Chapter 7

Kaitlyn Liu

Part 1: Themes & Analysis

Thesis Statement

In Chapter 7 of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde masterfully delves into the themes of aestheticism, love, and duplicity, as he examines the nature of art and its profound impact on existence. Through the skillful implementation of metaphors, irony, and paradoxes, Wilde explores the inherent imitation of art within life and the perilous illusion it can engender, ultimately leading to a path of ruin and tragedy for all those who get ensnared in its trap.

Central Themes

I. Art & The Imitation of Life

In this chapter of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde delves into the way art manifests in one's life, demonstrating how when one becomes over-reliant on examining life through the rose-colored lens of art, it blurs the definitions between illusion and reality, thus resulting in tragedy and ruin.

"You have killed my love... I loved you because you were marvelous, because you had genius and intellect, because you realized the dreams of great poets and gave shape and substance to the shadows of art..."

As seen through this quote, Dorian has fallen into the trap of believing in art above real life. He had fallen in love with the version of Sibyl he saw on stage, rather than the real Sibyl. Now that the the illusion has been broken, he cannot deal with the disappointment of the fact that reality is not as perfect as the one depicted on stage. Essentially, he had sacrificed a real relationship; a chance to wholeheartedly have a kinship with someone, for a fictionalized one. This "fake" love is exemplified with his reference to "the dreams of great poets" and "the shadows of art", which alludes to the romantic ideals associated with artistic inspiration and creativity, revealing that what he expects from Sibyl as a lover, is a beautiful dream-like demonstration of art, rather than the more crucial expectation of love and companionship. The truth is that Dorian's romance with Sibyl was purely composed of the romantic characters (e.g. Juliet) she played and the drama of each nightly performance. To witness a beautiful girl's death on stage, only to find her alive and radiant backstage, creates a supernatural existence that is inherently fleeting. The peril Dorian experiences, when he metaphorically declared that Sibyl's inability to perform perfectly "killed (his) love", lies in perceiving life solely through the filter of art, as one must maintain a distance to preserve the illusion that beautiful art creates. Dorian embodies this predicament, and his reaction in this quote teaches readers that the deeper one immerses themselves in art or develops an excessive love for it and little beyond it, the more they risk encountering a form of demise or death, be it the destruction of one's own self, or of others.

"before I knew you, acting was the one reality of my life... You had brought me something higher, something of which all art is but a reflection. You had made me understand what love really is."

On the other hand, Sibyl is the exact opposite to Dorian. In this quote, she compares how her perspective on art has changed after her relationship with Dorian. In the past, she has been overly reliant on her relationship with art, as it creates a beautiful escape and facade that masks her often sad, bleak reality. However, now that a more happy reality spent with Dorian is presented to her, she sees that real life can indeed be as beautiful as her artistic reality. She has understood that despite the close connections between art and life, a real life relationship will always be more meaningful than one acted out on stage. Thus, this quote acts as a pivotal moment for her as a character, given that she is no longer driven by the influence of tired-out female roles, but is instead becoming her own self—a girl with individual values and understandings of both art and life.

Though Sibyl is quite a thinly drawn character, through her perspective of art, she forces readers to question what art fundamentally is and to what extent its effects are positive. Furthermore, she acts as a symbol representing the consequences of the aestheticist and hedonist philosophies in which individuals like Dorian place beauty and self-pleasure above consideration for others.

This concept of art and Dorian's falsified illusion claiming it to be an integral part of reality, ironically references a quote from the preface, in which Wilde declared that "all art is quite useless". Through the use of dramatic irony, this line from the preface serves as a warning for later events of the story, in which Dorian takes art, something that is meant to be "useless" and separate from reality, too literally and believes in it too deeply, which horrifically results in cruel actions from Dorian and immense suffering for Sibyl.

Furthermore, as a piece of art itself, the novel invites us to question its form and purpose, as the argument of the preface suggests.

II. Juxtaposing Views on Love

Throughout this chapter, a recurring theme is the definition of love. The narrative centers around the love between Dorian and Sibyl, and all four characters (Dorian, Henry, Basil and Sibyl) have their own perspective on the meaning of love. Henry, and a Dorian heavily influenced by Henry's theories take on a more jaded, cynical view on love. They both believe that art goes above love, whereas Basil and Sibyl hold more genuine beliefs—that love has the power to transcend art, beauty and even create a better reality.

