Book report

by reut strulovich

15 th april

About Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde was born in 1854 in Dublin, Ireland.
During his career he was a writer, poet, journalist, fashion critic, and an Irish playwright.
He was born to him father – the best surgeon of ear and eye in Ireland, who also wrote books on archeology and folklore.
His father had children out of wedlock, what influenced the characters in Wilde’s various plays.
Wilde was influenced by two opposing professors on the central role of art In every day life.
Wilde was the advocate of the Aesthetic Movement and supported the central principle of movement-art for art.
Beginning in 1879 he began lecturing on the principles of aesthetics in London.
He then went on a lecture tour in the United States and Canada, where he received critical reviews.
The San Francisco newspaper Wesp published a caricature showing Wilde and aestheticism in a ridiculous light. Gilbert’s operetta and Paliben also scoffed at his teachings.
Because the aesthetic movement was Represented by the William Morris School and Dante Gabriel Rossetti and had a long-term influence on the British Design Convention Wilde became a esthetico leading to one of the most important figures of his time.
Between 1887 and 1889 he worked as a commentator for the Palme Gazette.
He later became the editor of the Women’s World magazine, which was introduced to the position. The paper won more success than before. In this framework, Wilde first conceived the idea of the story in installments, with each section recounting the continuation of the section published in the previous issue.
During this period he published his most famous book, “The Happy Prince and Other Legends”.
In 1891 he published the novel “Portrait of Dorian Gray”, which describes the life of a man who outwardly remains young and beautiful forever but internally is rotten and corrupt.
Many have argued that there is a parallel between the plot of the book and the characters that appear in it and Wilde’s life.
He himself said he saw the three main characters as his own reflection.
Basil Hallward is what I think I am.
Lord Henry is what the world thinks I am.
Dorian is what I’d like to be – maybe another time. Says Wilde.
The image of Dorian Gray impressed the public more because of this approach than because of his literary qualities.
Wilde was a bisexual and his significant connection was with Lord Alfred Gaglem, the son of John Schultu Baghlm.
Gon Schultu Baglem did not see the connection favorably but did not want to complain police about the sexual tendencies of Weil his son (which were forbidden at the time)
So he decided to confuse Wilde’s life and harass him.
For example, he waited for Wilde outside the premiere of the play “The Importance of Seriousness” and gave him a bunch of turnips to humiliate him.
Four days later he arrived at the place where Wilde usually sat, and when he learned that Wild wasnot ther , he left a note there, to this day it is not known what was written because of the spelling errors of John Schultu.
But days later Wilde saw the card and forgot his eyes.
So Wilde decided to sue John Scholte Douglas
The prosecution developed a lawsuit against Wilde for his sexual tendencies and other issues and at the end of all developments at Wilde’s second trial, Wilde was sent to prison for two years with hard labor in the London jail.
In Wilde’s dismay he became very ill in prison, and after his release in 1897 spent the rest of his lifeless life on the Continent, under the pseudonym Stevian Melhem, while decreeing his own voluntary exile and literary circles.
Wilde died of meningitis on November 30, 1900 at a hotel in Paris

summary

The Picture of Dorian Gray is the story of one beautiful, innocent young man’s seduction, moral corruption, and eventual downfall.

We meet our three central characters at the beginning of the book, when painter Basil Hallward and his close friend, Lord Henry Wotton, are discussing the subject of Basil’s newest painting, a gorgeous young thing named Dorian Gray. Basil and Henry discuss just how perfectly perfect Dorian is—he’s totally innocent and completely good, as well as being the most beautiful guy ever to walk the earth. Lord Henry wants to meet this mysterious boy, but Basil doesn’t want him to; for some reason, he’s afraid of what will happen to Dorian if Lord Henry digs his claws into him.

However, Lord Henry gets his wish—Dorian shows up that very afternoon, and, over the course of the day, Henry manages to totally change Dorian’s perspective on the world. From that point on, Dorian’s previously innocent point of view is dramatically different—he begins to see life as Lord Henry does, as a succession of pleasures in which questions of good and evil are irrelevant.

