I think that Dorian Gray is, in most ways, EXACTLY like Dorian Gray. He was very egotistical and thought that even the cruel words said behind his back were worth the advantage of being talked about. He also developed a deep liking to the finer things in life after making a living off of being infamous. In the preface of The Picture of Dorian Gray, I think the one of the main points he was trying to make was that art is indifferent to the rights and wrongs in life. While the artist may not be, he hides his opinion underneath the beauty of the artwork. So when someone looks at a piece of art and tried to critique the message behind it, they are really inadvertently expressing characteristics of themselves. So while they make think the artist has hidden all these messages behind the painting, the artwork is really indifferent and they are making these assumptions purely out of their own biases. So people who are able to just look at a piece of art and appreciates its surface beauty, rather than direct it's every brushstroke, they will be the most likely to get the most out of the artwork.
Good job. Seems like there are some inconsistences between what Wilde says, how he lives, and what he writes. I think there is a conscience there that he tries to hide. You?
I think that Dorian Gray is, in most ways, EXACTLY like Dorian Gray. He was very egotistical and thought that even the cruel words said behind his back were worth the advantage of being talked about. He also developed a deep liking to the finer things in life after making a living off of being infamous. In the preface of The Picture of Dorian Gray, I think the one of the main points he was trying to make was that art is indifferent to the rights and wrongs in life. While the artist may not be indifferent, he hides his opinion underneath the beauty of the artwork. So when someone looks at a piece of art and tried to critique the message behind it, they are really inadvertently expressing characteristics of themselves. So while they make think the artist has hidden all these messages behind the painting, the artwork is really indifferent and they are making these assumptions purely out of their own biases. So people who are able to just look at a piece of art and appreciates its surface beauty, rather than direct it's every brushstroke, they will be the most likely to get the most out of the artwork.
I thought that the biography of Oscar Wilde really gave insight into the characters in The Portrait of Dorian Gray. I find Oscar Wilde to be very similar to both Lord Henry and Dorian, but not so much Basil. I think that Oscar Wilde is like Lord Henry because he enjoys having nice things,and dressing very nicely to impress others in the upper class. I also think that he is like Lord Henry because his books and plays were considered corrupt for his time, even though Oscar Wilde did not mean to corrupt people as Lord Henry did. I think that Oscar Wilde is similar to Dorian in the way he takes criticism. Oscar Wilde didn't care that people would criticize his work for being too scandalous just as Dorian did not care about any sinful act that he committed. I don't see any similarities between Oscar Wilde and Basil because I feel like Oscar was a guy that really went with the flow, and Basil is the complete opposite because he is so uptight.
I think that the biography of Oscar Wilde definitely allowed me to see the similarities between Wilde and some of the characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray. In many ways Wilde is very similar to Lord Henry in the ways in which he talks and thinks about things. Henry says things to Dorian without thinking of the consequences of them in the same way as which Wilde writes and publishes his works without caring about the affects that they will have on his reputation. I found Wilde's method of becoming well known in his culture very interesting. He insured that he was being talked about even before he started writing or doing anything influential. He very much distinguished himself from society with his clothes, hair, and overall appearance. Wilde kept up his profound writing even to the point at which he was put into jail. Although his writing may have offended some, Wilde found that his individual thoughts and ideas over rid all of that. The way that Wilde thinks about art and not putting too much of yourself into it was the exact same way that Basil felt. Basil exhibited exactly the ideas about art and the focus of it that Wilde wrote about in his preface.
I really enjoyed the movie. I think I can agree with everyone who has posted so far about the similarities between Wilde and Dorian as well as Wilde and Henry. Lord Henry as well as Wilde were both fascinated and almost obsessive with their appearance and ranking in society. They both focus on the materialistic things in life because of how the items will affect their appearance. The influence that Lord Henry has on Dorian is extremely similar if not the same as the influence that Wilde has on British society. I am on the same page as Carterr when she talks about how neither Wilde nor Henry really thinks or cares what effect they have on others. I think that Wilde creates Dorian to represent the kind of boys that he liked, the perfect, young, attractive ones. In that sense, I guess I think Wilde and Basil are connected. Basil idolizes Dorian in a similar way to Wild loving Bosie. I would not say the two relationships are exactly the same, especially depending on perspective, but I would say that they share similarities such as the older man and younger man.
