Character

The character I am choosing to write on is Dorian Gray, himself. While the novel is named after him, he is not the main protagonist, at least not at the point I am in the novel; page 35.. In fact, there is not one central character in this novel. There is more a group of three, Lord Henry (who is also called Harry), Basil Hallward, and Dorian. Dorian, though, is by far the most extraordinary character. First, he is unbelievably youthful and attractive. This is how and Harry and Basil first introduce him, as the painting of him, done by Basil, is noticed by Harry for it's beauty. Basil explained Dorian's unique attractiveness. Upon seeing the painting, Dorian finally realizes his natural beauty. "The sense of his own beauty came on him like a revelation. He had never felt it before… Yes, there would be a day when his face would be wrinkled and wizen, his eyes dim and colorless, the grace of his figure broken and deformed. The scarlet would pass away from his lips, and the gold steal from his hair. The life that was to make his soul would mar his body. He would become ignoble, hideous, and uncouth. As he thought of it, a sharp pang of pain struck like a knife across him, and made each delicate fibre of his nature quiver. His eyes deepened into amethyst, and a mist of tears came across them” (Wilde, 18). Dorian realized his gift through the painting of himself. However, Harry had attempted to spread his "wisdom", and thus Dorian became paranoid about losing his youth and beauty. Also, Dorian grew up without parents, and Harry feels this makes him more extraordinary. "Yes; it was an interesting background. It posed the lad, made him more perfect, as it were" (25). Not only is Dorian perfect in his looks and personality, but his story is incredible, too. Dorian is also innocent and kind, which could be attributed to his perceived youth. Whenever he speaks, Wilde uses words like "said Dorian Gray, blushing" (31), "cried Dorian Gray, angrily" (33) and "Dorian Gray leaped to his feet, with flushed cheeks and burning eyes" (35). Words like "leaped" and "cried" imply his youth, while his blushing and flushed cheeks demonstrate innocence. This is interesting, because he often contrasts with Harry's ideals, as Harry is a direct, harsh, opinionated man. Harry is clearly influencing Dorian, though, and it should be interesting to see if this causes Dorian to lose his soft innocence.

Setting

I am currently on page 15 of The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde. This puts me about a chapter and a half into the novel. The setting of the novel is in England, as emphasized by the description of Englishmen used in the novel. "'How English you are, Basil! If one puts forward an idea to a real Englishman,— always a rash thing to do,—he never dreams of considering whether the idea is right or wrong. The only thing he considers of any importance is whether one believes it one’s self'" (Wilde 9). This establishes the general location of a novel, while also characterizing the culture. As Lord Henry describes, the people in England are very stubborn and opinionated. They typically do not take time to appreciate the little things in life and always jump to the bigger picture, and their predetermined opinions of it. This could create conflict within the story. The characters also mention Oxford, a prominent English university. This establishes a theme of intelligence. Intelligence is a positive attribute, but when combined with the stubbornness mentioned above, it could lead to even larger conflict. The specific setting of the plot up to this point has taken place in Basil Hallward's art studio. This studio is also commonly referred to as a garden. The opening sentence to the novel describes this room; “The studio was filled with the rich odor of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink flowering thorn” (5). This immanent nature contrasts with the strict beliefs that Englishmen are said to hold. Nature is representative of more free-thinking than Lord Henry believe's Basil possesses. This will be an interesting interaction to watch develop throughout the plot.