Dorian

"You have killed my love... Without your art you are nothing."

Dorian takes on a very aestheticist and hedonist view on love. What Dorian loves most about Sibyl is her talent as an actress—her ability to portray an ideal, not her true, authentic self. Once again, it is evident that Dorian's affection for Sibyl is not genuine but rather directed towards the the narratives she can weave and the personas she can embody. Once she ceases to be a source of artistic expression, she becomes "shallow and unworthy", devoid of any significance. The line "without your art you are nothing", shows that Dorian's ties a person's significance directly to their art. Throughout the chapter, Dorian deceives himself by blaming his losing feelings for Sibyl on her bad performance, but in truth, it's his own cruel, warped views that are causing him to degrade Sibyl. In this chapter, Dorian's cruelty has even gone beyond behavior backed by aestheticism or hedonism. He tells Sibyl that without her artistic talent, she is only reduced to a "A third-rate actress with a pretty face". This goes to show that not even beauty and pleasure are enough for Dorian's definition of love. He is essentially only willing to accept someone who is not only beautiful and innocent, but also extremely artistically gifted, and is able to consistently show up perfectly. The extent of his standards and the lengths of cruelty he goes to demonstrates his poisonous perspective on love, causing readers to can't help but wonder whether Dorian is even capable of something as humane and inevitably imperfect as love.

Henry

"They are both simply forms of imitation... She is very lovely, and if she knows as little about life as she does about acting, she will be a delightful experience."

According to Lord Henry, love doesn't inherently have any intrinsic or irreplaceable value. Though it isn't specifically indicated in this chapter, Henry views love and marriage as a social construct rather than an integral part of one's life. Instead, he prioritizes beauty and seeking pleasures above it all, in turn simplifying and degrading the essence of love. This cynical view of love is displayed through his monologue after Dorian's devastation regarding Sibyl's poor performance, in which he tells him that "She is very lovely, and if she knows as little about life as she does about acting, she will be a delightful experience." Even when Dorian is starting to doubt his feelings towards Sibyl, rather than point out her strength in character, talent, or even create an excuse for her bad performance in hopes to salvage their love, Henry immediately jumps to the reassurance of how she will be "delightful". It goes to show how Henry views everything and everyone, especially women as objects—beautiful items that act as a tool for life's imitation and simply be a fun delight. According to Henry, a pretty face and a sense of innocence or ignorance, due to the "knows little about life", deems enough for traits to look for in a compatible love interest. A major reason as to why Dorian has such a jaded view on love is also partially due to Henry's both liberating and poisonous influences.

Basil

"Love is a more wonderful thing than Art."

According to Basil, love is beautiful and above all else. Basil's statement emphasizes that love surpasses the beauty and significance of art, positioning it as a "more wonderful thing." By expressing his belief that love holds greater value, Basil implies that the emotional connection and depth experienced in a loving relationship are more meaningful and fulfilling than any additional artistic qualities or talents a person may possess. In this chapter, he tries to stop Dorian from talking badly about Sibyl, the person he loves, but he doesn't have a very captivating influence on Dorian, which is why Dorian doesn't listen nor accept his perspective.

Sibyl

"I have grown sick of shadows. You are more to me than all art can ever be."

