Literature Analysis #3

Literature Analysis: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

1. Plot: The book sets in Lady Brandon’s house in London. Where a well-known artist Basil Hallward meets Dorian Gray, who is extremely handsome, wealthy, and pompous; Basil is captured by Dorian’s beautiful face and he wanted to paint a portrait for Dorian. Dorian sees the painting, but he is disappointed because it reveals too much of his feelings for him. Lord Henry claims that the portrait is Basil’s masterpiece. Basil is worried that Lord Henry might ruin the image of Dorian because he will have a damaging influence on Dorian. By the end of their conversation, Lord Henry makes a speech about the nature of beauty and youth, Dorian takes the speech in and worries about the characteristics that fade day by dat. Dorian curses the portrait because it reminds him about the beauty he will have lost. The influence of Lord Henry increases; now Dorian falls in love with Sibyl who is a dancer, and she also falls in love with him so much that she can no longer dance. Dorian falls out of love and Sibyl kills herself. The portrait transforms and ages but Dorian doesn’t. Dorian sees the painting and kills Basils. After, he escapes from Vane and disposed Basil’s body, he looks at the hideous painting and stabs the portrait. The servants found old and ugly Dorian on the ground with a knife in his chest. The author’s purpose is to show readers about the horrors and consequences of obsession. He did this by showing that the portrait sitting in Dorian’s attic gradually ages in to a hideous man, but Dorian is yet still the same. His fear reversed yet Dorian was still feared about his lost beauty.

2. Theme: The theme of this book is the curse of obsessing. Dorian was obsessed with his image and beauty that he feared that his painting will be a forever reminder that he was once young. Wilde shows the consequences of obsessing over things that don’t matter. Dorian was extremely self-confident and proud of his image, but because of his arrogant matter, it drove him to death. Many obsession lead to death, in the book, Dorian becomes mental and stabs the portrait which lead him to death. Another theme is influences, the books shows that Lord Henry’s influences caused Dorian to become so obsessive and compulsive. Basil feared about Henry’s actions and reputation which he was right, Dorian became extremely concerned about his image.

3. Tone:  Oscar Wilde’s tone was very calm but mystifying. His use of syntax and diction made the novel much more compelling and dramatic. [Some of the things he says are quite philosophical.] ‘’Dorian Gray lifted his golden head from the pillow, and with a plaid face and tear-stained eyes looked at him, as he walked over to the deal painting-table that was set beneath the high curtained window.” “All art is quite useless.’” Also, Wilde’s tone had of deep knowledgeable quotes such as, “Life always has poppies in her hands.”

4. Literary Techniques:  Foreshadowing:

Imagery:  Wilde uses a lot of imagery to show the complex details of the story. “Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.”

Foil: The foil character in the book was Lord Henry because he swayed Dorian’s decision and made him become compulsive about his beauty. “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

Irony: What’s ironic about the book was that Dorian knew from the beginning that he was marvelous, wealthy, and handsome, yet he still believed in what Lord Henry said about beauty. Usually pompous people don’t think about what others have to say. “I am too fond of reading books to care to write them.”

Symbolism: The portrait of Dorian symbolizes the blackened souls of society. The portrait represents the opposite of society. Society always wants the beautiful handsome men and women but the portrait gradually became hideous over time.  “When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one's self, and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance.”

Mood: The mood is suspicious throughout the story because the portrait will slowly change which gives a spine chilling effect to the book. “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”

Narrative: The book is written in third person, many of what the audience knows is what Dorian knows, there’s also a connection. “You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.”

Tragic Flaw: The tragic flaw in the book is when Dorian murders Basil and stabs the portrait and ends up killing himself because he did not realize that his actual form was stuck in the portrait. There is nothing fearful about it; it was one of the great romantic tragedies of the age.”

Allusion: An allusion that was made was the portrait is an allusion to the beautiful European portraits of men and women. “I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”

Diction: Wilde wrote his sentences with fairly normal vocabulary, but he writes almost like Shakespeare, difficult to understand.  “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.”

5. Characterization: Direct Characterization- the author uses direct characterization by using a different character from the book explaining how Dorian is like. Dorian is an arrogant, selfish, conceded man who believes the world revolves around him. “He grew more and more enamored of his own beauty, more and more interested in the corruption of his own soul.”

Indirect Characterization- Wilde uses indirect characterization on Basil, who is very shy and doesn’t talk much throughout the book but Dorian believes its Basil’s fault for the painting. “Who could say where the fleshly impulse arbitrary definition of ordinary psychologist!”

6. Syntax: Wilde likes to keep the book overly simple, the setting and characterization was straight-forward and no use of complicated words to describe something. The author loves action because the book was full of action inside of Dorian and everyone around him. Wilde likes to be complex and almost “busy” with his storyline.

7. The protagonist is a dynamic character because Dorian Gray starts off as a normal wealthy man, but over time he becomes obsessive and psyches which he ends up killing himself. The character is also rounding because his personality is revealed over time, he starts off calm but at the end he’s very rational.

8. I did not feel like I met Dorian, I felt like I was more like watching a movie rather than meeting him. I personally wouldn’t want to meet him anyway. He seems very arrogant and easily influenced by others. “Humanity takes itself too seriously. It is the world's original sin. If the cave-man had known how to laugh, History would have been different.” Dorian Gray is a sinful and compulsive person and this quote explains the meaning of the painting. Also, this is my favorite quote.  J