Brit Lit: A Picture of Dorian Gray: Ch 1

Brit Lit 

111009 Hae UK. Ko

     In the first chapter, only three characters are given dialogues. Basil Hallward, referred to as Basil in the book, is a painter. He is described as having a strong rugged face and coal black hair. This physical appearance combined with his desperate manner marks him as a common man who is not above being a piece in the chess field called the world. Next comes Lord Henry Wotton, referred to as Lord Henry in the book; he is not given a specific profession. He seems to be a happy young man with enough money to enjoy his leisure time in the way he prefers. He has a somewhat Bohemian attitude and displays hints of hedonism. He does not seem to care how the world goes on as long as he can enjoy being a spectator of the world. The last of the three is Basil’s butler, referred to as Parker by Basil. He is not given much character in the chapter and probably will not play a central role in later chapters as well. 
     
     Of the plot, I was most intrigued by the part where Basil explains the new school of art that Dorian Gray has unconsciously defined. Basil talks of a school which does not distinguish between the soul and the body. He condemns his contemporaries and predecessors for separating the two concepts which are actually inseparable. Considering that the whole novel is centered on the separation of what a man appears on the outside and what a man is truly like in his heart, Basil’s words reek of importance. Withal, this is the first moment in which a character in the novel voices his/her opinion on the relationship between soul and body. It is not hard to guess that as the plot unfolds more characters will express their views on the matter and that the characters will walk differing paths based on their views. 
     
     Referring to a letter written by Wilde himself, Basil is what Wilde thought he was. This puts a shining star on every one of Basil’s demonstrative statements. A perfect example would be Basil’s statement on the inseparable nature of the soul and the body. Yet, this should not put to shadow the statements of other characters. This is because in the same letter, Wilde also stated that Lord Henry is what the public perceive him to be and Dorian Gray is what he would want to be like. Therefore, it would be a most interesting approach to keep alert for topics which are differently presented by Basil, Lord Henry, and Dorian Gray. 
     
     Personally, the novel’s strong emphasis on the relationship between soul and body was reminiscent of [Demian]. According to Mr. Ji of the Korean department, [Demian] contains Hermann Hesse’s query on whether good and evil can be viewed as two separate things. What does this have to do with [Dorian Gray]? The good and evil in [Demian] are often understood as rationality and sensibility. This, somewhat absurd from a modern view, can be understood in relationship to [Dorian Gray] if we consider that for most of the time, medieval and ancient Europeans considered reason as the symbol of the nobility and turbulent emotions as the mark of the less educated and less wealthy. In other words, reason was the encouraged feature whereas emotional change was the vilified feature. Thus, dichotomy was applied to separate rationality from sensibility; this is also apparent in the following words by Basil: “We in our madness have separated the two, and have invented a realism that is bestial, an identity that is void”. What is more, Basil labels perfection of the spirit as Greek and passion as Romantic. Such a labeling opens up space for historical hunches and analysis. 

     
     At this point, I must refrain myself. This journal only covers those thoughts derived from reading the 1st chapter. A more in-depth study might be presented in later journals when I have read more of Oscar Wilde’s book. Another reason is that as of yet, I have not read Hermann Hesse’s work and have merely taken a few classes by Mr. Ji which dealt with the book. Hence, I must depart from this topic for the present with this last question: “Could it be possible that the two great authors, born 23 years apart—one in Ireland and another in continental Europe, both attempted to address the same problem?” .