Sibyl's perception of love undergoes significant transformation in this chapter. Prior to meeting Dorian, acting was her sole reality, and she believed in the truth and authenticity of the theatrical world. However, through Dorian's entrance into her life, he became her "beautiful love" and freed her from the confines of her previous existence. He revealed to her the true nature of reality and taught her what love genuinely is. Sibyl's perception shifts, and she becomes conscious of the superficiality of the theater. She realizes that the words her characters speak no longer feel genuine or aligned with her inner desires. Essentially, her definition of love is something tangible; she has felt something real and genuine for once in her life, that the facade of her art is no longer enough for her. Earlier on, when Sibyl declares her love for Dorian, she says "'Dorian,'... lingering over his name with long-drawn music in her voice, as though it were sweeter than honey to the red petals of her mouth." This use of whimsical, musical imagery evokes a sense of sensuality and demonstrates the raw emotion Sibyl feels towards Dorian. She is unable to contain her love, that even the mentioning of his name is delightful and sweet. At the end of the day, Sibyl is the only one who is truly in love out of these four characters, as she genuinely loves Dorian more than her art. Sybil has "grown sick of" art and given up on art because, to her, life is so much more real and wonderful. The simple truth is that the only way Sibyl could love Dorian is if she let go of her art, as it was creating a mirage of false reality that prevented her from living and feeling in the moment. Thus, her own love also resulted in her own doom, as Dorian couldn't see past the fact that she had marred her art. Sibyl's innocent genuineness juxtaposes the poisonous perceptions exacerbated by Dorian and Henry, further highlighting the cruelty that her bona fide confessions were reciprocated with.

III. Duplicity: Morality vs. Cruelty

Moving onto later in the chapter, when Dorian returns home and finds that his beloved portrait has altered, Wilde does a deep dive into the theme of duplicity at play, highlighting the blurry line between morality and cruelty.

“He had uttered a mad wish that he himself might remain young, and the portrait grow old; that his own beauty might be untarnished, and the face on the canvas bear the burden of his passions and his sins... there was the picture before him, with the touch of cruelty in the mouth.”

This is a pivotal point for Dorian, as it is the first time he witnesses a change in his portrait. Given that the audience already knows that the portrait has been attributed with a connection towards Dorian's soul and conscience, through the use of gothic imagery and dramatic irony, Wilde demonstrates how Dorian isn't willing to accept the fact that aesthetic, narcissistic ideals are actually jeopardizing his morals. It's clear to the audience that as Dorian continues to act in a sinful, cruel way (i.e. prioritizing art above the person he "loves"), the "touch of cruelty" will continue to increase. The painting does not exist in a moral vacuum. Instead, the painting both shows the deleterious effects of sin and also gives Dorian a sense of freedom from morality, given that the portrait will conceal the reality of Dorian's immoral acts, thus preserving the beauty and youth he is so obsessed with. Therefore, the painting is an object of duplicity—it is influenced by morality, but it also influences morality. The shielding nature of the portrait means that Dorian doesn't need to bear the responsibility of having his actions be displayed to the rest of Victorian society through his own self, destroying the deterrence for sin. The portrait thus creates a clear distinction between his appearance that remains innocent, "moral" and stagnant and his inner morality that falls into further corruption.

These two quotes on the right completely juxtapose each other, and displays the reasons behind Dorian's choices to jump from cruelty to morality, or vice versa. Originally, he strongly believed that his cruel rejection towards Sibyl was merely an expected reaction, and it was her fault that love had "mar[red her] art ". Thus, why he claims that "it was the girl's fault, not his". However, after discovering that the painting had began to alter, he starts to realize the reality of his sins. He begins to bash himself for his actions, declaring that he won't go back to Lord Henry and will make amends to Sibyl. Going back to the aspect of duplicity, Wilde makes sure that he still instills some form of morality within Dorian. Rather than turn Dorian into a complete monster, he leaves some ambiguity so that readers will still empathize with Dorian's character. Dorian does use cruel excuses to justify his actions, "It was the girl's fault, not his... she had disappointed him", but also does try to redeem himself, claiming that "He would go back to Sibyl Vane", thus creating a paradox between morality and cruelty. However, Wilde also employs irony in this quote to show that Dorian has indeed been corrupted nontheless. Dorian is only willing to see the reality of his behavior, the effects it has had on people and feel remorse when something to do with his appearance or beauty is affected, in this case, the portrait. It's clear that it isn't genuine sorrow he feels for Sibyl, but rather pity for his beautiful portrait. Essentially, Dorian's only incentive to turn back from cruelty to morality is to preserve this painting. Thus, it is a very meek, in-genuine declaration that forces readers to doubt his true intentions regarding whether he is still in tact with his morality or not.

"Cruelty! Had he been cruel? It was the girl’s fault, not his. He had dreamed of her as a great artist, had given his love to her because he had thought her great. Then she had disappointed him."

