12/1/08 - Chapter 6 of The Picture of Dorian Gray
Aim: How important is Wilde's credo "Art for Art sake" in Chapter six and What is the difference between Love and infatuation?
Do Now: begin a journal entry with I have been infatuated with... and the reason why.
Do Now: begin a journal entry with I have been infatuated with... and the reason why.
I have been infatuated with technology ever since I was in kindergarten. This is because I am curious about and have a knack for technology. I do not like to sit by the way side and just let something be. I like to know how things work and why they work. Besides making life easier, this is why I am infatuated with technology.Interpretive: Please cite sources/find text support for your answers.
Why does Lord Henry feel there is a class conflict between Dorian and Sibyl?
Literary Device/techniques:
“But think of Dorian's birth, and position, and wealth. It would be absurd for him to marry so much beneath him.”How can we compare and contrast both Sibyl and Dorian to Shakespeare's Juliet and Romeo?
In their society, Sibyl can be seen as the low of the low while Dorian can be compared to a king. They each belong to two different classes of society that normally do not cross. Now in Romeo and Juliet, they both had belonged to different rival families. Because there is a rivalry, there should be no consideration that two would like to marry, much like the problem with Sibyl and Dorian. However, both the play and the novel have their characters marry against all olds. The difference between the play and novel is that Sibyl and Dorian have an issue of class while Romeo and Juliet have an issue with families."I represent to you all the sins you have never had the courage to commit" (Lord Henry)
Another comparison could be made directly between Juliet and Sibyl. Both of them had killed themselves over their lover.
Lord Henry, from this quote, can be seen as a devil figure. After all, Lord Henry is the only one, so far, who has been controlling and manipulative. Now because he is the devil, of course he will represent all the evil and all the sins that Dorian could never even think of.
How is Dorian's feelings about Sibyl ironic?
Comprehension:
What is ironic about Dorian’s feelings about Sibyl is that Dorian has fallen in love with the characters that Sibyl plays. He has not fallen in love with the actual Sibyl. Once Dorian starts to see the real Sibyl instead of the actress Sibyl, he becomes confused and annoyed/angry. How can you love someone so much then hate them with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns just for not “putting on a good show.” “You [Sibyl] have killed my love.”How is the physical description of Sibyl a foreshadowing of her bad performance?
The keywords such as “white lily” and “cool ivory” not only foreshadow her bad performance, as Dorian and company were cold to her, but they also foreshadow her death.What allusions are referenced/cited in these chapters?
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Messalina
Narcissus
Forest of Arden
Orchard in Veronica
Prig
Puritan
Medieval Era
Chapter 7
Miranda
Caliban
Romeo and Juliet
Rosalind and Orlando
Portia
Beatrice
Cordelia
How Does Dorian describes Sibyl's acting?
Connect:
"Horribly! It was dreadful. Are you ill? You have no idea what it was. You have no idea what I suffered." So now it is all about Dorian; he was embarrassed because he made Sibyl seem so perfect, and now she acted terrible in front of his company (Basil and Lord Henry). “You [Sibyl] have killed my love.”
How is Aestheticism and Decadence evident in Chapter six?
Critical Thinking:
Aestheticism is present all over Chapter six. The whole concept of chapter six is to provide more information about this Sibyl Vane person who both Basil and Lord Henry have never seen or heard of before. Because Dorian fell in love with Sibyl for her acting and her good looks, throughout chapter six, Dorian is complementing her aesthetics.
As far as decadence, both Lord Henry and Basil are nervous that Sibyl might not be what Dorian believes her to be. They are afraid that she will bring down his quality of life (Lord Henry’s fear) and that she will deteriorate his good personality (Basil’s fear). Decadence is even more evident in chapter seven as we start to see Dorian’s love for Sibyl break down.
How is Sibyl's acting like bad art?
Cooperative Learning:
Acting is still an art form, regardless whether it is good or bad. Although Sibyl was indeed acting, true to the lines and everything, because she wasn’t putting any effort into it, it was a bad show of art. Because it was so bad, much like a bad painting in a museum, people started to ignore her to the point where no one in the audience cared.Is Dorian truly in love with Sibyl or is he simply infatuated with her and WHY?
Dorian is infatuated with Sibyl. Like I stated before, Dorian only loves Sibyl’s talent for acting and those characters whom she acts out. “I have had the arms of Rosalind around me, and kissed Juliet on the mouth.” Dorian does not love Sibyl for her personality or anything of the sort, so when she gave a bad performance, Dorian decided to end their relationship that lasted about three weeks. If Dorian were truly in love with Sibyl, he would have ignored her bad acting and supported her to do better the next time.
How is Homosexuality, Aestheticism, and Decadence evident in chapters six and seven? Cite sources. Use a four column chart to illustrate your findings.
| Key Term | Meaning | Support | Works Cited |
| Aestheticism | Devotion to and pursuit of the beautiful; sensitivity to artistic beauty and refined taste. | Throughout the entire Chapter 6, all that Dorian talks about is Sibyl’s beauty. Not only is she physically beautiful, but her acting is absolutely wonderful as well. |
“Oh, she is better than good--she is beautiful,” –Lord Henry “As for her acting--well, you shall see her to-night. She is simply a born artist.” -Dorian |
| Decadence | Moral or cultural decline, especially after a peak of achievement. It can also mean free from all negative or positive influences. | Decadence is evident in Chapter 7. Dorian had made Sibyl appear as though she was a goddess, perfect in both beauty and everything that she did. However, when it was her night to prove Dorian right, Sibyl upset Dorian by acting terribly. So instead of excelling, Sibyl took a sharp turn for the worse after Dorian had portrayed her so highly. Instead of following the norm and listening to any influence, Sibyl decided on her own what was best for her form of art. Unfortunately, it was for the worse. | “Her body swayed, while she danced, as a plant sways in the water. The curves of her throat were the curves of a white lily. Her hands seemed to be made of cool ivory. Yet she was curiously listless. She showed no sign of joy when her eyes rested on Romeo.” |
| Homosexuality | (Of a person) sexually attracted to people of one's own sex. |
The only form of homosexuality I could find in chapter 6 would be when the gentlemen are leaving the restaurant. Basil becomes quite upset as he sees that Dorian is no longer what he knew him as. Dorian has changed, and according to Basil, changed for the worse. In a sense, he feels as though he has lost Dorian. “He felt that
Dorian Gray would never again be to him all that he had been in the past.” Because Basil might have homosexual tendencies, this might explain why he is so emotional over news of Dorian’s marriage. In Chapter 7, homosexual tendencies can be seen when Sibyl was playing as Rosalind. As we know, Dorian falls in love with the character that Sibyl acts, and not herself. When Sibyl came out in boy’s clothing, Dorian had felt as though she could never be anymore beautiful. Therefore Dorian fell in love the most with a male character. |
“The painter was silent and preoccupied. There was a gloom over him. He could not bear this marriage, and yet it seemed to him to be better than many other things that might have happened. After a few minutes, they all passed downstairs. He drove off by himself, as had been arranged, and watched the flashing lights of the little brougham in front of him. A strange sense of loss came over him. He felt that
Dorian Gray would never again be to him all that he had been in the past. Life had come between them.” "Sibyl was playing Rosalind. Of course, the scenery was dreadful and the Orlando absurd. But Sibyl! You should have seen her! When she came on in her boy's clothes, she was perfectly wonderful. She wore a moss-coloured velvet jerkin with cinnamon sleeves, slim, brown, cross-gartered hose, a dainty little green cap with a hawk's feather caught in a jewel, and a hooded cloak lined with dull red. She had never seemed to me more exquisite." |