Mr. Gray What Have We Come To?
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Mr. Gray, What Have We Come To?
Art. It’s Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Art can be so beautiful or so hideous. So monotonous or poignant. So imaginative or clichйd. So………right or wrong? Art really has no moral, does it? Although the book, The Picture of Dorian Gray has no ethical stance, it was not Oscar Wilde’s intention to have a moral. It was to show the splendor of art for art’s sake.
Through out the paperback of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde, wildly shows his beliefs in art for art’s sake (Cauti XIV). This novel shows and follows the guidelines of, do whatever you want, whenever you want and don’t worry about the consequences. In other words if you are feeling down, or depressed, go out and get your fix of whatever you need to make life that much better for you (Beckson 72-73). In this work of fiction, the is indeed a painting of a young male by the name of Dorain Gray. Hence the name of the book, The Picture of Dorian Gray. The picture seems to give this stunning gentleman a gift of youth. Mr. Gray uses this to his advantage of course. He heals his spirit by doing anything he pleases, honest or depraved. Take for example, the death of Basil. His death was neither an accident or an act of the great one from above. It was from a deep stab wound in the back of Basil’s head just behind his ear, and repeatedly stabs poor defenseless Basil. This was all caused by the so called, “perfect man” with a eerie name of Dorian Gray (Wilde 163). Absolutely unjust and uncalled for by any moral on the face of the earth. Unless of course you live by the standards of art for art’s sake.
Carrying on now, a certain individual by the name of Samuel Henry Jeyes wrote a letter to the horrible author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde, about the method Wilde uses of art for art’s sake. The letter said very negative things toward the book and about how the story hints at nasty sins and horrible crimes. Wilde responded to the attacks on his work quite angrily. “The sphere of art and the sphere of ethics are absolutely distinct and separate,” Wilde defended. Jeyes has no point but to put pen to paper and write another letter announcing, “We are quite aware that ethics and sesthetics are different matters, and that is why the great part of our criticism was not dedicated to the nastiness but the dullness and stupidity of the book.” Wilde continues to defend his manuscript and added comments like, “The most unjustifiable attack that was made upon any man for many years” (Beckson 68). Mr. Wilde makes remarks to other criticisms like, “An artist sir has no ethical sympathies at all” (Beckson 74). In saying these things, Wilde openly admits to no morality of the book, it simply was written for art. And wouldn’t you know it, all these beliefs started back at a young age.
Indeed it all started at a juvenile age for Wilde. All his beliefs and methods for writing and such. Inspired by a number of sources, there were a few that really catch the eye when it comes time to review Wilde’s past.
Mr. Wilde attended a college named Magdalen, located in England. While Wilde is partaking in school activities, he finds a mentor who goes by the name, Walter Pater. Mr. Pater gives the ideas and the influence needed for Wilde’s beliefs in the aesthetic movement (Cauti ix). This movement gets the credit for sponsoring the beliefs of art for art’s sake. During these years, Wilde gains his reptutation for “dandyism,” and long hair (Cauti ix). Of course there were many more influences besides Mr. Pater, although he gets the credit for starting Wilde off.
The book, The Picture of Dorian Gray, itself was influenced by another book called, Against Nature. This lovely tome was a highly influential novel of immoral standard of living of a chap from the upper-class who was a depraved individual (Keane 127).
Another thought would be the book La Bete Humain., it comes from the same time episode as The Picture of Dorian Gray. The lovely manuscript La Bete Humain, describes some of Dorian’s proceedings and behaviors as “narcissism, transgression of class boundries, and sexual cruelty” (Keane 127). Even though The Picture of Dorian Gray is about sex crimes as well, they are different than the ones in La Bete Humain (Keane 128). But regardless what kind of sex crimes they are, is a sex crime really moral by any principles? Come on…..really?
While you ponder on that for a bit, lets move on. The theme of which The Picture of Dorian Gray is based upon, art for art’s sake, is shown in a variously in the characters of the atrocious paperback.
Mr. Main Character, or as you may know him, Dorian Gray is a beautiful, gorgeous, well mannered, innocent, almost perfect young gentleman…….as far as the world knows.