VS.

"But he would not sin... He would not see Lord Henry any more... He would go back to Sibyl Vane, make her amends, marry her, try to love her again. Yes, it was his duty to do so."

Besides, an important detail to note is the use of hidden meaning within Sibyl's name. In Greek, it means "prophetess" or "oracle", acting as a key foreshadowing tool for future events in the story. Whereas her last name "Vane" is very similar to "vain", which could refer to two things. Firstly, to Dorian's vain, narcissistic, conceited character. Second, to the fact that Sibyl's story was one destined to end in tragedy and failure (as vain also means something to be "marked by futility"), because at the end of the day, Victorian society only cares about her (as a poor female artist) artistic and aesthetic abilities. This highlights the duplicity within Sibyl as a character, who is an oracle, a guidance into the future, but is also a symbol for narcissism and uselessness.

Red-figure bell-krater depicting Orestes visiting Delphi to request help from Apollo and Athena (4th Century BC)

Bonus: The Language of Flowers

"The curves of her throat were like the curves of a white lily."

White lilies are heavily associated with the Virgin Mary, so through this simile, Wilde reinforces the idea of purity and virginity, as related to Sibyl. In this moment, Sybil is in the middle of a representation of Romeo and Juliet playing as Juliet, who is also a character known for her feminine purity. Furthermore, according to Mandy Kirby’s Victorian flower dictionary, to compare a woman to a lily, or to adorn her with lilies, was to pay the highest of compliments. Thus, the fact that Dorian had paid the "highest of compliments" to Sibyl highlights the fact that he originally did love and respect her (even if it was only for her art), yet these feelings still weren't enough for him to choose to stay with Sibyl.

"A low moan broke from her, and she flung herself at his feet and lay there like a trampled flower."

This quote serves as a juxtaposition to the previous description of Sibyl as a white lily. While performing, she was a pure, innocent lily, however, after Dorian confessed that he was disappointed in her and no longer loved her, the majestic lily was destroyed, replaced by a defeated, "trampled flower". This use of floral imagery accurately demonstrates the effect that Dorian has had on Sibyl, in that it caused her to completely lose composure and self-respect. Flowers are only recognized for their natural beauty and as soon as it is trampled, it loses its vanity. Furthermore, it hints that her original purity may also be trampled, given that she got a taste of cruel reality. The bubble of love she was in was popped by Dorian, and she will never be able to return to her original self (the "white lily") that was untouched by the bloody hands of sin.

"The air was heavy with the perfume of the flowers, and their beauty seemed to bring him an anodyne for his pain."

After leaving the theatre, Dorian spends some time wandering the city in a hazy daze. In this quote, the theme of hedonism is very prominent, in which the sensual pleasure that the "perfume of the flowers" provides acts as an "anodyne", or painkiller, "for his pain". This reveals how hedonistic ideals have heavily integrated into Dorian's life, that such little beauties have the ability to alleviate his pain. However, this quote also demonstrates how Dorian victimized himself in this situation, pitying himself for his pain, even though he had consciously decided that without her art, Sibyl was unworthy of his love, while on the other hand, she was in much more pain being on the receiving end of his cruel words.

"A long line of boys carrying crates of striped tulips, and of yellow and red roses, defiled in front of him"

In this instance of floral imagery, Wilde makes a clear reference to the colors of yellow and red. Throughout the book, the color yellow is representative of the "Yellow Book", illicit French novels of the fin de siècle, which played a huge role in fostering the sadistic tendencies and fueled many of Dorian's eventual hedonistic desires. In addition, Wilde uses the colors white and red to symbolize the contrast between Dorian's initial innocence and the darkness and blood that later scars his soul—a divergence that grows ever stronger through the course of the book. The mentioning of these two colors at this point in the story highlights how Dorian's brutality towards Sibyl is a pivotal starting point for his eventual tragic and bloody moral corruption.

