Picture Of Dorian Gray Essay, Research Paper
Art, what is Art? It is an ambiguous matter: without an exact form, an exact
meaning. Does it have any rules or restrictions? However, it can be a great
influence on the lives of people. In the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, two
lovers have fell in and out of love due to Art! Dorian Gray found Sibyl charming
because of her Art! She has not merely art, consummate art-instinct in her, but
she has personality also; and you have often told me that it is personalities,
not principles, that move the age (63). Sibyl is an actress. She is formed by
others: no self is without external influence. Therefore, Art that expresses the
self is less valuable than art which expresses the influence of others. The
special thing that made Dorian mad about her is that she is more than an
individual. I (Dorian) have seen her in every age and in every costume. Ordinary
women never appeal to one s imagination. No glamour ever transfigures them (59).
By imagination that Sibyl has the power to arouse, she can be of any
characteristics. Art has no set form, but the purpose of art is to give form to
feeling. Now, Sibyl is a person that is able to provide all kinds of feelings
that Dorian wishes to experience. Dorian finds extreme pleasure in experiencing
through all the sentiments that Sibyl gives. Being a spectator to the different
lives and stories amuses Dorian: one evening Sibyl is Juliet, next evening she
is Imogen, another night, she is Roselind. Art is something that arouse
imaginations, imaginations of the viewer. In order for imagination to live,
reality must not exist. She regarded me merely as a person in a play. She knows
nothing of life (61). Art is not real , or, rather, it forms its own type of
reality, its own world. Kbefore I knew you (Dorian), acting was the one reality
of my life. It was only in the theatre that I lived. I thought that it was all
true (95). Before Sibyl fell in love with Dorian, she lives in a world or Art, a
world of imaginations. That great pureness of Art is so powerful that she can
spiritualize her audiences, and give them a soul if they lived without one,
create the sense of beauty in people whose lives have been sordid and ugly. Art
has the power to bring people into a place where they have not been, or a place
that they don t have the opportunity to go to in the reality. Dorian has
realized, I love acting. It is so much more real than life (88). Real life is so
limited as to in acting, a man can live any scene that he can possibly think of.
Dorian s rejection of Sibyl came upon one night that Sibyl has lost her magic. A
night that her acting lost the power to attract and charm the audiences. Good
artists exist simply in what they make, and consequently are perfectly
uninteresting in what they are (64). That night, she spoke the words as though
they conveyed no meaning to her Kshe was absolutely self-contained. It was
simply bad art. She was a complete failure (93). Sibyl has become herself! She
has gotten out of the world of imagination into the real world, into what she
is, herself! Sibyl s mind is occupied by Dorian. You are more to me than all art
can ever be (96). Now, all the wonderful influences that Sibyl had, have been
wiped out, but the influence of Dorian Gray. She tried to show Dorian of her
love for him, but as the author of the book mentioned in the Preface, No artist
desires to prove anything. Sibyl is no longer an artist. There is no more
imagination for she is a person, an individual now, a Sibyl that is in love with
Dorian, and Dorian only. There is no more curiosity that Dorian can have of her.
You have killed my love (96). Dorian didn t loved Sibyl, he loves Art! How
little you can know of love, if you say it mars your art! Without your art you
are nothing (97). Anything without Art is plain to Dorian. Dorian s philosophy
of Romance is consist of infinite imaginations, beauty, personality, and
attraction of curiosity, –which is Art. Dorian have found so much imaginations
to Sibyl as she acted in Shakespare s play, but how come he could not or would
not think or indulge himself one second to imagination of his love story? Is it
because as Basil Hallward, a great artist that have painted a portrait of Dorian
Gray, said, An artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing of
his own life into them (19). Dorian Gray founded Sibyl as a beautiful creature,
but he put nothing of his own life into her. The one who Sibyl fell in love to,
is Prince Charming. It is only the life of Sibyl that is heard of from their
love affair . Dorian never really participated, he was only a spectator. After
Sybil lives in the real world, Prince Charming is killed in the world of
imagination. Art for art s sake, after Art is vanished, the relationship is
over.
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