I think that Oscar Wilde really portrayed himself in all of the main characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Like Dorian, Wilde allowed himself to give into his temptations, and enjoyed doing so. Even later in his life Wilde ended up paying a price for his life style just as Dorian did. I think he is like Lord Henry in the way he thinks, and how worldly and magnificent he seemed to people. Just as Dorian loved to listen to what Henry had to say, people enjoyed reading what Wilde had to say in his books, plays, and poems. I would also argue that Wilde is like Basil as well. Wilde is an artist of words rather than with a paint brush so he shares the same passion for his art. I think Basil embodied the parts of Wilde that got him into trouble, such as his writing and his homosexuality. All three characters combined make up the life and personality of Oscar Wilde.
I really enjoyed watching the movie about Oscar Wilde because I have heard that he is very interesting, but I never actually knew why. After reading the book, it was hard to believe that many people could really live such a flamboyant lifestyle as Dorian, but the biographers made it seem like Wilde was just the same. I like the way Wilde lived his own life without letting critics stop him and how he was never affected by what outsiders thought of him. The way Wilde lived fearlessly and extravagantly sounds just like Lord Henry in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde gives advice and leads by example just as Lord Henry does to Dorian in the book. He seems to be very influential and powerful especially in his personal life where he has so much control over his wife while at the same time he is dating someone else. In my opinion, Wilde is also like Dorian because of his later life. Wilde falls in love with Bosie and starts to do more controversial acts similar to the things Dorian did in the play. Overall, from the book and the movie, I think the characters of Lord Henry and Dorian most accurately describe Wilde.
Our discussions about Wilde and the documentary gave me some context for the book. I was wondering why there were so many long speeches about art, influence, and life. Seeing the way he lived vs the way that most of the aristocrats lived in that era made The Picture of Dorian Gray seem more ground breaking than I thought it was. From the documentary, it seems like Wilde is the most like Henry because of the way he is able to use words. The Court room scene made me think of what Henry would do in that situation. I think it is kind of strange that the book showed the dark side of decadence, but he lived an extremely decadent life with little or no restraint.
In my opinion, the biography gave valuable insight to the novel. Knowing that Oscar Wilde's mother was eccentric gives us a backdrop to Wilde's future way of life and way of thinking. Also the fact that he listened in on the conversations his mother had in the salon shows us where he gets some of his hypocritical wit in his writing. A major part of the biography that explains the characters in "A Picture of Dorian Gray" illustrates Wilde's appreciation for beautiful things, especially beautiful men. It is obvious that the character Dorian resembles Wilde's significant other. Yielding to temptation in order to get rid of temptation was A "theme" of the novel, and Wilde lived by this philosophy himself. His extravagant lifestyle mimicked the lifestyles lived by the upper class Victorians in his novel. Basically, Oscar Wilde's novel was based off of some aspects of his own life.
I personally think that the biography helped explain the quote you showed us last week about how Wilde saw himself in each of the characters. There was his homosexual affinity that was associated with Basil, the love of fine things and selfish experiments with Harry, and finally the love and beauty that he saw in his partner was reflected in the Dorian towards the beginning of the novel. It brought out that "ah ha" moment that you sometimes get with movies or novels. Some writers say that they draw from there imagination, but I believe that to be only partially true. I think that writers come up with a story based on where they've been, whom they've met, experiences they've had, or maybe even experiences they've watched other people had. Going off of that, I don't think that Wilde could have painted such a vivid story without being who he was, or doing what he did. It all made the story that much more real. Side note: Any connection to his wife with the actress in the novel?
I think that Dorian Gray is, in most ways, EXACTLY like Dorian Gray. He was very egotistical and thought that even the cruel words said behind his back were worth the advantage of being talked about. He also developed a deep liking to the finer things in life after making a living off of being infamous. In the preface of The Picture of Dorian Gray, I think the one of the main points he was trying to make was that art is indifferent to the rights and wrongs in life. While the artist may not be, he hides his opinion underneath the beauty of the artwork. So when someone looks at a piece of art and tried to critique the message behind it, they are really inadvertently expressing characteristics of themselves. So while they make think the artist has hidden all these messages behind the painting, the artwork is really indifferent and they are making these assumptions purely out of their own biases. So people who are able to just look at a piece of art and appreciates its surface beauty, rather than direct it's every brushstroke, they will be the most likely to get the most out of the artwork.
