Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Chapter 3.

"So that was the story of Dorian Gray's parentage.  Crudely as it had been told to him, it had yet stirred him by its suggestion of a strange, almost modern romance.  A beautiful woman risking everything for a mad passion.  A few wild weeks of happiness cut short by a hideous, treacherous crime.  Months of voiceless agony, and then a child born in pain.  The mother snatched away by death, the boy left to solitude and the tyranny of an old and loveless man.  Yes, it was an interesting background.  It posed the lad, made him more perfect as it were.  Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.  Worlds had to be in travail, that the meanest flower might blow..."

The tone of this passage was really romantic and fairy-tale-like compared to Lord Henry's "crudely" related version.  As the same story had just been told by Lord Henry's uncle, the reader sees the discrepancies in the writing styles and notices things about Lord Henry in the juxtaposition.  Lord Henry's dramatic diction reflects his romantic nature in that the reader sees how much he plays up each emotion with phrases like "voiceless agony" and "mad passion." In addition to this, this passage is a prime passage to convey Lord Henry's expertly executed artistry with words.  This single passage drew all of my attention; it's almost hypnotic the way Henry uses words.  This is an important characterization because Henry's skill with words was what captured Dorian Gray when they first met.  As uncomfortable Henry's words made him, Dorian Gray continued to seek his company because of this almost awesome power of Henry.  

Dorian Gray's parentage reminded me of that Oedipal guilt idea.  In the same way that Oedipus Rex inherited his parents' consequences, I believe Dorian Gray will suffer.  Especially because of the way Henry describes his birth, "a child born in pain," I can't help, but think Wilde will add, "and a child ending in pain," or something along those lines.  Basically I think Gray will not end well because of his mother's straying from standard societal ways. 

The syntax of the passage brings light to some ideas more than others.  Where Henry summarizes Gray's parentage in his own words, the structure of the lines are very short but vivid.  They follow that newspaper-headline sort of format.  "BEAUTIFUL WOMAN RISKS EVERYTHING FOR MAD PASSION." "MONTHS OF VOICELESS AGONY, AND THEN A CHILD BORN IN PAIN." This format enhances the function of the line.  The reader is given a repeat of what has happened in a concise but effective way.  But after the "Yes, it was an interesting background," things slow down.  The contemplative "Yes" helps in doing this because the reader senses Henry's thoughts slowing down, as well as the ellipsis at the end of the passage.  The added ellipsis also brings attention to the line preceding it because the way Henry lets the thought trail off makes the reader believe that it was an important one.  "Worlds had to be in travail, that the meanest flower might blow..."  This is a very odd line.  I think that it is just restating the line before in a prettier manner.  In order for something as beautiful as a flower to move or to sway, it needs to be disturbed by the laborious efforts of the worlds.  I think this line does not only refer to Dorian Gray's past, but also his future.  Terrible things happened to create a beautiful Dorian Gray, but in order for this beauty to persist, more terrible things have to happen.  Beauty is pain.

2 comments:

Mrs. Baione-Doda said...

A

Unknown said...

oh man..
beauty is pain.
how deep

dianee cho.
fantastic job =]
i waited to comment because i know you get a bit paranoid.