault for the changes that affected his life. Of course Henry had a large influence on his beliefs, but Dorian still could make choices on his own. He chose to listen to Henry and ignore Basil's warnings. He chose to continue his lifestyle and not admit his problems. Dorian is definitely most to blame for how his life turned out because he let things get out of control when he could have stopped it.

DG Ch. 12-13

"'Sin is a thing that writes itself across a man's face. It cannot be concealed" (153).

This quote is somewhat ironic because Dorian has been able to conceal his sins in the portrait. He has been able to avoid the toll of his sins and lived a care-free lifestyle that has been beneficial to himself, but horrendous to those closest to him. However, I do not think that Dorian feels completely free from the things he does. Yes, the portrait does bear the punishment for his sins, but if Dorian felt no guilt for his actions, why would he ever bother to check on how it has changed. Maybe it is because he is proud of what he has accomplished, but I think he still feels a sense of remorse. Dorian continues to conduct himself so poorly because he realizes that he has lost his soul and there is nothing he can do to make it come back.

"'You told me you had destroyed it.' 'I was wrong. It has destroyed me'" (161)

Dorian's change started because of the influence Henry had on him, but it is the portrait which perpetuates his misery. Dorian is constantly reminded of his sins through the portrait, and it gives him the desire to commit more terrible acts. Even though Dorian does not feel the punishment for his sins, he has the portrait to show him who he once was and who he now is. The image Dorian sees is so unbearable to him but it does not stop him from sinking even lower. The young and naive Dorian from the beginning of the novel has been destroyed alongside the beautiful image in the portrait. In place of it is a very disturbed and broken man who cannot and will not find his way back to his old self once more.

DG Ch. 11

"He grew more and more enamored of his own beauty, more and more interested in the corruption of his own soul" (131)

In class we have discussed whether there is potential for Dorian to change his selfish ways and regain his innocence. That is impossible because Dorian gave up his innocence with all of his troubles. Some believe that Dorian will be affected by the image he sees in the portrait and feel a sense of shame for what he has done, but in relaying all of his troubles over to the portrait, he has no desire to pursue feelings that do not dwell within his soul. In fact, Dorian feels a sense of pleasure in seeing the changes that have occurred on the portrait because he feels he has cheated the moral system. He is able to see the consequences of his actions without ever having to face the internal consequences.

"He felt a curious delight in the thought that Art, like Nature, has her monsters" (138)

Throughout the novel we have witnessed that art is only beautiful or ugly based on the opinion of the viewer. Even with Dorian, at times he feels horrible for sins he has committed that are on display in the portrait. Other times he is proud of the fact that he has eluded all of the troubles in his life. He understands that art and people are similar in that they both may give off a poor impression, but there is ultimately true beauty within. In fact, in some ways, it is the imperfections in art and nature that make our experiences meaningful.

DG Ch. 9-10

"Don't talk about horrid subjects. If one doesn't talk about a thing, it has never happened. It is simply expression, as Harry says, that gives reality to things" (111)

At this point, Dorian has completely lost his mind. Henry's influence has completely scrambled Dorian's old state of thinking because no rational human being would think this way. If I do not talk about something, then it did not happen. This is totally bizarre. Dorian believes in everything Henry says so much that his own common sense has been replaced by random arguments made by Henry. It has even been remarked that Henry never means anything he says. If Henry's arguments are not meant to lead anywhere, then he has no reason to make them sound logical. He just makes arguments for the sake of arguing. The problem with Dorian is that he cannot tell the difference between logical and illogical arguments. In this case, Dorian has been so influenced by Henry and become so detached from society that he literally believes he can decide what is fake and what is reality. However, Dorian does not realize that reality is constant and unchanging. You cannot turn it off when you want to; it is always present and true. Dorian's corrupted mental process blinds him from witnessing that truth and will lead to more difficult times down the road.

