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 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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October 29

Oscar Wilde in the Picture of Dorian Gray (Contains spoilers)

Contains spoilers!!!!!

Don’t read if you have not read the book 

 

February 12th, 1894

Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry is what the world thinks of me: Dorian what I would like to be- in other age, perhaps

-Oscar Wilde

 

 

 

Oscar Wilde lived during the time of the Victorian era but lived a life ahead of his time. In the letter seen above Wilde is reflecting on his characters in the Picture of Dorian Gray and himself. The three main characters of his 1891 novel all represent different types of people. Basil a hard-working artist who loves a man, but it is not loved back. Henry is a well-educated man who’s opinion is greatly influential. However, he is very controversial. Finally, Dorian is a vain man who only cares for the pleasures of life and enteral beauty. All of these characters reflect some part of Wilde’s persona.

Basil Hallward is what Wilde thinks of himself. This statement could have two meaning to it. The first being that he put too much of his real life/feelings into the book like Basil did with his paintings. “but I really can’t exhibit it. I have put too much of myself into it.” (6). Basil did not want to show his painting because he felt he has exposed himself. Wilde may have felt the same thing as the novel hints to things that Wide did in his life. The other meaning could be that he was in love with someone that did not love him back, that there was someone in his life that dominated him. “Harry, don’t talk like that. As long as I live, the personality of Dorian Gray will dominate me. You can’t feel what I feel. You change too often” (13). This may reflect how Wilde loved someone but they never loved him back. Having Basil love Dorian right up to the point that Dorian kills him lets Wilde express his forever love for someone. All in all, Basil could easily be an exaggerated version of Wilde.

Henry is what the world thinks of Wilde. Henry is the kind of person that rebels against the social norm, similar to Wilde. Wilde’s affairs during his marriage were hinted to through Henry. “You seem to forget that I am married, and the one charm of marriage is that it makes of life of deception absolutely necessary for both parties.” (7). This could be interpreted as you can be married and cheat and it will all be ok, which is what Wilde did do. The Victorian society also thought that Wilde was a bad influence and made people into people that they were not. Basil’s opinion of Henry could be seen as a reflection of people’s views on Wilde. “Don’t spoil him. Don’t try to influence him. Your influence would be bad. The world is wide, and has many marvellous people in it. Don’t take away from me the one person who gives to my art whatever charm it possesses: my life as an artist depends on him.” (15). Both these sides of Henry are very much things that Victorian society thought of Wilde.

Dorian Gray is what Wilde might like to be. Wilde lived a very lavish life and like to dress fancy. Dorian was able to do that and keep his beauty with him. “His finely-curved scarlet lips, his frank blue eyes, his crisp gold hair … all the candor of youth was there, as well as all youths passionate purity.” (16). Dorian looked beautiful and people admired him right up to the point that he killed himself. Wilde could have been saying that he would like to keep his looks for his whole life and to an extent chose when he dies. Dorian also lived life on his own terms and did what he wanted to do. This could be something that Wilde wanted for himself.

All three characters embody a different type of person, however, Wilde is really all three as parts of his life are reflected in all of the characters.

Works Cited

“Oscar Wilde.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Apr. 2017, www.biography.com/people/oscar-wilde-9531078.

“The Picture of Dorian Gray.” SparkNotes, SparkNotes, www.sparknotes.com/lit/doriangray/characters.html.

 

 

 

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October 29

Oscar Wilde 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 tobe-in other ages perhaps” [Holland and Hard Davis: 585]

Image result for oscar wilde gifs

In this quote, Oscar Wilde discusses his relationships with his characters from the book ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’. This quote is about the different perceptions people have and the author has on the characters in his novel. Basil Hallward is a painter who befriends Dorian Gray. Basil becomes obsessed with Dorian after meeting him at a party, and he finds Dorian’s beauty so rare and a new form of beauty. Oscar Wilde considers himself Basil, possibly due to his attraction to other men as well literature is a form of art so it could as well be a more literal response as Basil is an artist, so this is one way of applying himself into the novel. Basil is a kind-hearted man who lives in town full of sin, this could be related to Oscar Wilde as he lived in a town where he was known for his ‘sin’ as a homosexual. This could because Oscar Wilde did not believe what he was doing was a sin so not considering himself sinful and Basil is a very good man and probably the person with the least possibility of committing a sin.