Basil finishes his portrait of Dorian, and gives it to the young man, who keeps it in his home, where he can admire his own beauty. Lord Henry continues to exert his influence over Dorian, to Basil’s dismay. Dorian grows more and more distant from Basil, his former best friend, and develops his own interests.

One of these interests is Sybil Vane, a young, exceptionally beautiful, exceptionally talented—and exceptionally poor—actress. Though she’s stuck performing in a terrible, third-rate theatre, she’s a truly remarkable artist, and her talent and beauty win over Dorian. He falls dramatically in love with her, and she with him.

For a moment, it seems like everything will turn out wonderfully. However, this is just the beginning of Dorian’s story. Once he and Sybil are engaged, her talent suddenly disappears—she’s so overcome with her passionate love for Dorian that none of her roles on stage seem important to her anymore. This destroys Dorian’s love for her, and he brutally dumps her. Back home, he notices a something different in his portrait—it looks somehow crueler. In the meanwhile, the distraught Sybil commits suicide, just as Dorian decides to return to her and take back his terrible words.

Sybil’s suicide changes everything. At first, Dorian feels horrible… but he rather quickly changes his tune. On Lord Henry’s suggestion, Dorian reads a mysterious “yellow book,” a decadent French novel that makes him reevaluate his whole belief system. The protagonist of the book lives his life in pursuit of sensual pleasures, which intrigues Dorian. From this moment on, Dorian is a changed man.

Dorian starts to live as hedonistically as his wicked mentor, Lord Henry, does. The only thing that documents this turn for the worst is the portrait, which alarmingly begins to exhibit the inward corruption of Dorian’s soul; the beautiful image changes, revealing new scars and physical flaws with each of Dorian’s dastardly actions. As years pass, the man in the picture grows more and more hideous, as Dorian himself stays unnaturally young and beautiful. Rumors start to spread about the various people whose lives Dorian has ruined, and his formerly good reputation is destroyed.

On Dorian’s 38th birthday, he encounters Basil, who desperately asks his former friend if all the horrifying rumors about him are true. Dorian finally snaps and shows Basil the portrait, in which the horrible truth about his wicked nature is revealed. Basil recoils, and begs Dorian to pray for forgiveness. In response, Dorian murders Basil, stabbing him brutally. He blackmails another of his former friends into disposing of the body.

Dorian retreats to an opium den after dealing with all of the evidence, where he encounters an enemy he didn’t know he had—Sybil Vane’s brother, James. Through a rather complicated turn of events, James (who’s on a mission to punish Dorian for his mistreatment of Sybil) ends up dead. Dorian isn’t directly responsible, but it’s yet another death to add to Dorian’s tally of life-wrecking disasters.

Dorian is relieved that his enemy is out of the way, but this event sparks a kind of mid-life crisis: he begins to wonder if his vile but enjoyable lifestyle is worth it. He actually does a good(ish) deed, by deciding not to corrupt a young girl he’s got the hots for, which makes him question his past actions even more. Seeking some kind of reassurance, Dorian talks to Lord Henry, who’s not any help at all, unsurprisingly. Dorian even practically admits to murdering Basil, but Henry laughs it off and doesn’t believe him.

That night, Dorian returns home in a pensive mood. Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he hates his own beauty and breaks the mirror. Again, he vows to be good, but we find out that his various crimes don’t really haunt him, because he doesn’t consider the

main characters

Basil Hallward – An artist, and a friend of Lord Henry. Basil becomes obsessed with Dorian after meeting him at a party. He claims that Dorian possesses a beauty so rare that it has helped him realize a new kind of art; through Dorian, he finds “the lines of a fresh school.” Dorian also helps Basil realize his artistic potential, as the portrait of Dorian that Basil paints proves to be his masterpiece.

Lord Henry Wotton – A nobleman and a close friend of Basil Hallward. Urbane and witty, Lord Henry is perpetually armed and ready with well-phrased Sayings criticizing the moralism and hypocrisy of Victorian society. He advocates garnering experiences that stimulate the senses without regard for conventional morality, plays a vital role in Dorian’s development.

Sibyl Vane – A poor, beautiful, and talented actress with whom Dorian falls in love. Sibyl’s love for Dorian compromises her ability to act, as her experience of true love in life makes her realize the falseness of affecting emotions onstage.

