The Picture of Dorian Gray: 1

     Lord Henry Wotton is a fascinating and intriguing character in The Picture of Dorian Gray. The age of this baffling persona remains a mystery, but we know he is over thirty, and I presume he is around forty years old. Lord Henry loves to project his philosophical theories onto others, and he is a man of many words and few actions. He comes to meet the handsome Mr. Dorian Gray in the presence of a mutual friend: Basil Hallward. Basil is an artist, and Dorian is his muse. Basil is hesitant of their potential relationship: "Don't take away from me the one person who gives to my art whatever charm it possesses: my life as an artist depends on him" (10). Dorian is beautiful, and he inspires Basil to transfer that beauty onto the canvas.
     Lord Henry soon becomes to Dorian what Dorian is to Basil: inspiration and perspective. It is in the garden that Lord Henry first divulges his theories to the handsome lad. Lord Henry talks about beauty and genius, and how Dorian should find it wise to benefit from his good looks while they last, as they will fade quickly. The garden is similar to the garden of Eden because there is beauty, temptation, and revelation. As Dorian absorbs their conversation, the narrator relates, "Dorian Gray listened, open-eyed and wondering. The spray of lilac fell from his hand upon the gravel" (17). The lilac is like his innocence, fading and falling with his exposure to Lord Henry. Lord Henry portrays himself as confident and wise, but the reader can sense a void in his happiness.
     Even with the wealthiest family members and most affluent acquaintances, Lord Henry appears to be living a life of misery. Dorian is like his puppet, allowing every sentence to seep into his brain and alter his actions. Early on in the novel, Lord Henry says, "to influence a person is to give him one's own soul" (13). I believe that Lord Henry is asserting dominance and influence over Dorian in an effort to release his own emotions. At one point Lord Henry remarks, "People are very fond of giving away what they need most themselves" (41). My theory is that Lord Henry is gay, and he has fallen in love with the romance and beauty of Dorian. Lord Henry does not feel comfortable with his own sexuality, and he is projecting dominance and influence over others because he cannot control or act upon his own homosexual desires. Dorian's love for the actress is forcing him to choose between Sibyl and Lord Henry. This becomes apparent when Lord Henry retorts, "That is the reason, I suppose, that you never dine with me now. I thought you must have some curious romance on hand" (39-40). Although he is married, Lord Henry does not speak frequently of his wife, and he does not speak kindly of women in general. Lord Henry Wotton is a curious character because his words are smart and his sentences clever, and therefore, he is able to influence the thoughts of many. However, there is something lurking behind his confidence that will most likely reveal itself throughout the novel.

Poetry Comparison/Contrast of Death

Thesis: The speaker in Collins' poem "My Number" is fearful of death, and he personifies death as malicious and looming. "I had heard it's a flight" by Denby also characterizes the onset of the death; however, the speaker considers death to be a captivating process rather than a terrifying concept.

     The subject of both poems is death; however, the speakers grapple with the concept of death in very distinct ways. The speaker from "My Number" is very concerned and frightened about the end of his life. Death is capitalized in the poem and personified as if it were human: "Is he too busy making arrangements, / tampering with air breaks" (5-6). Although he is scared to die, the speaker tries to reconcile this fear by personifying death. Giving death human characteristics is the speaker's attempt to understand and relate to this daunting process. Contrarily, the speaker of "I had heard it's a flight" emphasizes his comfort and curiosity about the subject. As an introduction, the speaker refers to death as "it" (1). Such a nonchalant and relaxed opening to such a heavy topic demonstrates how the speaker is not very intimidated by the thought of death. He later talks about his encounter with death in a very colloquial manner: "Was it sweet!" (9) and, "it gives me a kick" (13). The casual tone of the poem indicates how the speaker does not feel threatened of dying. Both poems broach the concept of death, but the speakers have very different attitudes toward the subject.

