Name: Tran Thi Bich Ngoc Group: K39A11 Literature Reflection 1 The Picture of Dorian Gray Topic: Give

your comment on Lord Henrys words to Dorian Gray in Chapter 2 One of the elements making The Picture of Dorian Gray considered Wildes masterpiece is his characterization. Characters in this novel have their own distinguishing features. In chapter 2, Wilde really succeeds in building the images of two main characters. While readers are assured of Dorians physical beauty and remarkable innocence, what makes them easily identify Lord Henry seem to be his paradoxical and seductive words. First and foremost, Lord Henrys words are full of paradoxes in his unorthodox definitions of joy, sin and courage as well as in immoral way of life which he urges Dorian to pursue. Henry believes that the only aim of life is self-development and that satisfaction of all desires is the only thing that counts. He said to Dorian that noone really had courage as all were in the selfdenial and that the body was free from the effects of sin because ones sins were borrowed. These definitions are challenging to conventional and restrictive Victorian morality. To him, conscience and morality are the two main obstacles that keep people away from their achieving their goals. Moreover, through his lecture on youth, beauty and the value of immorality, he advises Dorian to live in the new Hedonism which he espouses. He asserts that beauty has its own divine right of sovereignty and the pursuit of new sensation through art takes precedence above all else. Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you. Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing A new Hedonism... Henrys words are eventually against every social and regional morality, striking a big contrast to the whole temporary society. Through his paradoxical words, the readers can find it easy to recognize Henrys unorthodox view of life. Henrys words contain not only full of paradoxes but also dazzling seduction which stirs and changes Dorians mind. At first, his paradoxical definitions of joy, sin and courage make Dorian feel vibrating and throbbing to curious pulses. Dorian appears to find himself

deeply affected by Henry that entirely fresh influences were at work within him. They seemed to have come really from himself. He seem recognize how stirred he was by Lord Henrys words Words! Mere words! How terrible they were! How clear, vivid and cruel. One could not escape them. It is certain words in Henrys low languid voice with music of their own as sweet as that of viol or of lute that Dorian is profoundly influenced. Not only stirred, Dorian is totally instilled in Henrys enchanting words on youth, beauty and the value of immoral way of life. Henrys ideas about the wonderful but quickly fading youth especially seem to strike a chord on Dorian, waking up an immoral desire inside Dorian. Therefore, as soon as Dorian thinks of how precious his beauty is, he becomes envious of the portrait and makes a thoughtless wish that the picture will suffer the physical burden of aging while he himself will remain young and beautiful ...if I were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that for that I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that. In his mind at that time are only selfishness and self-reliance, nothing remains of his own personality. It is so obvious that Henrys seductive words not only stir but also totally change Dorians mind. In a nutshell, through conversation between Dorian and Henry at their first encounter, Henry exposes his characteristics through his paradoxical and seductive words. These insidious enchanting words are useful means for Henry to pull Dorian into gradual degradation. This distinguishing feature of Henry makes readers realize that words may be as sharp as sword and as alluring as enchantment.