Дистанційне навчання 10-A (13.01.2021)
Lesson
Wednesday, the thirteenth of January
Theme: The Picture of Dorian
Gray
The
Picture of Dorian Gray, moral fantasy novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde, published in an early form in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890. The novel, the only one written by
Wilde, had six additional chapters when it was released as a book in 1891. The work, an archetypal tale of a
young man who purchases eternal youth at the expense of his soul, was a romantic exposition of Wilde’s own Aestheticism.
Summary
The story begins in the art
studio of Basil Hallward, who is discussing a current painting with his witty
and amoral friend Lord Henry Wotton. Henry thinks that the painting, a portrait
of an extraordinarily beautiful young man, should be displayed, but Basil
disagrees, fearing that his obsession with
the portrait’s subject, Dorian
Gray, can be seen in the work. Dorian then arrives, and he is
fascinated as Henry explains his belief that one should live life to the
fullest by indulging one’s impulses. Henry also points out that beauty and
youth are fleeting, and Dorian declares that he would give his soul if the
portrait were to grow old and wrinkled while he remained young and handsome.
Basil gives the painting to Dorian.
Henry decides to take on the project of molding Dorian’s
personality. A few weeks later, Dorian tells Henry that he has fallen in love
with an actress, Sibyl Vane, because of her great beauty and acting talent.
Henry and Basil go with him to a dingy theatre to see Sibyl, but her
performance is terrible. Sibyl explains to Dorian that now that she knows what
real love is, she can no longer pretend to be in love on stage. Dorian is
repulsed and wants nothing further to do with her. When he returns home, he
sees a cruel expression on the face of his portrait, and he decides to seek
Sibyl’s forgiveness. Henry arrives the next day, however, with news that Sibyl committed
suicide the previous night, and he convinces Dorian that there is no reason for
him to feel badly about it.
Dorian has the portrait removed to his attic. Henry sends
Dorian a book that he finds poisonous and fascinating (critics have suggested
that it might be Against the
Grain by Joris-Karl Huysmans).
Under the book’s influence, Dorian spends the next 18 years in the pursuit of capricious and
sybaritic excess, and he becomes increasingly drawn to evil. He frequently
visits the portrait, noting the signs of aging and of corruption that appear, though
he himself remains unblemished.
One
evening he runs into Basil, who tells him that there are rumours that he has
destroyed the lives and reputations of many people. Dorian, however, refuses to
accept blame. Basil declares that he clearly does not know Dorian, who responds
by taking him to the attic to see the portrait. The painting has become
horrifying. Basil tells Dorian that if this is a reflection of his soul, he
must repent and pray for forgiveness, and a suddenly enraged Dorian murders
Basil. He blackmails another former friend into disposing of the body.
Dorian
goes to an opium den, where Sibyl’s vengeful brother, James, finds him, but the
fact that Dorian still appears quite young dissuades him from acting. However,
another patron of the den later divulges Dorian’s age. At a subsequent hunting
party at Dorian’s country estate, one of the hunters accidentally shoots and
kills James, who was hiding in a thicket.
Some weeks
later Dorian tells Henry that he has decided to become virtuous and recently
decided against taking advantage of a young girl who was smitten with him.
Dorian goes to see if the portrait has improved because of his honourable act,
but he sees rather that it has acquired a look of cunning. He decides to
destroy the portrait and stabs it with a knife. His servants hear a scream,
and, when they arrive, they see a loathsome old man dead on the floor with a
knife in his chest and a portrait of the beautiful young man he once was.
Homework
Write what conflicts are
present in this novel.
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