November 27

Race and Reader Response- Americanah

How much does your own race affect the experience of reading this or any novel? Does race affect a reader’s ability to identify or empathize with the struggles of Ifemelu and Obinze?

I think race does play a huge role in how you experience a novel, especially this one. As a white American, I read books with a very different mindset and internal context than someone from anywhere else in the world. This goes generally and specifically for this book. As Ifemelu and Obinze tell their stories, I can’t honestly identify with them that much. I can try to empathize and I can imagine what they (and all other blacks in America) face, but I’ll never truly be able to know what it feels like to be them because I am white and American born, meaning I have a very different life than them.

Ifemelu writes in her blog that “black people are not supposed to be angry about racism” because their anger makes whites uncomfortable. Do you agree?

As much as I wish this wasn’t the case, I think this is very true in America. When people speak out about race problems, those who have never experienced race discrimination become uncomfortable want to defend themselves, saying “not all white people…” and “I love black people, I’ve never discriminated against you so clearly it’s not a problem.” We don’t want to admit that there’s a problem,  so we pretend that racism doesn’t exist. It’s much easier to ignore the problem than to admit it exists because then we’d have to work to fix it which takes effort and change, which is something many people are resistant to.

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November 27

The Frankenstein Myth

How does your reading of Mary Shelley’s novel challenge your preconception or stereotype of the Frankenstein myth?  Refer to any forms of popular culture (TV/Film etc.) which familiarized you with Frankenstein’s “monster.” Did you confuse Victor Frankenstein with his creation? Include relevant videos/images to support your post.

~~~~~

Before I read the book I was not aware that Frankenstein wasn’t the monster but in fact the scientist ‘Victor Frankenstein’ which created it. I did know that there was a scientist but I always referenced the monster as Frankenstein. I was also always quite confused to as how the monster was created because in cartoons and shows growing up Frankenstein was always referenced as an evil monster that eats little children’s brains, sort of like a zombie, or instead, a nice Frankenstein as seen in Hotel Transylvania. I had always pictured Frankenstein as a cartoon-like a creature. In fact, the 1st time I saw a movie that represented Frankenstein was when I saw Hotel Transylvania. That adaptation was what I based my knowledge on for the past 15 years until I discovered it was untrue through reading Mary Shelly’s book.

 

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November 27

Frankenstein. The myth(s).

The book version of this story by Mary Shelley certainly does challenge the common stereotypes, and also from what we’d expect from Frankenstein. First, the majority of the people who know about Frankenstein, think that this is the name of the creature when it really isn’t. The name refers to Dr. Victor Frankenstein, the main character of the novel. In fact, even some more kid-friendly versions of this story introduce the creature as being called Frankenstein. For example, when I was in Grade 4 I bought a graphic novel version of Frankenstein, which did exactly this, and referred to the creature as being Frankenstein.

The second common stereotype that has been challenged is the appearance of the creature itself. In a lot of movie adaptations of this novel, Frankenstein’s monster has 2 bolts sticking out of his neck. Furthermore, he is also green. This is not true, as I’ve come to realize from reading this novel as he is described as being yellowish. Additionally, he was comprised of normal, dead human body parts meaning that he did not have a flat square head. Finally, the 2 bolts so commonly associated with him, have never been mentioned, or even alluded to.

Finally, the third major stereotype is the creature’s intelligence. In a lot of movie adaptations, and more kid-friendly adaptations also, the creature is seen as ‘stupid’. He is portrayed as a dumb monster when he really isn’t. After fleeing from Victor, the monster goes and hides in the forest where he learns from a small group of humans. He learns how to speak, and in fact he is quite intelligent in the book. In fact, he had over a year to learn the language, and all about humans as he only met Victor Frankenstein after over a year.

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November 27

Frankenstein – The Novel vs. The Myth

Frankenstein – The Novel vs. The Myth

How does your reading of Mary Shelley’s novel challenge your preconception or stereotype of the Frankenstein myth?  Refer to any forms of popular culture (TV/Film etc.) which familiarized you with Frankenstein’s “monster.” Did you confuse Victor Frankenstein with his creation? Include relevant videos/images to support your post.

~

Before sitting down to fully read the novel version of ‘Frankenstein’, I had a very different preconception as to how the characters would be, due to my exposure to other adaptations found in popular culture. Firstly, one of the biggest differences for when I was reading the book, was the changes in name. I was accustomed to calling the monster ‘Frankenstein’, however through reading the book, I discovered that the story followed ‘Frankenstein,’ the scientist who made the monster, and his monster had no name. This was slightly confusing while reading the book, as I sometimes thought Shelley was referring to the monster, while in reality, she was talking about the scientist. Secondly, another difference that I found between the novel and the myth that I knew, was the monster’s appearance. In the book, his description is

‘How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips.’

 

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November 14

Wilde’s hypocrisy when commenting on his characters

In a letter dated February 12th
1894, Wilde wrote: “Basil
Hallward is what I think I am : Lord
Henry what the world thinks me:
Dorian what I would like to be –in
other ages, perhaps”[Holland and
Hart Davis: 585]

In a letter, it is quoted that Oscar Wilde believed himself, out of all the characters in his hit literary novel, “The picture of Dorian Gray”, to be the character of Basil Hallward. This statement can be seen as hypocritical in more ways than one. The character of Basil Hallward may be drawn towards aestheticism but his thoughts and regulations are far beyond what the eye can see, juxtaposing the very nature of the movement. Either Wilde is attempting to establish an ulterior motive to his statement and his lifestyle, or he has unjustly tripped on his own words.

