I believe this book is immoral (Not necessarily a bad thing) in the fact that it holds true to Lord Henry's statement that immoral books show the world their own shame. This book definitely succeeds in showing society for what it truly is and what it can drive people to do.
i think the book is moral because it shows at the end when he tries to destroy the soul, he takes on the full burden on what his soul has endured during his life
I think this book is not immoral or moral. It is hard to say. It all comes down to opinion. This book could be moral to one person but to the next person the book could be immoral. very hard to say. Comes down to ones beliefs
I think that this is an immoral book. Wilde spends most of the book trying to justify the actions of the characters through means of "pursuing art or pleasure" and finally tells the world not to judge the book because he says that a book cannot be moral or immoral. Then, in the last few chapters of the book, Wilde himself calls it immoral: "The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame." What a cover up. Wilde knows that the book will be seen as immoral because he himself sees it as immoral; he just does not want you to judge the morality of his book.
I agree with the idea that the book is moral. In the end, Dorian suffers his worst fate. He dies a crippled, ugly old man to whom nobody loves. He is repaid for his sins which he committed.
I think a message Wilde is trying to get across through this book is that people try to portray themselves differently and ultimitely in the end it leads to the destruction of man kind.
I agree with Scott that all consequences will get to him sometimes. Even though they do not punish Dorian, right away, at the end he pays the ultimate price.
I agree with Marie. Dorian is more mad at Basil for the painting while Lord Henry is the one who corrupted him. But I think Dorian is stubborn and does not want to realize and admit that he was corrupted.
Ok, so at the begining of the book, Lord Henry seems to be the all knowing character, but as the book nears the end he becomes another character in the dark and Dorian becomes the all knowing one. What do you think that says about these characters and how we view them on the "hell" unit spectrum?
I don't think that Lord Henry feels guilty, but I also don't think that he is as evil that everyone else seems to think he is. As I have said before, he is just experimenting on Dorian, and seeing how people react, psychologically, to his influences.
I would agree that the ending of this book is moral for some characters but not for others. Dorian dies as an old man that nobody even recognizes. In fact, the only way they recognize him is because of the rings on his fingers. However, what about Lord Henry? Did he get what he deserved? Yes Sonny, his wife left him, but he had also lied throughout the book saying he didn't have a good relationship with her. So is that perhaps what he wanted?
I agreee with Adam, I think that Dorian just comes to a point where he can't take the paiting anymore. I think that he wanted to give anything to start over again and I think by destroying the painting it would be like a recleansing.
I think stabbing the painting was a way for Dorian to rid himself of the evil. I do not know if he knew it was going to kill him, but I think that Dorian thought it would rid himself of the corruption that has already taken place in his life.
I agree with Leanne on the message of the book. I think it is saying that trying to be someone else, leads to destruction and a downfall. Therefore what is the good of being someone else? Be yourself and it will go smoothly.
I think that Dorian stabed the picture in order to attempt to resurect himself and to eliminate the sins which he has committed. As he attempts in these final chapters to become good, he feels that in order to become good he needs to eliminate the source or evidence of his sins.
I agree with Nathan, I think that Dorian tried to destroy the painting to purge himself of the evil it represents. I do not think that it was the removal of Dorian from true aestheticism, because the painting reflected that Dorian did not truly want to become a moral man. It just showed that he was hypocritical.
Also, I think that stabbing the painting is a way for the reader to kind of look back at the stabbing of Basil, and recognize his greatest downfall and relate it to when he is trying to rid his life of corruption.
David makes a great point. Dorian really is trying to release himself from his conscience. However, I don't know if I agree with David that he wants to cut it off so that he can always be bad. Do you think it is maybe because he wanted to get rid of his guilt and past so that he can start over.
I think that Dorian is only attempting to kill off his evil half. I don't think that he thought that through slicing the painting that he would actually be killing himself. He thought that he would just be freeing his soul and relieving him of the evil that has overtaken him.
