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Dorian goes from self-identification to self-destruction due to…
Dorian goes from self-identification to self-destruction due to influential mirrors
Portrait as a mirror
First mirror
Before exposure was "pure as a piece of white paper" (yz)
Realises his own beauty and youth
"the sense of his own beauty came on him like a revelation" pg.27
Acquires an identity from the portrait
"life suddenly became fiery-coloured to him" pg. 22
excited and thrilled by the change in his life
passion and curiosity
wants to keep his new 'perfect' image
regards the portrait as his second self
but, the portrait is not actually his true self, therefore Dorian's separation from himself is unescapable
independence is weakened by the portrait
not only reflects the changes, but also prognosticates what will happen
good deeds are not reflected in the portrait, conveying that he is doomed to evil and immorality
whilst he is in sorrow from discovering this, the portrait reveals his worst: the rejection stage of the doppelganger?
murders the portrait to free himself as he fails to obtain his true self image
Sibyl as a mirror
illusion of a motherly figure
'perfect' female image (yz)
"Sibyl provides Dorian a perfect mother image" (yz)
illusion of Dorian's childhood self
innocence and purity
"Dorian finds his image reflected in Sibyl" (yz)
love for Sibyl includes narcissistic qualities
Sibyl has many personalities to Dorian, yet to the reader these are all superficial as they are her 'stage' personalities.
"all great heroines of the world in one" pg.54
"one evening she is Rosalind... the next Imogen" pg.51
both of these female characters exemplify typical innocent women standards
feminine qualities
allusion
only loves her for her 'stage' personality, feeding his aesthetic lifestyle
"without your art, you are nothing" pg.85
feeds his narcissism
Basil and Henry
Basil
through the portrait, presents Dorian with a mistaken self-image
emphasises narcissism
Basil's aesthetic is positive and moral (yz)
enlightens Dorian's outlook on himself
persists to make Dorian a 'good' person and remove him from Henry
dies a "martyr's death" (yz)
"mother"
Henry
most influential mirror
shapes Dorian with powerful language
"incompetent father" for negative influence
"before encountering Henry, Dorian is as clean as a piece of white paper" (yz)
"one could not escape them" pg.22 (about words)
his language is power (Henry's)
Dorian cannot escape
"his theory of aesthetic hedonism is poisonous but delightful" (yz)
James
"true father" (yz)
helps Dorian leave the mirror stage
"Dorian becomes a lost lamb in morality" (yz) under the influence of various mirrors he cannot reject
Death
James' corpse allows Dorian to notice the punishment of evil
Relates these to his sins and immoral acts
After James' death, Dorian attempts to do a good deed to fix the painting, only to see it has just gotten worse
"in the mouth the curved wrinkle of a hypocrite" pg. 211
Loses faith and stabs the picture to try and "kill the past... the monstrous soul-life pg. 212
Quotes from article
"the more he experiences, the more he desires to own"
Summary
Dorian misrecognises himself whilst under the influence of many mirrors
Sibyl: 'imaginary, visional and mistaken identification' (yz)
'Dorian is molded by the picture' (yz)
Dorian's death was the only way to free himself from his sins and evil doings
Basil: influences through the portrait
Henry: influences through talking, theories of aesthetic hedonism
James: helps Dorian find his true self, however his past deeds cannot be undone, and thus James helps Dorian to finish his final transformation: his demise