"His own soul was looking out at him from the canvas and calling him to judgement. A look of pain came across him and he flung the rich pall over the picture" (123)

Dorian continues to try to break away from the truth and to be free from all anxiety. Whenever he looks at the portrait, he is reminded of all the terrible sins he has committed and the mistakes he has made. When we look at ourselves in the mirror, we may see some unpleasant things, both physically and mentally, that we do not like necessarily. However, we can always try to find some positives in how we see ourselves to feel good in the end. But when Dorian looks at his portrait, all he can see is the negative aspects of his life. He cannot witness anything positive to lift up his spirits. It is essentially his conscience which constantly brings his most shameful memories to the surface even though he would like to bury them deep down inside whatever soul he may have left.

DG Ch. 7-8

"'So I have murdered Sybil Vane,' said Dorian Gray, half to himself-'murdered her as surely as if I had cut her little throat with a knife. Yet the roses are not less lovely for all that. The birds sing just as happily in my garden. And to-night I am to dine with you, and then go on to the Opera, and sup somewhere, I suppose, afterward'"(103).

Through Sybil's death, Dorian has realized that he should live his life to the fullest and pay no attention to the bad things that happen to him along the way. Time did not stand still when Sybil died. The whole world did not mourn her passing, and neither should Dorian. He cannot let things affect him because life still goes on with or without him. Dorian's moral process has changed, and he now wants his life to be full of joy. I predict that his new care-free attitude will benefit Dorian at first, but it will definitely lead him into some trouble in the long-term.

"Eternal youth, infinite passion, pleasures subtle and secret, wild joys and wilder sins--he was to have all these things. The portrait was to bear the burden of his shame, that was all" (109).

The development that the portrait of Dorian ages while he does not may seem like a blessing to Dorian, but it may be a curse in the end. As we have witnessed, Dorian's sins are represented in the image displayed on the canvas while Dorian is able to bask in his eternal youth. As time goes by, through his actions, Dorian will commit several sins that he feels shame for and would like to forget forever. However, the portrait of Dorian will display his wrongdoings, and keep his shame at the front of his mind. Dorian may seem happy and full of life and exuberance, but, on the inside, the constant reminder of his shame will drive him mad and wish he had never asked for his unique gift.

DG Ch. 5-6

"Her trusts make me faithful, her belief makes me good. When I am with her, I regret all that you have taught me. I become different from what you have known me to be. I am changed, and the mere touch of Sibyl Vane's hand makes me forget you and all your wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories" (82)

Sibyl's influence on Dorian is so profound that it overthrows the effect Henry has on Dorian at times. This realization could hurt Henry's experiment if Dorian is ripped away from him by his new love. Also, Sibyl's influence opposes Henry's strategy because Henry is trying to make Dorian be selfish and do anything he wants, while Dorian has so much love directed towards Sibyl that he feels tempted to be a better man through sharing, unselfishness, and fidelity. This sudden change in Dorian makes him realize how foolish he was to listen to Henry. Dorian was under a spell because of Henry's skills of persuasion. Henry is trying to steadily progress his influence on Dorian, and after Dorian's engagement, he has found another person to influence him besides Henry which throws off Henry's entire scheme.

"One's own life- that is the important thing. As for the lives of one's neighbors, if one wishes to be a prig or a Puritan, one can flaunt one's moral views about them, but they are not one's concern" (82)

This quote is a perfect example of how Henry acts and thinks on a daily basis. First of all, he only cares for himself and will never do anything to get himself in a tight situation. Since Henry is conducting an experiment, he obviously is unaware of what the result will be so he is unwilling to test it on himself. Also, Henry lures Dorian into his grasp by professing random arguments that sound very true to Dorian. Once Henry had his guinea pig, he set him off on the course without any regard for Dorian's life whatsoever. Henry is less concerned about how Dorian will turn up after the experiment is finished, and more about how well his theory works. Henry's indifference when dealing with Dorian is key because it allows him to be more focused on how he influences Dorian throughout the experiment and to separate himself from any emotional connection that could hinder his progress in the experiment.

DG Ch. 4

"I thought of her performance, and she seemed quite unconscious of her power" (57).

