dorians physciak beauty and morality Flashcards
right after meeting him, lord henry adds pos traits to dorian, proving people in general attribute good traits to good looks this giving more advantages
“you are too charming to go in for philanthropy, mr gray, — far too charming”
“‘yes,’ continued Lord Henry, ‘that is one of the great secrets of life, - to cure the soul by means of the senses, and the sense by means of the soul. You are a wonderful creature”
lord henry considers dorian’s beauty higher than a form of genius as it “cannot be questioned”
basil sees his beauty as something worth worshipping
basils view of gray shows he’s not just a pretty boy for him but a piece of art himself
the beautiful features of dorian’s face, his pos character and his aura make after all the creation of an extraordinary painting possible
idea of facing death while still being in one’s prime seems a better option to dorian than dying of old age
when dorian becomes aware of his looks and the undeniable nature of time after looking at the painting he falls apart
when dorian looks at the painting he doesn’t see it’s static surface but the changing fate it represents
dorian’s impression is mediated by lord henry’s criticism and his eyes have been trained to read the painting as a narrative
views painting as a mocking reminder of his morality
awareness of temporariness and one’s inability to hold onto what one wants makes beauty and youth something to be treasured even more