ReplyDeleteGood job. Seems like there are some inconsistences between what Wilde says, how he lives, and what he writes. I think there is a conscience there that he tries to hide. You?
DeleteI think that Dorian Gray is, in most ways, EXACTLY like Dorian Gray. He was very egotistical and thought that even the cruel words said behind his back were worth the advantage of being talked about. He also developed a deep liking to the finer things in life after making a living off of being infamous. In the preface of The Picture of Dorian Gray, I think the one of the main points he was trying to make was that art is indifferent to the rights and wrongs in life. While the artist may not be indifferent, he hides his opinion underneath the beauty of the artwork. So when someone looks at a piece of art and tried to critique the message behind it, they are really inadvertently expressing characteristics of themselves. So while they make think the artist has hidden all these messages behind the painting, the artwork is really indifferent and they are making these assumptions purely out of their own biases. So people who are able to just look at a piece of art and appreciates its surface beauty, rather than direct it's every brushstroke, they will be the most likely to get the most out of the artwork.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the biography of Oscar Wilde really gave insight into the characters in The Portrait of Dorian Gray. I find Oscar Wilde to be very similar to both Lord Henry and Dorian, but not so much Basil. I think that Oscar Wilde is like Lord Henry because he enjoys having nice things,and dressing very nicely to impress others in the upper class. I also think that he is like Lord Henry because his books and plays were considered corrupt for his time, even though Oscar Wilde did not mean to corrupt people as Lord Henry did. I think that Oscar Wilde is similar to Dorian in the way he takes criticism. Oscar Wilde didn't care that people would criticize his work for being too scandalous just as Dorian did not care about any sinful act that he committed. I don't see any similarities between Oscar Wilde and Basil because I feel like Oscar was a guy that really went with the flow, and Basil is the complete opposite because he is so uptight.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I wonder if there was an "uptight" side to Wilde that he concealed?
DeleteI think that the biography of Oscar Wilde definitely allowed me to see the similarities between Wilde and some of the characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray. In many ways Wilde is very similar to Lord Henry in the ways in which he talks and thinks about things. Henry says things to Dorian without thinking of the consequences of them in the same way as which Wilde writes and publishes his works without caring about the affects that they will have on his reputation. I found Wilde's method of becoming well known in his culture very interesting. He insured that he was being talked about even before he started writing or doing anything influential. He very much distinguished himself from society with his clothes, hair, and overall appearance. Wilde kept up his profound writing even to the point at which he was put into jail. Although his writing may have offended some, Wilde found that his individual thoughts and ideas over rid all of that. The way that Wilde thinks about art and not putting too much of yourself into it was the exact same way that Basil felt. Basil exhibited exactly the ideas about art and the focus of it that Wilde wrote about in his preface.
ReplyDeleteDoes Wilde's lifestyle and philosophy lead to his downfall, as does Dorian's?
DeleteI agree that it is very interesting how he became a celebrity without actually being famous for something "important".
DeleteI really enjoyed the movie. I think I can agree with everyone who has posted so far about the similarities between Wilde and Dorian as well as Wilde and Henry. Lord Henry as well as Wilde were both fascinated and almost obsessive with their appearance and ranking in society. They both focus on the materialistic things in life because of how the items will affect their appearance. The influence that Lord Henry has on Dorian is extremely similar if not the same as the influence that Wilde has on British society. I am on the same page as Carterr when she talks about how neither Wilde nor Henry really thinks or cares what effect they have on others. I think that Wilde creates Dorian to represent the kind of boys that he liked, the perfect, young, attractive ones. In that sense, I guess I think Wilde and Basil are connected. Basil idolizes Dorian in a similar way to Wild loving Bosie. I would not say the two relationships are exactly the same, especially depending on perspective, but I would say that they share similarities such as the older man and younger man.