James Vane – Sibyl’s brother, a sailor bound for Australia. James cares deeply for his sister and worries about her relationship with Dorian. Distrustful of his mother’s motives, he believes that Mrs. Vane’s interest in Dorian’s wealth disables her from properly protecting Sibyl. As a result, James is hesitant to leave his sister.

dorian’s personality before and after the picture was paintes

At the opening of the novel, Dorian Gray exists as something of an ideal: he is the archetype of male youth and beauty. As such, he captures the imagination of Basil Hallward, a painter, and Lord Henry Wotton, a nobleman who imagines fashioning the impressionable Dorian into an unremitting pleasure-seeker. Dorian is exceptionally vain and becomes convinced, in the course of a brief conversation with Lord Henry, that his most salient characteristics—his youth and physical attractiveness—are ever waning. The thought of waking one day without these attributes sends Dorian into a tailspin: he curses his fate and pledges his soul if only he could live without bearing the physical burdens of aging and sinning. He longs to be as youthful and lovely as the masterpiece that Basil has painted of him, and he wishes that the portrait could age in his stead. His vulnerability and insecurity in these moments make him excellent clay for Lord Henry’s willing hands.

Dorian soon leaves Basil’s studio for Lord Henry’s parlor, where he adopts the tenets of “the new Hedonism” and resolves to live his life as a pleasure-seeker with no regard for conventional morality. His relationship with Sibyl Vane tests his commitment to this philosophy: his love of the young actress nearly leads him to dispense with Lord Henry’s teachings, but his love proves to be as shallow as he is. When he breaks Sibyl’s heart and drives her to suicide, Dorian notices the first change in his portrait—evidence that his portrait is showing the effects of age and experience while his body remains ever youthful. Dorian experiences a moment of crisis, as he weighs his guilt about his treatment of Sibyl against the freedom from worry that Lord Henry’s philosophy has promised. When Dorian decides to view Sibyl’s death as the achievement of an artistic ideal rather than a needless tragedy for which he is responsible, he starts down the steep and slippery slope of his own demise.

As Dorian’s sins grow worse over the years, his likeness in Basil’s portrait grows more hideous. Dorian seems to lack a conscience, but the desire to repent that he eventually feels illustrates that he is indeed human. Despite the beautiful things with which he surrounds himself, he is unable to distract himself from the dissipation of his soul. His murder of Basil marks the beginning of his end: although in the past he has been able to sweep infamies from his mind, he cannot shake the thought that he has killed his friend. Dorian’s guilt tortures him relentlessly until he is forced to do away with his portrait. In the end, Dorian seems punished by his ability to be influenced: if the new social order celebrates individualism, as Lord Henry claims, Dorian falters because he fails to establish and live by his own moral code.

The picture is the mirror of the soul

The intention of the trial:

The picture is the mirror of the soul is that when Dorian had a good soul when he did not do sins his portrait was of a beautiful young boy.
But as his soul became dirty and he committed evil and sinful things, his portrait became as acute as his soul.

reflection

Apart from the long time it took me to prepare the work, I finally enjoyed reading and working on the book.
What happened was unexpected and very special and a bit strange.
I never read a novel, so I did not really know what to expect and from what I heard not only in my opinion the novel was chilling and different from other novels …
While working, I learned about Oscar Wilde and his life and his role.
It is amazing to me that although he was only forty years old, he still had a lot to do in his life and become the most famous in his field (if I’m not mistaken in aesthetics).
The book has made it clear to me that no matter how beautiful you are from an external perspective it does not testify to your personality and as curators – do not look at these pitchers in what is inside.
I noticed what I had read about Wilde in the story.
Wilde believes in “art for art,” or art, for art. This means that his work does not try to judge nor criticize, but to create a beauty tube.
In other words, in his book he did not relate to different finalists and to political, economic or other criticisms of their kind unrelated to the characters themselves. What is in other books.
For example, when there is a story that takes place in a war and the war that tells rise in the story is a war that has occurred in the past from the point of view of the writer, in the end in this case he expresses an opinion whether he wants or not.
The book gave me a sense of wonder and average excitement.
Usually when I read books, I do not feel too many emotions … and never react in extreme ways.