From the very beginning, the reader is introduced to Basil Hallward as a man who savours secrecy. This is evident in the first conversation made public to the reader, when Basil confides in Lord Henry that “The commonest thing is delightful if only one hides.”[Oscar Wilde, 7] This being the justification for refusing to provide a name to the painting Henry adores. This juxtaposes with Oscar Wilde’s outspoken aesthetic lifestyle: a lifestyle of which he was a proud preacher. This makes the comparison much more inconspicuous. It may also be an allusion towards how Wilde was forced to keep his homosexual preferences a secret during his time, as it was quite illegal and punishable by death, opening the argument that the true reason Basil refused to reveal the painting was due to his homosexual feelings and desires towards Dorian Gray shining through.

Hallward differs from Wilde in his interpretations of his art. Whereas in an aesthetic lifestyle, it is believed that “art is for arts sake”, we see something very different in Basil. He protests against the display of his painting for “There is too much of myself the thing, Harry – too much of myself!” [Oscar Wilde, 13] He begs and pleads with Lord Henry to understand his demise. “… and I will not bare my soul to their shallow, prying eyes.” [Oscar Wilde, 13] he says, yet Lord Henry stays cynical of his reasoning. In this context, it could easily be said that Lord Henry is an aesthete. Unlike Basil, he finds no unearthly and ethereal meaning behind the painting and it’s painter, he sees it only as a work of art: nothing more, nothing less. When confronted with a stubborn refusal to showcase the painting, Henry responds with naive criticism upon how the painting could never resemble Basil as the subject is far too beautiful. He does not attempt to dig deeper into the reasoning behind such intense denial. In this way and many others, Oscar Wilde has proven right the statement “Lord Henry [is] what the world thinks of me:”

What is most interesting about Wilde’s overall statement is when he states that “Dorian what [He] would like to be – in other ages, perhaps.” It is the uncertainty in this line that is the pitfall of the author. Knowing what consequences are attached to possessing utmost beauty, Wilde himself predicted the inevitable down fall of the beautiful Dorian Gray. If Wilde believed so firmly in the aesthetic lifestyle, it must be seen as highly ironic how he portrays the dangers of ‘only touching the surface’, of only seeing the superficial characteristics of a person and defining them by it. The killing of Basil Hallward only echos this fact. By murdering Hallward, Wilde has benefited his cause of aestheticism by proving art no more than to please the viewer with it’s allure. By associating Dorian’s worth and purpose with his outwardly appearance, he was driven to the taking of another soul and self murder, making his overdosed expressions all the more representative of the baggage that comes with beauty: the drug of choice being vanity.

Oscar Wilde is not completely wrong in comparing himself to his characters, yet doing so shatters his whole perspective of ‘art for art’s sake’. Although, it can be argued that a bit of each character can be seen in Wilde, from Basil’s love for the beautiful and Lord Henry’s clever epigrams to Dorian’s lust for preserving that which is beautiful. In the end, the biggest act of hypocrisy lies not within his lifestyle, but his books.

 

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November 14

Oscar Wilde, and his characters

“Basil Hallward is what I think I am : Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be –in other ages, perhaps” – Oscar Wilde

This quote said by Oscar Wilde gives us an insight on what he was thinking when he wrote the book. First, lets start with Basil Hallward. Basil was Dorian Gray’s best friend in the story until Gray became distant from him, and eventually killed him after an argument. Personally I believe that killing off Basil could be a reference to his gay lover, backstabbing him by telling the authorities about his homosexual affairs, which were illegal in that day and age. Also, Basil is a good person, and is thought by many to be Lord Henry’s angelic counterpart.

Next, we have Lord Henry. In the story, every move by Lord Henry is calculated, and evil. He took advantage of Gray’s loneliness, and need for validation to indirectly control his actions. When Oscar Wilde said that the world thought of him as Lord Henry, he meant that they thought of him as an evil, sinful man. Lord Henry doesn’t care about others, and finds joy in amusement, and sin. Many people in Wilde’s time thought that being homosexual was a major sin since most of the people at that time were Christians, which made most of them against Oscar Wilde’s homosexual affairs. It is also worthwhile to note that Oscar Wilde was married at the time, making his affairs worse. This led many people to believe that he was just experimenting for his own pleasure, which was very sinful. Finally, we can also note that Lord Henry was very smart, and could be considered an intellectual. He has a way with words, and stands out from the other characters in his own way, just like Dorian Gray. There is also an interesting quote by Lord Henry in chapter 1, where he says “”You seem to forget that I am married, and the one charm of marriage is that it makes a life of deception absolutely necessary for both parties. I never know where my wife is, and my wife never knows what I am doing”. His wife never knew where he was in real life either with his affairs, meaning that there is quite a strong correlation between his real life, and Henry’s life in the story shown at the beginning of the book.

Finally, we have Dorian Gray. Oscar Wilde has stated that he would like to be Dorian Gray in another time. Just like Dorian, he dresses up dandily, trying be like him. He stands out from the rest of the people in his era, leading me to believe that when he says “Dorian what I would like to be -in other ages, perhaps”. When he refers to another age he is referring to a time when his sexuality is accepted, and his fashionable self doesn’t necessarily stand out in terms of clothing.

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November 14

Oscar Wilde Prompt Response

“Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be –in other ages, perhaps”[Holland and Hart Davis: 585]

Considering what you know about Oscar Wilde’s background, respond to the above statement in a blog post (essay style). Make reference to the text in your response. Cite any sources you use.
~~~~~~~

