ENGL 449 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Monthly Magazine, Improvisation

• School: University of Calgary
• Department: English
• Course: ENGL 449
• Professor: Anthony Camara

Document Summary

Henry"s influences are evident on the portrait, and on dorian, who is caught up in network of same-sex desires and influences. See page 63 henry seducing dorian outside of studio: dorian reacted right away to henry"s words; he blushes and becomes ashamed. If he hadn"t felt anything like that then he wouldn"t have understood what henry was saying. Connecting the physical to the metaphysical: the discourse of nerves and senses that finds its way into the novel, henry trying to draw out dorian"s desires, dorian"s fatal mistake is that he doesn"t take henry"s words critically. Page 67-68: dorian"s initial jealousy even hatred of the painting. Portrait suggests objectification of dorian: basil trying to possess the painting by destroying it. Page 69: dorian, henry, and basil jockeying for painting; desire is displaced onto art object. Dorian embrace painting due to henry"s speech, and thereby embrace his own objectification: dorian wants to have that eternal beauty.