Although this quote is talking about Sibyl, it can easily be related to other characters as well. Henry's initial observations about Dorian we definitely correct:"The moment I met you I saw that you were quite unconscious of what you really are" (25). Dorian has an effect on Henry that he cannot ignore. Dorian is blind to his genetic gifts because he was born with them and did nothing to earn it, unlike intelligence. However, on the other hand, Dorian recognizes his attraction to Henry because of his intelligence and cannot stay away from him. Henry tries to bring out similar characteristics that allow Dorian to question everything like Henry does. There is undoubtedly a mutual interest in one another that allows the two men to bond and experience new ideas.

“His nature had developed like a flower, had borne blossoms of scarlet flame. Out of its secret hiding-place had prepped his Soul, and Desire had come to meet it on the way” (59)

Throughout the novel, we have continually seen Dorian drift towards Henry no matter what to hear what he has to say. It is obvious that Henry has changed Dorian's thought process, but it is not only Henry that is causing the change. As with any student, the only way to become educated is to first have the desire to learn and understand new concepts. We have mentioned that Dorian accepts Henry's arguments without question, and while being true, I think there is different motive behind his acceptance. Since Dorian is trying to learn these new ways of thinking, he understands that Henry is much smarter than he is. Dorian accepts these concepts because he thinks Henry will help mold his mind because he has already realized knew things he had never thought of before. Sometimes it is better to sit back and listen to someone who knows what they are talking about and process the information given, so that eventually you may understand how the arguments are formulated and you can create your own conclusions. Dorian is just using patience to help feed her desire for knowledge.

DG Ch. 3

"He would try to be to Dorian Gray what, without knowing it, the lad was to the painter who had fashioned the wonderful portrait. He would seek to dominate him- had already, indeed, half done so. He would make that wonderful spirit his own" (40)

There is a growing interest between Lord Henry and Dorian, perhaps because of, and not in spite of, the opposing differences of the two men. Lord Henry feels a sense of control over Dorian because anything Henry says is believed by Dorian. This relationship between the two men does not sit right with Basil because Lord Henry "has a bad influence over all his friends" (19). Henry has put ideas into Dorian's mind that are just random arguments that Henry does not stand behind, but Dorian believes them nonetheless. Henry's power over Dorian could potentially lead to conflict that puts Dorian in a difficult spot because of something Henry influenced him to do. This difficult situation may require great intellectual ability, but Dorian only has his looks and follows Henry blindly so he will be in a lot of trouble and not know what to do.

"'To get back one's youth one has merely to repeat one's follies'" (44).

After hearing Henry say this quote, Dorian's support for him has grow even greater. Dorian is terrified of aging, and would listen to any theories on how to keep his youth. Dorian will definitely be affected by what Henry said because he had followed every word Henry had already said, and Dorian's youth and beauty are most important to him. I do not think Dorian will benefit from Henry's advice because he is too impressionable and naive, and he may take the advice too literally. Dorian may attempt some foolish act that lands him in hot water because he listens to Henry and becomes overwhelmed by his desire for youth.

Dorian Gray ch. 1-2

"Now, the value of an idea has nothing whatsoever to do with the sincerity of the man who expresses it. Indeed the probabilities are that the more insincere the man is, the more purely intellectual will the idea be, as in that case it will not be colored by either his wants, his desires, or his prejudices" (11)

Lord Henry makes a valid point here that relates back to the preface. As Wilde mentioned in the preface, beauty must be recognized for beauty's sake without the influence of external sources to corrupt one's opinion. Similarly, one's emotions take away from the intellectual state of an idea. The more feelings get involved with a theory, the more it becomes invalid. An objective third party is often useful to solve a dispute because they will give an unbiased answer without any emotions being involved. Factual evidence is the best method for supporting an argument because being led by your emotions leads to supplying opinionated ideas that can make you sound foolish and unintelligent in the end.

In the preface, Wilde makes many connections, outside of art, that strongly relate to our lives. Overall, I found that the preface made many arguments telling the reader to be open to new ideas and accept things that may be strange to us. The fact that someone is at fault if they cannot find beauty in beautiful things plays into the theme of optimism. There is a freedom in artistic expression that cannot be judged and allows the artist to do what they feel without fear of criticism. After all, it says in the preface, "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all" (Wilde 1). I think that themes of acceptance and freedom of expression could potentially take place as we read the novel.