Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register
Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.

Lord Henry

ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
edited February 2012 in Arts & Writings
I would like post a few quotes taken from the novel 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde which are said by the character Lord Henry. I would like to post them because as much as Lord Henry comes across as a great philsopher of life, he seems to me to be somewhat ignorant in a buddhist perspective.

"Yes, that is one of the great secrets of life - to cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul."

"It should matter everything to you, Mt Gray. You have the most marvellous youth, and youth is the one thing worth living for."

"You are too charming to go in for philanthropy, Mr Gray - far too charming."

I could go on and on, but yes I personally consider him to have quite a lot of intellect and many views of the world, but to me they are quite ignorant.

Comments

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    Oscar Wilde was Irish.
    The Irish, per capita and proportionately, have produced a very high number of literary geniuses.
    But even Wilde was flawed, and he perceived flaws in peoples' characters which he felt werre so ingrained that they seemed unchangeable....And entirely self-made.
  • zombiegirlzombiegirl beating the drum of the lifeless in a dry wasteland Veteran
    I would have to read the novel again to get the full picture, but here's a question: Do you think that Lord Henry speaks for Wilde or is he the voice of common societal views?

    But even Wilde was flawed, and he perceived flaws in peoples' characters which he felt werre so ingrained that they seemed unchangeable....And entirely self-made.
    Interesting perspective. I've enjoyed what I've read of his works but I've always been bothered by his view of women. Very distracting.
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    This is the thirs time I am reading the novel and I think it does resemble some of what Oscar may have thought about the world and society at the time. The best stories have a lot of the author within them.
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    This is the thirs time I am reading the novel and I think it does resemble some of what Oscar may have thought about the world and society at the time. The best stories have a lot of the author within them.
  • zombiegirlzombiegirl beating the drum of the lifeless in a dry wasteland Veteran
    But isn't the meaning of The Picture of Dorian Gray some sort of message on impermanence (of youth and beauty) at its core? A cautionary tale of hedonism? That's what I always took away anyways.

    I think Oscar Wilde might have been rebelling against this concept which is so prevalent in society. Dorian might have had youth and beauty, but he suffered greatly and did many horrible things.
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    That is the notion of the plot yes, he depicts very well throughout nd gradually how Dorian has his youth ever lasting, but it becomes his demise.

    When it comes to characters however, maybe Oscar related them to people he knew or at least certain aspects of their personality. Maybe not, who knows. It is a good read all the same :)
  • weightedweighted Veteran
    Wilde said famously that he felt he was all three characters: Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward, and Lord Henry.
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    thanks @weighted, I guess that answers that question then lol :thumbsup:
Sign In or Register to comment.