     The speakers of both poems finally come to terms with death, but they arrive at different conclusions. In the final stanza of "My Number," the speaker is ready to confront his fear: "Did you have any trouble with the directions? / I will ask, as I start talking my way out of this" (16-17). Throughout the rest of the poem, the speaker distances himself from the concept of death, and he either refers to it as a proper noun or pronoun. In the final lines, the speaker talks directly to death for the first time, demonstrating the transition and his acquired courage. He realizes that he must face death, but he is determined to prolong his life. Similarly, "I had heard it's a flight" also ends with a two line stanza. However, the speaker does not appear to make as prominent of a transition. The tone remains very colloquial and at ease, but the reader is left to dwell on the final lines:  "The crazy thing, so crazy it gives me a kick: / I can't get over that minute of dying so quick" (13-14). We are unsure if "quick" refers to his minute of dying or the speed at which he will get over the thoughts of death. The ambiguity leaves the reader questioning the sincerity of the speaker. His excitement may be the cause of adrenaline, and his interest seems immature and impulsive. The speakers of both poems elaborate on their thoughts of death; however, the speaker of "My Number" is reluctant but willing to face death while the speaker of "I had heard it's a flight" is ignorantly captured by the thrill.

   

"Home Burial" Poetry Analysis

Thesis: Although united through marriage and the tragic death of their child, the husband and wife in Robert Frost's poem "Home Burial" lack the ability to effectively communicate and comprehend the emotions and actions of the other.

     Sharing an experience does not evoke a uniform response, and coping with grief is a unique process for every individual. The wife in Frost's poem is emotionally destroyed by the death of her son, and we find her moping and distressed by the window. The window separates the wife from the outside world, just as the death of her child has separated her from her husband. The wife is enraged by the callous manner in which her husband copes with the loss: "You could sit there with the stains on your shoes [...] And talk about your everyday concerns." For the wife, her conversations and actions are very indicative of her internal pain and suffering; however, she does not understand that her husband may be dealing with the death in a different way. He goes out and digs the grave, and that may be his way of coming to terms with the death. Although both characters share the same devastating loss, their unique coping methods create a void in their marriage and their understanding of each other.

     The lack of understanding between the wife and husband creates tension and complexity in their marriage. The staircase in the poem is utilized as a metaphor to demonstrate how the married couple is never on the same level of comprehension. When the poem begins, the husband is standing at the bottom of the stairs looking up at his wife by the window. As he climbs the stairs, his wife pulls away: "Mounting until she cowered under him." The husband and wife seem to be competing for dominance within their relationship, and they assert confidence in their method of coping. The wife refers to her husband as a "blind creature," and he treats her as a child and says if necessary he will, "bring [her] back by force." The metaphor of the stairs is meant to create a physical image of their separation to parallel the disparity in their coping methods. Although the husband and wife should be able to empathize with each other because they experience the same horror of losing a child, the lack of effective communication and comprehension creates tension in their marriage.

The Stranger: We Must Begin at the Start

     The opening lines of the novel are very reflective of the text as a whole. We immediately learn that the narrator's mother has deceased, and he seems very robotic and non-sentimental about the event. This is the tone in which Meursault narrates the entire novel, and we come to understand that he chooses to view the world in a very straightforward and unemotional manner.
     Meursault's conversation with his boss in the second paragraph of the novel outlines the detached feelings that carry through the rest of the book. When Meursault asks his superior for time off, he apologizes. He then realizes that his mother's death is not an apologetic moment, and he says, "I shouldn't have said that. After all, I didn't have anything to apologize for" (3). Our society is very quick to say sorry, and many times, the apology is often used unnecessarily. It is a habit to which we are accustomed, and Meursault recognizes the absurdity of this habit. The quote demonstrates how Meursault is aware of many social customs, but he is not in agreement with them. Soon after, the narrator lies to a soldier "just so [he] wouldn't have to say anything else" (4). Camus most likely chose the character to be a soldier because soldiers represent tradition, uniformity, and the government. Meursault's decision to avoid conversation with the soldier is a metaphor demonstrating how he chooses to follow his own set of morals and beliefs. The first few paragraphs of the novel are used as synecdoche for the text as a whole because they represent the direct and blunt way in which the narrator views the world, and they introduce the reader to the existentialist manner of Meursault.