Oscar Wilde was always known as a dandy man that was more in touch with his feminine side. This was proven true when he had cheated on his wife with his lover who was a man and was sentenced to jail when the public found out. In this quote, Oscar Wilde is depicting the relationship between himself and his qualities and his made-up characters in “The Pictures of Dorian Grey.” I find this extremely ironic because he was a huge supporter of aestheticism and the appreciation of art for art. Yet, at the same time, he has also criticized his own ‘work’ and associated it emotionally and characteristically with himself. I believe that in that way he is being quite hypocritical as he is analyzing his own work. Thus this proving that his work has a deeper meaning than just a source of entertainment for the public. Furthermore, by associating his characters with himself he is proving that he has created an artwork with emotion.

He also might say that, just to invoke a certain reaction from the public that this book was released to. To the public, this is just evidence for his homosexualness as he associated himself with Dorian Grey’s characteristics. Although he is referring to the characters personality-wise in reality because he wrote these characters they all symbolize a part of him. That is because this was his book, and his artwork and he has put a piece of himself in his work. Wilde compares himself with Basil as Basil is referred to throughout the book as an innocent and caring character specifically towards Dorian. Wilde associates Innocence with himself to drive away any suspicion readers may have towards him and his homosexuality after reading his story. This is because, there is a lot of controversy towards his methods and the ideas that his literary works represent. This then leads to him using the facade of Basil to hide the ugly truth of his works. He also uses the illusion of Dorian which is a character that thrives on the desire people hold for him. Oscar Wilde himself admires Dorian’s character and he says that he would like it if the world viewed him as an admired character. Which is what everyone desires of the world. He says that the world views him as Henry because Henry is a vile creature that believes that life isn’t the same if you don’t commit sins. Henry is also a diabolical character that has specific morals that don’t resonate with society and don’t make sense. Henry is considered a sociopath as he is a shallow character that is very superficial and only cares about his place in society. Therefore, since he created all of this characters they all resonate with him so every character has a piece of him in them.

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November 14

Oscar Wilde on his Characters

“Basil Howard is what I think I am: Lord Henry is what the world thinks of me: Dorian is what I would like to be – in other ages, perhaps”

This is a quote by Oscar Wilde that is about his relationship with his characters from the book ‘The Picture of Dorian Grey’ and which one his personality is most like. This quote is about the way that he sees himself and how that differs from how others see him.