Lord Henry is a nobleman and a close friend to Basil. What stands out the most about Lord Henry is that he is very well spoken, even though people may not completely agree with his criticism. Oscar Wilde said that Lord Henry is what the world thinks of him. This could be due to the fact that he is someone who has great use of language however not many people liked Lord Henry, which could reflect on him because he did go to jail for being a homosexual and many people didn’t like this as it was a sin and against the law to be gay, so he was also disliked by people.

Dorian Gray is a handsome, very liked young man whose portrait Basil Hallward paints. He comes under the influence of Lord Henry and begins to worry that his beauty won’t last. His wish is granted and he stays the same age and the painting the Basil did would age with the evil in him as well. Oscar Wilde said that Dorian Gray is who he wishes to be. This could be because of people always liking Dorian, there really isn’t anybody in the story, besides Sybil’s brother, who didn’t like Dorian. Dorian is very liked and is very admired for his looks. This could be what Oscar Wilde probably have never achieved. The title of the book ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ could relate back as this is the person Oscar Wilde wanted to be, he created the character from scratch so he painted exactly who he wanted to be. However, with the desire to be young and beautiful forever, Oscar Wilde shows that nothing so great could stay forever, or should live with a price such as the painting haunting him and Dorian becoming more and more devilish throughout the years is the price having to pay to keep good looks and youth.

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October 22

Oscar Wilde – Aesthetic Movement

Dandy – a man unduly concerned with looking stylish and fashionable.

How To Guide To The Victorian Era If You Ever Get Transported Back In Time

Step 1: How to speak the language

The Victorian Era is notorious for its old English language and big words, best to always carry a dictionary. Also, the posh accent is key. Everyone talked with a posh accent.

Step 2: The Dress Code

Everyone dressed like they were attending a fancy dinner party every day. Men always wore top hats, suits, top coats, canes, the more extra the better. Women preferred the A-symmetrical style. They wore corsets under their dresses and wore petticoats. They liked dressing like royalty every day.

Step 3: Literature

Victorians loved “creepy” literature. Nowadays when people think or set stories in that era, its always in a creepy and scary setting. So acting like your hiding a big secret every day is key to their aesthetic

Step 4: Transport

Everybody rode in style; a horse and carriage. Nobody rode cars cause they weren’t invented.

 

There, now if you ever are randomly transported to the Victorian Era you MIGHT survive. Just make sure your not gay or a prostitute. Good Luck!

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October 18

The Victorian Era: Hypocrisy and Double Standards

Hypocrisy

the practice of claiming to have higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case : behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel
~
The Victorian Era occurred during the period of Queen Victoria’s reign from June 20th, 1837, until her death on January 22, in 1901. During this period, the main feature that ruled society was the severe case of class separation- the Victorian era was a time before basic child labor laws were passed, unions were allowed to be created in order to represent employee rights, and the higher class and rich ruled society. Image was a very important feature during this time period, and there were precise etiquette that everyone needed to follow- for example, for women, there were rules about what to wear (both jewelry and clothes), who and when to speak to someone, who to walk with, who to dance with, and more. Men had to be aware of the time to bow, tip their hats, where to sit and besides who, and if it was an appropriate time to drink or smoke (especially if there was a woman present). On the other hand, the huge gap between the rich and the poor made the class distinctions even more present in society. The poor, or working class had to work up to 16 hours a day of hard labor with barely any pay. For example in the Triangle Factory Fire, young women were ordered by their bosses to be locked in their building while they sewed shirts. However, when the building caught on fire,, they were not able to escape and 146 people died.

The Victorian Era focused so highly on appearances and image, that it was total hypocrisy. A commonly seen example of this deception was the events that the higher or wealthy class would constantly host in order to help the lower class. It was a general occurrence for lunch, dinner, or ballroom events to be set up with the purpose of collecting money in order to donate it to the working classes, or to foundations with the purpose of helping the less fortunate. The truth behind these events was that if a person from the higher class would encounter someone from the lower class, they would completely disregard them or be disturbed by their presence. Another angle that displays this hypocrisy, is that many of the families who were ‘raising money’ to help the poor, were also the ones forcing them to do heavy labor without rest in unethical conditions, and the ones paying them barely enough to live.

Sources:

  1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypocrisy
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era
  3. http://www.victorian-era.org/victorian-era-duality-double-standards.html
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