ReplyDeleteSo when Wilde says he sees himself as Basil, you don't agree?
DeleteI think that Oscar Wilde really portrayed himself in all of the main characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Like Dorian, Wilde allowed himself to give into his temptations, and enjoyed doing so. Even later in his life Wilde ended up paying a price for his life style just as Dorian did. I think he is like Lord Henry in the way he thinks, and how worldly and magnificent he seemed to people. Just as Dorian loved to listen to what Henry had to say, people enjoyed reading what Wilde had to say in his books, plays, and poems. I would also argue that Wilde is like Basil as well. Wilde is an artist of words rather than with a paint brush so he shares the same passion for his art. I think Basil embodied the parts of Wilde that got him into trouble, such as his writing and his homosexuality. All three characters combined make up the life and personality of Oscar Wilde.
ReplyDeleteI think Wilde would agree with you!
DeleteI really enjoyed watching the movie about Oscar Wilde because I have heard that he is very interesting, but I never actually knew why. After reading the book, it was hard to believe that many people could really live such a flamboyant lifestyle as Dorian, but the biographers made it seem like Wilde was just the same. I like the way Wilde lived his own life without letting critics stop him and how he was never affected by what outsiders thought of him. The way Wilde lived fearlessly and extravagantly sounds just like Lord Henry in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde gives advice and leads by example just as Lord Henry does to Dorian in the book. He seems to be very influential and powerful especially in his personal life where he has so much control over his wife while at the same time he is dating someone else. In my opinion, Wilde is also like Dorian because of his later life. Wilde falls in love with Bosie and starts to do more controversial acts similar to the things Dorian did in the play. Overall, from the book and the movie, I think the characters of Lord Henry and Dorian most accurately describe Wilde.
ReplyDeleteAnd they both encounter tragedy as a result?
DeleteOur discussions about Wilde and the documentary gave me some context for the book. I was wondering why there were so many long speeches about art, influence, and life. Seeing the way he lived vs the way that most of the aristocrats lived in that era made The Picture of Dorian Gray seem more ground breaking than I thought it was. From the documentary, it seems like Wilde is the most like Henry because of the way he is able to use words. The Court room scene made me think of what Henry would do in that situation. I think it is kind of strange that the book showed the dark side of decadence, but he lived an extremely decadent life with little or no restraint.
ReplyDeleteI wonder just how many characters we have and will encounter "with little or no restraint." Do we admire this trait at times? Is it dangerous? Both?
DeleteIn my opinion, the biography gave valuable insight to the novel. Knowing that Oscar Wilde's mother was eccentric gives us a backdrop to Wilde's future way of life and way of thinking. Also the fact that he listened in on the conversations his mother had in the salon shows us where he gets some of his hypocritical wit in his writing. A major part of the biography that explains the characters in "A Picture of Dorian Gray" illustrates Wilde's appreciation for beautiful things, especially beautiful men. It is obvious that the character Dorian resembles Wilde's significant other. Yielding to temptation in order to get rid of temptation was A "theme" of the novel, and Wilde lived by this philosophy himself. His extravagant lifestyle mimicked the lifestyles lived by the upper class Victorians in his novel. Basically, Oscar Wilde's novel was based off of some aspects of his own life.
ReplyDeleteI found his mother's influence to be interesting, too. What about what we learn about his father's lifestle?
DeleteI personally think that the biography helped explain the quote you showed us last week about how Wilde saw himself in each of the characters. There was his homosexual affinity that was associated with Basil, the love of fine things and selfish experiments with Harry, and finally the love and beauty that he saw in his partner was reflected in the Dorian towards the beginning of the novel. It brought out that "ah ha" moment that you sometimes get with movies or novels. Some writers say that they draw from there imagination, but I believe that to be only partially true. I think that writers come up with a story based on where they've been, whom they've met, experiences they've had, or maybe even experiences they've watched other people had. Going off of that, I don't think that Wilde could have painted such a vivid story without being who he was, or doing what he did. It all made the story that much more real.
ReplyDeleteSide note: Any connection to his wife with the actress in the novel?
So his wife Constance reminds you of S. Vane. Very interesting! And Wilde doesn't follow his tenet of art concealing the artist very well?
ReplyDelete