As in the quote he says that “Basil Howard is what I think I am.” Basil Howard is an artist who becomes friends with Dorian Grey. When Basil meet Dorian at a party he quickly became obsessed, he believed that a person as beautiful as Dorian was rare and showed a different form of beauty. Wilde sees himself as Basil possibly because literature is a form of art and he sees himself creating this book the way that Basil created his painting with love and care. He also could be referring to the fact that they are both gay and have an interest in men.

 

In the quote, Wilde says that most people see him as Lord Henry. Lord Henry is a nobleman that is a very close friend to Basil. Lord Henry is also the man that corrupted Dorian Grey by making Dorian realize that he wouldn’t be as beautiful as he was in the painting. Lord Henry is often seen as the devil as he had turned Dorian to see the ‘dark’ and ‘depressing’ part of growing old. I believe that he is seen as Lord Henry as at that time he was seen as someone who commits a sinful act as he was gay, this relates to Wilde as Lord Henry is most often seen as the devil.

Dorian Grey is a very young, handsome man that is liked by many people, he is the person that Basil is painting. In the quote Wilde says that ” Dorian is what I would like to be – in other ages, perhaps.” I believe he is talking about how he would have been as rich, carefree and even handsome in his next life. Dorian Grey is also seen as a person who enchants almost every person he meets.

Oscar Wilde is a person who could fit all three characters’ personalities as is a kind, believed to perform ‘sinful’ acts and is also quite handsome at least to my knowledge.

 

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November 14

Oscar Wilde and His Characters

Oscar Wilde and His Character

“Basil Hallward is what I think I am : Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be –in other ages, perhaps.

-In a letter dated February 12, 1894

~

Oscar Wilde lived in the Victorian era as an avid follower of the aesthetic movement and believed that art serves no purpose higher than simply being beautiful. The quote stated ‘“Basil Hallward is what I think I am : Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be –in other ages, perhaps’, however, can show that there is a deeper (perhaps subconscious) underlying to ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and that the author can be related to the characters he writes. Basil Hallward is a beautifully talented artist who spends his time painting his muse, Dorian Gray. His character has hidden love and affection towards Dorian, however, the feelings are one-sided. Lord Henry is a person of high class, and is thought of having a bad influence on everyone except Basil- he begins to corrupt Dorian Gray, slowly feeding him ideas that ruin his character, until he is superficial and cosmetic and does not care for anything other than looks. Finally, Dorian Gray started off in the novel as a very innocent boy, who only longed to learn more about the world and unfortunately did not choose the right mentor to do so. He becomes very selfish, cruel and simply of a shell of the who he used to be.

In the quote, Oscar Wilde stated ‘Basil Hallward is what I think I am’. In the preface, before the book starts, Oscar Wilde makes a strong point to mention that art is simply art and that the book has no further meaning than to serve as a way to provide enjoyment and pleasure. He explains that ‘All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril’, therefore explaining that there could be an underlying meaning to the book, however, it is up to the reader if they wish to try and uncover it. The reason that Oscar Wilde wrote the preface to ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, was because he was scared that people would try to uncover the parts of himself that he tried to keep a secret. Similarly, in the first chapter of the book, Basil is trying to explain to Lord Henry that he does not want to display his portrait of Dorian Gray, as ‘I have put too much of myself into it’. This shows that Oscar Wilde was representing his own feelings and concern that people would uncover a truth about his personality that was not accepted into society. In June 1891, Oscar Wilde met Lord Alfred ‘Bosie’ Douglas who was a very talented poet- quickly after meeting him, Bosie became Oscar Wilde’s muse and inspiration. This was very similar to how Basil saw Dorian Gray, who can be seen as faithful to Dorian until the very end.