Part 2: Artistic & Contemporary Connections

Film & Literature

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix (Book - 2003, Film - 2007)

"We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on... that's who we really are." - Sirius Black (J.K. Rowling)

I think this quote accurately demonstrates Dorian's struggle with morality in this chapter. For me, the portrait symbolizes the battle that is going on inside Dorian's heart regarding who he truly is and what his values are, which is directly reflected in him, his friends and his actions. The good, or "light" side of him is represented by Basil, who prioritizes loyalty, love and the importance of friendship. In chapter 7, Dorian is still somewhat attached to his morals, which is why "a feeling of infinite regret came over him, as he thought of her lying at his feet sobbing like a little child." However, he still acted on his cruel, critical side that treated Sibyl as a "shallow and unworthy" disappointment. Thus, the selfish, immoral and "dark" part of him is represented by Lord Henry, who fostered his originally dormant cruelty. This quote accurately symbolizes how the portrait carries his age and the weight of his sins, reflecting them back to him: "The picture, changed or unchanged, would be to him the visible emblem of conscience." In this chapter, the portrait represents both the good and evil in Dorian, making him conscious of his relationships with Sibyl and Lord Henry. Nobody is intrinsically moral or immoral, but it's most likely that Henry simply helped Dorian see those dark views on life, which made him chose to act on them, not considering the impact it could have on others.

Tangled (2010)

In Tangled, Mother Gothel is the perfect example of a narcissist, serving as a fictional contemporary parallel to Dorian's self-absorbed character. In the movie, Gothel has no use for Rapunzel as a person, and only cares about her hair. Throughout the whole movie, when Gothel professes her love to Rapunzel and touches her lovingly, it’s always only to Rapunzel’s hair. Comparing Tangled to Dorian and Sibyl's relationship, Dorian is exactly like Gothel. He "loved" Sibyl purely for superficial things, such as her art and beauty, since both characters had something to gain from that "love". Gothel would be able to stay young with the magic in Rapunzel's beautiful locks, and Dorian would fulfill his Henry-influenced aestheticist desires stemming from "(choosing) friends for their good looks" and "acquaintances for their good characters" through having a beautiful, youthful and talented actress by his side. Yet, the moment those external qualities disappeared, Sibyl or Rapunzel would cease to mean anything to them. Hence, Dorian's reassurance of "You are nothing to me now". On the other hand, Sibyl's character is incredibly similar to Rapunzel, because they both love their partner/mother whole-heartedly, oblivious of the cruel intentions behind their supposedly reciprocated feelings. However, a big difference between the two stories is that Dorian had subconsciously prioritized art and beauty above love, which ended up cruelly manifesting in his actions, whereas Gothel intentionally chose to deceive Rapunzel, directly exploiting her innocence and vulnerability.

Classical/Mythological Allusions

Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet

In the beginning of the chapter, Sibyl is acting as Juliet in the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet.

"When she leaned over the balcony and came to those wonderful lines—

Although I joy in thee,

I have no joy of this contract to-night:

It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;

Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be

Ere one can say, “It lightens.” Sweet, good-night!

This bud of love by summer’s ripening breath

May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet—"

This allusion to the famous tragedy of Romeo & Juliet is actually very ironic. The story of Romeo & Juliet is tragic yet genuine—despite the short-lived time frame of their relationship, the two lovers were absolutely infatuated with each other, and it was fate that resulted in their eventual demise. On the other hand, though Sibyl and Dorian's relationship did end badly too, the reason was due to unrequited love and the vain, cruel perceptions Dorian had. Originally, stories like that of Romeo & Juliet were Sibyl's only form of escape from her reality, and she thought that she had finally found something more beautiful in her love with Dorian in real life, only to be met with harsh rejection even more tragic than the doom depicted in the narratives she acted out. Thus, this allusion forces readers to make the comparison between the message that "love can conquer all" and sacrificial nature of love depicted in Romeo & Juliet with the shallow romance between Sibyl and Dorian that was developed purely based on obsessions over art and beauty. This allusion clearly highlights the idiocy and contradictory nature of Dorian's perception of love—that loving someone's art equates to loving the person. Furthermore, this allusion to Romeo & Juliet also has a foreshadowing effect, when Sibyl says, "It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden; Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be", this hints to the nearing demise of their "rash", "unadvised" love.