I agree with Smith that Dorian is just trying to get rid of the painting as a easy way to start his own life. He thinks that he should be better after just one simple act, and he gets mad. He is still corrrupted and evil.
I agree with Smith. I think that Dorian wants to change because he is sick of worrying about the painting. He doesn't want to have to walk around with the painting over his head anymore.
i agree with what jess has said about dorian killing only his evil self. he does want to change and i dont think he fully comprehends that destroying the painting he will destroy himself.
I think that Basil knew there was a lot of life in the painting, as well. However, I do think that he told people about it. He told Lord Henry that he put a large part of himself into the painting, and he could never see it sold. I think Basil showed Lord Henry that the painting was significant, he just did not realize that it would take control of Dorian.
Zach, I completely agree with you, depending on the person. I think many people change because their conscience makes them feel guilty, however, some people truly change because of a change of heart.
So going along with what Matt said about the knife killing the artist, and trying to kill the art, is Wilde saying that art is stronger than life, and can remain forever. This is because even after he stabbed the painting, the painting survived and went back to its origianl look.
I agree with Katie that he stabbed the painting in the heart to show the painting is like a living human. No one would stab someone in the leg if they were trying to kill them. Most of the time it is the chest area.
I think that he didn't burn it first was because he viewed the painting like a human and he felt that he first needed to kill the painting and then dispose of the evidence much like what he did with Basil.
We are reading way too much into the "symbols" of this book. The knife was used because he killed Basil with it and he knows he can use it again. Also, I don't think there is symbolic significance concerning where he stabbed. It really doesn't matter that much.
Dorian is incapable of emotion because all of his emotion manifests itself in the painting. He becomes one-demensional when he decides that his life/body will revolve only around beauty.
Levi makes a great point. And that relates right back to what I had to say. Art is useless so we shouldn't judge it, but if we do obsess and admire it, then we can't be forgiven. Look at Dorian.
35 Comments:
I believe this book is immoral (Not necessarily a bad thing) in the fact that it holds true to Lord Henry's statement that immoral books show the world their own shame. This book definitely succeeds in showing society for what it truly is and what it can drive people to do.
i think the book is moral because it shows at the end when he tries to destroy the soul, he takes on the full burden on what his soul has endured during his life
I think this book is not immoral or moral. It is hard to say. It all comes down to opinion. This book could be moral to one person but to the next person the book could be immoral. very hard to say. Comes down to ones beliefs
I think that this is an immoral book. Wilde spends most of the book trying to justify the actions of the characters through means of "pursuing art or pleasure" and finally tells the world not to judge the book because he says that a book cannot be moral or immoral. Then, in the last few chapters of the book, Wilde himself calls it immoral: "The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame." What a cover up. Wilde knows that the book will be seen as immoral because he himself sees it as immoral; he just does not want you to judge the morality of his book.
I agree with the idea that the book is moral. In the end, Dorian suffers his worst fate. He dies a crippled, ugly old man to whom nobody loves. He is repaid for his sins which he committed.
I think a message Wilde is trying to get across through this book is that people try to portray themselves differently and ultimitely in the end it leads to the destruction of man kind.
I agree with Scott that all consequences will get to him sometimes. Even though they do not punish Dorian, right away, at the end he pays the ultimate price.
I agree with Marie. Dorian is more mad at Basil for the painting while Lord Henry is the one who corrupted him. But I think Dorian is stubborn and does not want to realize and admit that he was corrupted.
Ok, so at the begining of the book, Lord Henry seems to be the all knowing character, but as the book nears the end he becomes another character in the dark and Dorian becomes the all knowing one. What do you think that says about these characters and how we view them on the "hell" unit spectrum?
I don't think that Lord Henry feels guilty, but I also don't think that he is as evil that everyone else seems to think he is. As I have said before, he is just experimenting on Dorian, and seeing how people react, psychologically, to his influences.
I would agree that the ending of this book is moral for some characters but not for others. Dorian dies as an old man that nobody even recognizes. In fact, the only way they recognize him is because of the rings on his fingers. However, what about Lord Henry? Did he get what he deserved? Yes Sonny, his wife left him, but he had also lied throughout the book saying he didn't have a good relationship with her. So is that perhaps what he wanted?
