The Picture of Dorian Gray 7

The theme of beauty is one that is commonly addressed in The Picture of Dorian Gray.  One's appearance, as suggest by Dorian, is much more than a meaningless body that holds the soul.  This is first apparent in the beginning of the novel when Dorian becomes unreasonably distressed with the thought of physically growing older and losing his attractive appearance.  His looks, after all, are the basis for his happiness throughout the novel.  For example, Basil befriends the boy because he is attractive.   This idea is also linked into our present day society.  There is such a focus on looks and how one presents himself in society and how that will dictate one's success and how one is perceived.  Here, Dorian acknowledges that, due to his attractive appearance, he will not be questioned for the evils acts he has committed, since "those finely-shaped fingers could never have clutched a knife for sin, nor those smiling lips have cried out on God and goodness" (Wilde 128).  Had he been an unattractive man with misshapen fingers and a permanent scowl, the people present would have believed him to be a murderer, since one's physical appearance dictates how one is viewed.

The Picture of Dorian Gray 6

Vanity and hypocrisy are both common themes in The Picture of Dorian Gray.  As seen through both Dorian and Lord Henry's fixation on the physical appearance of a person, how others perceive a person is far more important than the beauty of his personality.  In addition, Basil, Lord Henry, and Dorian all act in hypocritical ways.  This is first seen with Basil in the beginning of the novel.  After declaring that art should not contain the artist's influence, he refuses to show his painting of Dorian to the world because he put too much of himself into the piece.  Practically everything Lord Henry says is hypocritical to either society or to his actions.  For example, he condemns the idea of marriage, and yet he is married.  Combining both themes of vanity and hypocrisy, Dorian claims that he "love[s] scandals about other people, but scandals about [himself] don't interest [him]" (Wilde 109).  This statement portrays the theme of vanity because Dorian cares so much about how other people view him that he does not like them talking about him or his actions.  This statement also is hypocritical.  Although Dorian does not mind, and even enjoys, the downfall of others' social status, he does not want the same to happen to him.

The Picture of Dorian Gray 1 & 2

Basil, similar to Oscar Wilde himself, is extremely contradictory, especially in his opinions about art.  In his preface, Oscar Wilde discusses how art is "useless," almost ignoring the fact that he himself is an artist (Wilde viii).  Similarly, Basil explains to Lord Henry that personal feelings should be left out of art: "An artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing of his own life into them" (Wilde 8).  This statement is most obviously contradictory and hypocritical because Basil says this after creating a painting of Dorian Gray that he claims has too much of himself in it.  If he truly felt that art should not be personal towards the artist, he could have simply painted the portrait as such.  There is also an underlying sense of uncertainty and possible hypocrisy in this statement.  Oscar Wilde was criticized by society regarding this novel because it was the common belief that the novel reflected on who Wilde was as a person and what his ideals were.  If this novel does in fact reflect Wilde and his beliefs, there is an underlying sense of hypocrisy in Basil's claiming that art should not reflect the feelings and opinions of the artist.  Based on the beginning of the novel, Basil shares the same sense of contradiction and hypocrisy as Wilde, which could possibly imply that Wilde did reflect himself in the novel.

Pride and Prejudice 12&13

"'Tis too much!' she added, 'by far too much.  I do not deserve it.  Oh! why is not everybody as happy?'" (295)

"'Your tempers are by no means unlike.  You are each of you so complying that nothing will every be resolved on; so easy that every servant will cheat you; and so generous that you will always exceed your income'" (296)

"Wickham, Lydia, were all forgotten.  Jane was beyond competition her favourite child.  At that moment, she cared for no other" (297)

"Elizabeth had now but little time for conversation with her sister; for while he was present, Jane had no attention to bestow on any one else" (297)

"But your arts arts and allurements may, in a moment of infatuation, have made him forget what he owes to himself and to all his family.  You may have drawn him in" (302)

"Because honour, decorum, prudence, nay, interest forbid it" (302)

"Do you not consider that a connection with you, must distract him in the eyes of everybody?" (302)

"She explained what its effects on her had been, and how gradually all her former prejudices had been removed" (314)

"I was spoiled by my parents, who though good themselves (my father particularly, all that was benevolent and amibale), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing, to care for none beyond my own family circle, to think meanly of all the rest of the world, to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared to my own.  Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth!  What do I not owe you!  You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous.  By you, I was properly humbled" (315)

"Your lively talents would place you in the greatest danger in an unequal marriage.  You could scarcely escape discredit and misery.  My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life" (322)

"how rich and how great you will be!  What pin-money, what jewels, what carriages you will have!  Jane's is nothing to it--nothing at all" (323)

Pride and Prejudice 11

In this section of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth finally shares her feelings of Darcy as newly changed since she received and read his letter.  The narration says that Elizabeth "often thought" about how "the proposals which she had proudly spurned only four months ago, would now have been gladly and gratefully received" (Austen 264).  At last, their romance is finally blossoming.  As opposed to the unrequited love the readers saw before, in which Darcy loved Elizabeth with no feelings in return, Elizabeth finally expresses feelings of passion and romance towards Darcy.  Even following the letter and her resulting decrease of resentment towards him, Elizabeth, until this moment, has not openly expressed feelings of love towards Darcy.   Perhaps her finally acknowledging and admitting to these feelings foreshadows the relationship that is to come towards the end of the novel.  Drastically different from her claim following his proposal, Elizabeth has realized "that he was exactly the man who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her" (Austen 264).  Not only do her realizations show a specific change in her decisions, but they show an overall change in her character.  She is finally starting to overcome the stubbornness that had become so prominent earlier in the novel, especially regarding her feelings towards Darcy.  These new feelings show both a change in her overall character and, hopefully, the beginnings of a romantic relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy.

Pride and Prejudice 6 & 7

Darcy and Elizabeth's sexual tension and increasing affection towards each other becomes increasingly known and obvious towards the reader.  In this section of reading, the same is true for the other characters.  For example, when Darcy comes to visit, Mr. Collins tells Elizabeth, "I may thank you, Eliza, for this piece of civility.  Mr. Darcy would never have come so soon to wait upon me" (Austen 146).  His saying this implies that Darcy has feelings for her, which the readers already can see, but now finally other characters are beginning to acknowledge his affection towards her.  Although Elizabeth wants to dismiss what Mr. Collins tells her, she does not.  This inability to discredit Mr. Collins's statement provides new insight to the readers.  Had she made her typical snarky remark towards Mr. Collins, despite how rude it would have been in this particular situation, the readers would have seen how she still resents Darcy.  The fact that she does not do this in an effort not to be rude, since she "had scarcely time to disclaim" this, the readers begin to question her motives and feelings, and if they are possibly, and hopefully, changing (Austen 146).

Pride and Prejudice 5

A major theme in Pride and Prejudice is that of marriage, love, and how the two are intertwined.  There are some, such as Charlotte and Mrs. Bennet who believe that one should embrace marriage "solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment" (Austen 106).  In this instance, marriage and love are two separate entities and should remain separate.  The purpose of marriage, according to Charlotte, Mrs. Bennet, and some of society at this time, is to marry a man who can take care of you monetarily.  On the other hand, those like Lizzy are challenging that belief in society.  She declines Mr. Collins's marriage proposal because she does not love him and because it is not an arrangement that she wants.  This goes against societal norms because she is expressing her own opinions, especially when they are not the common opinions regarding marriage as an arrangement of security and social status.  Jane's opinions are somewhere in between the two radical viewpoints.  She seems to really enjoy the presence of Mr. Bingley, but at the same time, he would be a good provider for her monetary and social status.