Romeo and Juliet by Frank Bernard Dicksee (1884)

Actaeon and Artemis by Lynet McDonald (2014)

Greek Mythology: Actaeon and Artemis

According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, Actaeon, out on a hunt, stumbled upon Artemis while she was bathing at a spring. Outraged and embarrassed that he had seen her naked, she punished him by destroying his power of speech and turning him into a stag, with antlers and a shaggy coat. Similarly to this chapter of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian was captivated by Sibyl's purity and artistic beauty, just as Actaeon was mesmerized with Artemis's feminine beauty and innocence. Artemis also acts as a huge inspiration for Sibyl's character, as Artemis is known for representing the purity of the self identification discovery stage of female adolescence. Artemis is also known as the protector of women's virginity, and the parallel allusion in this chapter is how Dorian destroyed Sibyl's purity when he decided to leave no mercy after his disappointment. As the ending of Actaeon and Artemis' story is Actaeon's self-destruction, it serves as a correspondence to the similar destruction of Dorian's morality. Though he was slowly being corrupted already due to exposure of aesthetic philosophies, when Sibyl didn't perform well and broke the facade of a perfect, innocent artist, it served as a catalyst for Dorian's continuous moral destruction—just as Actaeon lost his power of speech, Dorian embarked on a journey of self-destruction, in which he gradually loses his morality.

Modern Society

Cancel Culture

Cancel culture is a phrase contemporary to the late 2010s and early 2020s used to refer to a cultural phenomenon in which some who are deemed to have acted or spoken in an unacceptable manner are ostracized, boycotted, or shunned. The victims of cancel culture are generally celebrities, who get called out by people on the internet for saying or doing offensive things. The impacts of cancel culture can range from de-platforming to the complete ruin of one's career. However, the psychology behind cancel culture is actually very simple. The truth is that people subconsciously view celebrities as these perfect, un-attainable items of art, rather than as humans who have emotions and feelings.

Therefore, as a society, we derive satisfaction from revealing the "humanity" that is concealed by the celebrity halo-effect. People are so quick to call out celebrities for any small mistakes or imperfections they show, because it's considered surprising when that facade of perfection is broken—when turns out, celebrities aren't just beautiful faces we see on television or familiar voices we hear from a speaker, but rather real people, who will inevitably slip up sometimes. Thus, the social expectation that celebrities should be perfect, "beyond human" and constantly representative of their art means that people hold them to a much higher moral standard. The exact same behavior conducted by a celebrity would be met with much more controversy than a regular person, even though at the end of the day, everyone is the same. Although cancel culture generally does involve quite serious topics and scandals, the basic psychology of this phenomenon easily connects to the way Dorian views Sibyl in chapter 7. Because Dorian's sole impression of Sibyl is her art, it is completely jarring to him when he finds out that she has personality, desires and depth beyond it. He is unwilling to accept that she is actually a human with flaws and authenticity; preferring her to remain a perfect piece of art (that can only be truly kept that way from a distance).

The Objectification of Women

A prominent issue explored in chapter 7 was the objectification of women, which is especially perpetuated by Lord Henry. Henry refers to Sibyl as "one of the loveliest creatures", a "delightful experience", and when Dorian is disappointed at Sibyl's lousy performance, he replies, "She is beautiful. What more can you want?" Though Henry's vain remarks are based off of aestheticism ideals, it heavily relates to the modern issue of de-grading women to objects of beauty, rather than as human beings with depth and character.