‘Lord Henry what the world thinks me’, could refer to the idea that Oscar Wilde was a bad influence in society. In the first chapter of the novel, before Dorian Gray is introduced to Lord Henry, Basil is worried that he will be a bad influence on the boy, ‘I wish I had known it was your friend”/”I’m very glad you didn’t, Harry”/”Why?”/”I don’t want you meet him… He has quite a simple and a beautiful nature. Don’t spoil him. Don’t try to influence him. Your influence is bad… Don’t take away from me the one person who gives to my art whatever charm it posses: my life as an artist depends on him. Mind, Harry, I trust you.’ These lines clearly foreshadow the ending of the book, in which Lord Henry takes Dorian Gray under his wing and totally corrupts his personality, exactly like Basil feared. Oscar Wilde became a highly controversial person due to the many affairs he had (which is also a feature of Lord Henry) and was thus seen as a negative in the community. For example, in the book he writes, ‘you seem to forget that I am married, and the one charm of marriage is that it makes a life of deception absolutely necessary,’ this shows both Oscar Wilde’s and Lord Henry’s stance on marriage, as they both had multiple affairs during their life, despite being married.

In the quote, Oscar Wilde says ‘Dorian what I would like to be –in other ages, perhaps.’  The first possible meaning for this is the physical beauty that Dorian Gray has. In the novel, Oscar Wilde is called a young ‘Adonis’ who in Greek mythology is the God of beauty and desire, and his appearance is described as one ‘made of ivory and rose-leaves’. Dorian is beautiful and would have remained eternally beautiful if he had not tried to ruin the painting at the end of the novel- what Oscar Wilde could be saying here, is that he wishes that could stay young and beautiful forever, as the idea of becoming old is one that frightens him. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde could be referring to Dorian Gray’s innocence in chapter 1. If the story had taken place during another age, perhaps when the aesthetic movement was no longer relevant, Dorian Gray would not have been influenced Lord Henry’s and could have stayed the same innocent 18-year-old as in the beginning of the novel, which Oscar Wilde longs to be.

In conclusion, Oscar Wilde could have subconsciously written characters that represent his personality, or that he wishes that he could be. He believes that he is similar to Basil Hallward due to the fact that they are both artists trying to conceal the true meaning behind their work. The world believes that he is Lord Henry, as they both share the similar characteristics of having multiple affairs, although they were married and the people around them believed that they are a bad influence on those around him. Finally, Oscar Wilde wishes he could be like Dorian Gray, to preserve his beauty and to become innocent, once more.

Sources:

Dorian Gray. www.libreto.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/dorian-gray-ben-barnes-dorian-gray-0a8b5de12269dffa18400682dfeab78a-large-571426-2.jpg.

Oscar Wilde’s Love Letters. www.brainpickings.org/2013/07/15/oscar-wilde-love-letters-bosie/.
Betraying Wilde. www.theguardian.com/books/2000/jun/04/biography.
“The Importance of Being Earnest.” Oscar Wilde Biography, www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/i/the-importance-of-being-earnest/oscar-wilde-biography.
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October 29

Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde

“Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be – in other ages, perhaps”Considering what you know about Oscar Wilde’s background, respond to the above statement in a blog post (essay style). Make reference to the text in your response. Cite any sources you use.

This is a very interesting quote from Wilde as many critics and people accused and assumed that Wilde was gay for writing a story with homosexual underlines. Many also thought that Lord Henry was based on himself. Wilde addressed the critics with this single quote on his views of his personality. Wilde might think of himself as Basil as he writing this novel might have been inspired by his lover, like that of Basil and his work with Dorian. But keeping in might Wilde’s time period, we know that being or indulging in homosexual experiences was a criminal offense. So, Wilde comparing himself to Basil, who was the most humane character in the novel, to seem more innocent in his personal life, to seem more like a worker who is more obsessed with art then romance or friends.

With Lord Henry, its pretty self-explanatory, Lord Henry was basically the bad influence that corrupted Dorian Gray. Although Lord Henry is full of epigrams, which Wilde is most known for, that might not necessarily mean that Lord Henry is representative of Wilde’s personality. Personally, I cannot make an opinion about someone without knowing them. Yes, I see the similarities between the two but I also see the differences. So saying Lord Henry is based off Wilde himself is hard to say.

With Dorian Gray, it’s easier to make assumptions and feel confident with them. Dorian is considered this beautiful person that enchants everyone he meets, so naturally being a “Dandy,” that is their goal and Wilde being a dandy, this could have been what be meant by saying that he considered himself as Dorian. Another assumption is that like Dorian, he was influenced by his lover to be in a homosexual relationship, meaning that his lover was Lord Henry. Because Wilde was married and was mostly straight his whole life when he met his lover he got introduced to the world of homosexuality and got inspired to write this novel. He could have seen homosexuality as something like Romeo and Juliet, a forbidden love. Even though he denies having traits of these characters, I believe that is a lie, as all writers write their characters somewhat based on themselves.

 

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