1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read, and explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
Wow, this book was a real... eye opener is how I can best describe it. Dorian Gray is a young man who is being painted by this painter named Basil. He paints such an amazingly lifelike image of Dorian that the young man sees himself as young and hansom and with the influence of Lord Henry he curses himself and the portrait. He then goes about living this corrupt life while he stays young and flawless and the painting begins to reflect who he really is. Dorian ends up stabbing the painting and therefore killing himself.
(ch20 last page)"When they entered, they found hanging upon the wall a splendid portrait of their master as they had last seen him, in all the wonder of his exquisite youth and beauty. Lying on the floor was a dead man, in evening dress, with a knife in his heart. He was withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of visage. It was not till they had examined the rings that they recognized who it was."
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
I think what Oscar Wilde was trying to say was that deception is lethal and an over exposure to bad things is also lethal. If we could see our souls as Dorian did through the painting, depending on what kind of life we lead we would probably see something hideous.
3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
I thought it was very foreboding, especially with Henry Wotton saying all of those influential "wise" sayings to a young easily influenced young boy. For example, when Henry says,
(ch2)"Because to influence a person is to give him one's own soul. He does not think his natural thoughts, or burn with his natural passions. His virtues are not real to him. His sins, if there are such things as sins, are borrowed. He becomes an echo of some one else's music, an actor of a part that has not been written for him."
It's as if he's using reverse psychology to influence Dorian. Saying not to let anyone influence you and then that's exactly what Dorian lets him do. I don't know, if you read the book, you'll realize just how many seemingly insightful statements Henry makes. It's kind of choking and Dorian think that this cynic is right so he follows him blindly.
4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers.
Foreshadowing: "They neither bring ruin upon others, nor ever receive it from alien hands. Your rank and wealth, Harry; my brains, such as they are--my art, whatever it may be worth; Dorian Gray's good looks--we shall all suffer for what the gods have given us, suffer terribly." (ch1)
Metaphor: "Dorian Gray stepped up on the dais with the air of a young Greek martyr" (ch2)
Simile: "The moon hung low in the sky like a yellow skull." (ch16)
Aphorism: "The commonest thing is delightful if one only hides it. " (ch1)
Amplification: "I am jealous of everything whose beauty does not die. I am jealous of the portrait you have painted of me. Why should it keep what I must lose? Every moment that passes takes something from me and gives something to it." (ch3)
Foil: At the beginning of the story Lord Henry is a foil for Dorian, but by the end of it, I make the argument that Dorian becomes Henry's foil because he has changed so dramatically.
"Stop!" faltered Dorian Gray, "stop! you bewilder me. I don't know what to say. There is some answer to you, but I cannot find it. Don't speak. Let me think. Or, rather, let me try not to think."(ch2)
Pedantic: Henry is always trying to "enlighten" Dorian by giving him all these lectures on what he has observed.
"I find that, ultimately, there are only two kinds of women, the plain and the coloured. The plain women are very useful. If you want to gain a reputation for respectability, you have merely to take them down to supper. The other women are very charming. They commit one mistake, however. They paint in order to try and look young. Our grandmothers painted in order to try and talk brilliantly. Rouge and esprit used to go together. That is all over now. As long as a woman can look ten years younger than her own daughter, she is perfectly satisfied." (ch4)
Diction: Wilde is very descriptive with words.
"For some reason or other, the house was crowded that night, and the fat Jew manager who met them at the door was beaming from ear to ear with an oily tremulous smile." (ch7)
Allusion:
Wilde references Dorian to Adonis twice in the text. Adonis was a Greek god who was a strikingly beautiful young man.
"and this young Adonis, who looks as if he was made out of ivory and rose-leaves." (ch1)
"and as Adonis with huntsman's cloak and polished boar-spear." (ch9)
Caricature:
"Why, my dear Basil, he is a Narcissus, and you--well, of course you have an intellectual expression and all that." (ch1)
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
Indirect and direct characterization are used equally in the book.
"You are an extraordinary fellow. You never say a moral thing, and you never do a wrong thing. Your cynicism is simply a pose." ch1
"In the centre of the room, clamped to an upright easel, stood the full-length portrait of a young man of extraordinary personal beauty." ch1
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?
When he focuses on James Vane his syntax and diction seems to slip into a low class sounding dialogue. "A chance word I heard in that damned den set me on the wrong track." (ch16)
However, when he focuses on Lord Henry for example he uses bigger words and linger sentences.
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.
Dorian is definitely a dynamic character. He goes from white and innocent to red and horrific in nature.
4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.
No not really. I felt like Dorian was too innocent and didn't know anything about the real world and then in the end he was... too corrupt to even be human. As for Lord Henry he was very cynical yet he never did anything wrong. I don't know it felt like all of the characters were merely there for Oscar Wilde to get his point across. It was however, a very interesting read. It really made me think and it will make you think too. It's not just a book, really, more of a philosophy lesson.
Got to say, Oscar Wilde is a pioneer writer, as well as George Orwell is your interested. Both writers wrote stories that many people at the time didn't have the imagination for. Kind of like our version of Inception but for the nineteenth century. Anyways, very good analysis and plenty literary elements. Swell!
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