The Stranger: Final Chapters

     As Meursault gazes at the changing sky overhead, he begins to come to terms with his execution. He remarks how he would enjoy to see an execution if he is ever freed, and I think that the sense of relative freedom would bring him joy experiencing the dictated death of another. Meursault feels that even if he were to escape his execution, he "would just be caught up in the machinery again" (109). It is the feeling of loneliness, utter despair, and helplessness that allows Meursault to accept his death. Just like Hamlet, Meursault realizes that all organisms are alike in that they come to a similar end: "we're all elected by the same fate" (121). Regardless of whether he lives for twenty more hours or twenty more years, he will eventually reach the same point prior to his death where he acknowledges that "life isn't worth living" (114). This is where my personal philosophies differ from those of Meurusault. Meursault is saying that regardless of the lives we lead, we will all end in nothingness, so there is very little point to our existence on Earth. I disagree. I believe that every person is united by our common beginning and ending, but what defines us as humans is how we chose to live our lives. We govern our own set of actions, and through our thoughts and decisions we create our identities. When Meursault says, "Marie meant nothing to me. I wasn't interested in her dead," (115) I was able to see why our opinions about death vary with such a degree. Meursault thinks that when the body dies, so does the soul, the memory, and everything else that goes along with it. I may not believe in 'God,' but I do believe that there is a separation between your body and your soul. Whereas Meursault sees death as a termination, I see it more as a transformation. Your body may no longer function, but your memory or impact can still exist without your physical presence. Meursault may consider me an ignorant optimist or a hopeful fool, but I would prefer to live my life with purpose and ambition rather than doubt and despair.

The Stranger: Part 2

     This section begins with many references to heat and nature, explaining the physical and straightforward way in which the narrator experiences the world. Meursault describes his time in prison and the trial leading up to his conviction. He interacts in a very awkward manner with the defense and magistrate because Meursault is operating under a different set of morals. The magistrate is a very religious man, and he tries to assist Meursault under the belief that "no man was so guilty that God would not forgive him" (68). The tension is created when Meursault admits that he does not believe in God, and the differing foundation of morals hinders their ability to work together towards a similar goal. Meursault says a line that I think really sums up his character thus far: "I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings" (65). The majority of humans tend to be driven by emotions, feelings, and desires. However, Meursault seems much more captivated and influenced by the physical effects of the surroundings on his being more than the emotional or mental consequences. When he is relating the shooting, Meursault describes his physical sensations instead of the thoughts or emotions coursing through his brain: "Once again I could see the red sand and feel the burning of the sun on my forehead" (67). In this sense, Meursault appears to be very existentialist because is living under his own set of rules and morals, and he places emphasis on what he values most in life. However, one of the fundamental pillars of existentialism is that humans have free will, and Meursault relates how the prison and captivity has deprived him of this right. Therefore, we begin to see a shift in our narrator as he begins to understand the consequences of his actions. The biggest counter to Merusault being an existentialist appears at the end of the section when he says, "for the first time in years I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me" (89-90). This is the one of the first instances where the reader is allowed into the emotions and thoughts of the narrator, and this line rejects the idea of existentialism because Meursault is basing his feelings off of the emotions and viewpoints of others.

The Stranger: Part 1

     If I were to grade this writing, big red marks saying "vary the syntax!" and "too passive" would be scrawled across the pages. The opening line of the novel is "Maman died today" (3). We later learn that Maman is the narrator's mother, so one would expect more description or emotion to be incorporated. However, the novel continues in the same passive, disinterested tone. In Part One, the narrator becomes indifferently involved in a cheating scandal, marriage, and murder. The death of Manan soon becomes insignificant in the life of the narrator, foreshadowing the shift of priorities in his life.

     Abuse is a recurrent theme throughout the first section. We are introduced to the narrator's prominent neighbors, all of whom are all abusive in their relationships. First we meet Salamano, who "beats [his] dog and swears at it" (27) daily. The poor dog is heard whimpering from his room, but the owner is devastated when the dog runs away. Salamano projects his loneliness and sadness onto the dog, making both of their lives miserable in the process: "He hadn't been happy with his wife, but... when she died he had been very lonely" (44). Similarly, Raymond, another neighbor of the narrator, is physically and emotionally abusive towards his mistress when he suspects her of cheating. Raymond decides that he needs to punish her, and the narrator relates, "The woman was still shrieking and Raymond was still hitting her" (36). The narrator witness all of these abusive relationships, yet he does not become emotionally involved. The novel is strange because it is although the narrator is passively relating the events of his life without becoming emotionally invested in his surroundings. 

     Even when the narrator has sexual desires, his descriptions remain very vague. Marie asks Raymond if he would want to get married, and he responds by saying that he is indifferent. Although he is dispassionate about the thought of marriage, he retains his basic instincts: "I felt her legs wrapped around mine and I wanted her" (51). It is odd because he spends multiple pages describing the blinding heat of the sun, but he only divulges one sentence to explain his romantic feelings towards his fiance. There is a pivotal shift at the end of the Part One when the narrator becomes an active participant in his life upon committing murder. He has "shattered the harmony" (59) and now must become more active and involved.