The Appearance in Dorian Gray

Résumé du document

The Picture of Dorian Gray is the story of the title character who wishes to stay young and handsome while his portrait becomes older and uglier. As such, we can say that appearance is an important theme in the novel. While discussing the relationship between appearance and essence, it is important to notice that there are two major points of view in the novel, that of Lord Henry, and that of Basil Hallward, the two figures that will alternately influence the title character. In fact, Dorian is already friends with Basil before the novel even begins, and he is introduced to Lord Henry through Basil. In Chapter 1, it becomes clear that while for Lord Henry, appearance and essence are basically contradictory things, for Basil, appearance is a manifestation of one's inner self. This is interesting because, in fact, the appearance of each of the two characters reflects their own beliefs. Basil's face, we are told, is not beautiful, but intellectual, thus showing that he has 'artistic genius', while Lord Henry's scandalous opinions in fact hide the essence of himself, which, as Basil says, never does anything scandalous at all. Dorian ends up liking Lord Henry better than he likes Basil, because he finds Lord Henry's opinions fascinating and because he thinks Basil is a bore. He starts going to see Lord Henry much more often than he sees Basil, and though he says he will always confess everything to Lord Henry, towards the end of the novel Basil knows nothing of what Dorian is doing. Though Dorian is more influenced by Lord Henry's opinions than he is by Basil's, the portrait of Dorian shows that in the novel, there is a relationship between appearance and essence. If the painting grows uglier and uglier it is, that its appearance is linked to Dorian's essence, his soul as he commits more and more sins.

Extraits

[...] Unfortunately, Dorian believes otherwise, and can seem different than he really is because of the portrait The importance of theme of appearance to art seems particularly clear in The Picture of Dorian Gray, since Dorian's appearance is linked to that of the picture, which grows uglier and uglier as Dorian does more evil deeds. However, even before the reader is aware of the role of the portrait will play in the rest of the novel, Wilde's preface warns the reader that he should be looking for both “symbol and surface” in any work of art. Thus highlighting the function of appearance in art. Indeed, in the novel, the appearance of the characters (not just Dorian, but all of the characters) is way we are supposed to interpret their actions. [...]

[...] As such, we can say that appearance is an important theme in the novel. We will analyze this theme first by looking at the relationship between appearance and essence, and then by examining the role of appearance in art. In discussing the relationship between appearance and essence, it is important to notice that there are two major points of view in the novel: that of Lord Henry, and that Basil Hallward, the two figures that will alternately influence the title character. [...]

[...] Appearance is therefore crucial to art. Since it is in fact the very essence of art. Therefore we can see that appearance is the central theme that motivates the novel. Wilde we know, was a great aesthete, a great believer in making appearances count. Could this novel be a way of proving just how important appearance is? [...]

[...] In Chapter it becomes clear that while for Lord Henry, appearance and essence are basically contradictory things, for Basil, appearance is a manifestation of one's inner self: appearance and essence are therefore basically the same. This is interesting because in fact the appearance of each of the two characters reflects their own beliefs: Basil's face, we are told, is not beautiful, but intellectual, thus showing that he has “artistic genius”, while Lord Henry's scandalous opinions in fact hide the essence of himself, which, as Basil says, never does anything scandalous at all. [...]

[...] In the main, Wilde prefers to describe his characters' appearance and so to imply what their personalities are like. On the first page of the novel, there is a reference to appearance in art:”now and then the fantastic shadows of birds in flight flitted across the[ ] curtains[ ] making him think of those [ ] painters of Tokyo who through the medium of art that is necessarily immobile, seek to convey the sense of swiftness and motion.” Here, Lord Henry's thoughts lead the reader to think about the way art is created: by creating the impression that something is real when it's not. [...]