I agreee with Adam, I think that Dorian just comes to a point where he can't take the paiting anymore. I think that he wanted to give anything to start over again and I think by destroying the painting it would be like a recleansing.
I think stabbing the painting was a way for Dorian to rid himself of the evil. I do not know if he knew it was going to kill him, but I think that Dorian thought it would rid himself of the corruption that has already taken place in his life.
I agree with Leanne on the message of the book. I think it is saying that trying to be someone else, leads to destruction and a downfall. Therefore what is the good of being someone else? Be yourself and it will go smoothly.
I think that Dorian stabed the picture in order to attempt to resurect himself and to eliminate the sins which he has committed. As he attempts in these final chapters to become good, he feels that in order to become good he needs to eliminate the source or evidence of his sins.
I agree with Nathan, I think that Dorian tried to destroy the painting to purge himself of the evil it represents. I do not think that it was the removal of Dorian from true aestheticism, because the painting reflected that Dorian did not truly want to become a moral man. It just showed that he was hypocritical.
Also, I think that stabbing the painting is a way for the reader to kind of look back at the stabbing of Basil, and recognize his greatest downfall and relate it to when he is trying to rid his life of corruption.
David makes a great point. Dorian really is trying to release himself from his conscience. However, I don't know if I agree with David that he wants to cut it off so that he can always be bad. Do you think it is maybe because he wanted to get rid of his guilt and past so that he can start over.
I think that Dorian is only attempting to kill off his evil half. I don't think that he thought that through slicing the painting that he would actually be killing himself. He thought that he would just be freeing his soul and relieving him of the evil that has overtaken him.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Why do you think that Dorian choose to stab the paining in the heart?
I agree with Smith that Dorian is just trying to get rid of the painting as a easy way to start his own life. He thinks that he should be better after just one simple act, and he gets mad. He is still corrrupted and evil.
I agree with Smith. I think that Dorian wants to change because he is sick of worrying about the painting. He doesn't want to have to walk around with the painting over his head anymore.
Dorian wanted to start a new life, and get rid of all sins. That is why he stabbed the painting. Not necessarily to change but forget the past.
i agree with what jess has said about dorian killing only his evil self. he does want to change and i dont think he fully comprehends that destroying the painting he will destroy himself.
I think that Basil knew there was a lot of life in the painting, as well. However, I do think that he told people about it. He told Lord Henry that he put a large part of himself into the painting, and he could never see it sold. I think Basil showed Lord Henry that the painting was significant, he just did not realize that it would take control of Dorian.
Zach, I completely agree with you, depending on the person. I think many people change because their conscience makes them feel guilty, however, some people truly change because of a change of heart.
So going along with what Matt said about the knife killing the artist, and trying to kill the art, is Wilde saying that art is stronger than life, and can remain forever. This is because even after he stabbed the painting, the painting survived and went back to its origianl look.
I agree with Katie that he stabbed the painting in the heart to show the painting is like a living human. No one would stab someone in the leg if they were trying to kill them. Most of the time it is the chest area.
I think that he didn't burn it first was because he viewed the painting like a human and he felt that he first needed to kill the painting and then dispose of the evidence much like what he did with Basil.
We are reading way too much into the "symbols" of this book. The knife was used because he killed Basil with it and he knows he can use it again. Also, I don't think there is symbolic significance concerning where he stabbed. It really doesn't matter that much.
Dorian is incapable of emotion because all of his emotion manifests itself in the painting. He becomes one-demensional when he decides that his life/body will revolve only around beauty.
Levi makes a great point. And that relates right back to what I had to say. Art is useless so we shouldn't judge it, but if we do obsess and admire it, then we can't be forgiven. Look at Dorian.
i agree with Jeff. We are looking way into this book. We are focusing on littel details that really don't matter.
i think the overall end message is to be yourslef and not to let your physical appearance define who you are
Post a Comment
<< Home