For instance, within mainstream pop culture, a lot of media or advertisements are guilty of setting a standard of beauty that is impossibly high. People, especially young and vulnerable girls, do not realize that on the covers of magazines, most of the models that are considered ethereal and gorgeous have been greatly photoshopped, have a full face of heavy makeup, and spend hours getting ready to look the way they do. Unfortunately, this unrealistically high standard of beauty is poisoning the minds of women and girls who do not realize how unrealistic it is for them to expect to look like them. This toxic beauty standard sends the message that in order to be appreciated and valued, one needs to be beautiful because "you exist to be admired"—like some form of art piece or object. It is inherently de-humanizing. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, the first thing Lord Henry or Dorian think of when they see Sibyl is her beauty, pointing out how she will be a "delightful experience". Thus, they reduce her, as an individual with emotion and talent, into a simple object of beauty and desirability. Overall, through the words of Henry, Oscar Wilde highlights the idiocy of Victorian ideals towards women, because despite numerous descriptions of Sibyl's acting talents and kind mannerisms, Henry, as a representation of society at that time, still subconsciously reduced her to a mere lovely object. Returning to the modern manifestation of this objectification, the media commonly portrays a very narrow and harmful image of successful women, which is created by men with a misogynistic perspective, subconsciously reinforcing the idea that a woman's worth lies in being objectified and appreciated by men. For instance, on sexual objectification in the media, men are often portrayed as attractive in suits, while women face unrealistic beauty standards, being shown half-naked or in sexually explicit poses. Some advertisements even depict women as subservient to men. These objectifications in the popular media creates a cycle where women internalize these standards and even start objectifying themselves.

Part 3: Creative Responses

Short Film

What is Love?

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Short Film.mov

I created this film as a response to the recurring theme of love in this chapter. As previously analyzed, each character has a very different view on love, and throughout the whole chapter, readers compare those different perspectives and explore how those views manifest in the way each character treats others (i.e. Basil believes that love > art, Dorian believes that art < love and Henry believes that both are simply forms of imitation).

In this creative response, I decided to boil the specific question of, "Who has the most accurate view on love in the story?" down to a simple, universal question of "What is love?" I filmed people saying different definitions of love, including a variety of individual interpretations as well as specific quotes from the book.

The purpose of this film is to show the personal and human side of love—that love doesn't necessarily have an accurate definition nor does it need to serve a certain purpose, as believed by characters in the novel, but is rather up to one's own interpretation. I aim to create the message that no matter the era, gender, race or even belief, love is inherently something that can always make people smile and has intrinsic beauty. As stated in the last sentence of the film, "love is a universal language that transcends space and time."

Visual Art

"The Headless Man" of the Notre Dame Cathedral

"The picture, changed or unchanged, would be to him the visible emblem of conscience."

This is an original color-pencil artwork of a statue on the Notre Dame Cathedral, known as "The Headless Man". It is located on the side wall of the cathedral, and is believed to embody a fallen or defeated soul. I thought that this was a very relevant symbol to Dorian Gray's portrait. According to some interpretations, "The Headless Man" symbolizes the tormented state of humanity, representing the sin of vanity. It is believed to serve as a physical warning for people to behave with righteousness and morality, void of overt pride and self-absorption. Similarly, Dorian's portrait serves as a moral warning to both Dorian and readers—a visualization of sins that one has committed, or so to say a "visible emblem of conscience". Both the portrait and this statue serve the function of letting people know that doing immoral things does indeed come with consequence (i.e. corruption of the painting or beheading of the sinner)

"Mater Dolorosa" (Sorrowing Virgin)

"A low moan broke from her, and she flung herself at his feet and lay there like a trampled flower."

This is an acrylic painting remake of a early Netherlandish painting created in the workshop of Dieric Bouts ( around 1480-1500). In "Mater Dolorosa", the mournful expression of the face of the Virgin, the clasped hands, and the seated position are typical representations of the mourning Madonna, an image of the Virgin Mary that represents her sorrows during the sufferings of her Son. I decided to recreate this painting because it heavily reminded me of Sibyl's suffering. In this chapter, Sibyl is merely a victim. Her only fault was that she loved Dorian, who wasn't ready or capable to love her as her genuine, authentic self. Thus, her character is one that is innocent and pure, like the Virgin Mary, as she was always in her bubble of art, away from reality, resulting in her falling in love with Dorian so steadfastly. However, she is also sad and broken after Dorian's cruelty, in which she "flung herself at his feet", "sobbing like a little child" and "crouched on the floor like a wounded thing". This theme of unrequited love is represented in this portrait too, through the sorrowful expression and tears dripping down the Virgin's cheeks. In addition, the fact that this original painting is extremely old, created in the 14th century, goes to show that the pain women have to suffer at the hands of men is not only something timeless and perpetual, but is also especially detrimental to those that are innocent, naive and pure.

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