Philosophical approach, The Picture of Dorian Gray.

a. what view of life does the story present? to which character best articulates this viewpoint?.
We seem to view life as a shell in The Picture of Dorian Gray. It's like a place we are in, nut separate from. We see this very strongly in Dorian Gray and Lord Henry.
b. according to this works view of life, what is mankinds relationship to God? the universe?
Since we watch Dorian sell his sole to the Devil, I'm going to say that he doesn't have the best relationship with God personally. As for the universe, the characters seem to be living "on" it, but nor really in it. They see themselves as very important (most of them).
c. what moral statement, if any, does this story make? implicit or explicit?
I find the saying, "what goes around comes around" to really fit in with this novel. I'd say it was implicit because we only see this through the characters (ahh hem, Dorian Gray) actions.
d. what is the authors attitude toward his world? fate? God?
The author seems to have some deep feelings about our world, and he shows those through this novel. We also watch how the different characters have very different interactions with God.
e. what is the authors conception of good and evil?
The author has a dark side to evil, seeing how one of his characters sells his sole to the devil.
f. what does the work say about the nature of good or evil?
This work shows us how evil can become over powering if in the wrong hands.
g. What does the work say about human nature?
Human nature obviously is controlled by the person in which you are talking about, but we also see that humans can get easily caught up in the pointless things in life.

Thesis! :D
The Picture of Dorian Gray takes you on a philosophical adventure through the wonders of what could potentially be an evil world.

I.... am..... DONE

FINALLY. I HAVE REACHED MY FINAL BLOG. Yay. Okay, so over the past month or so, I have been reading essays and novels to prepare myself for the work that is ahead of me in this English course. I am not completely sure if I like blogging better than writing essays because both have their pros and cons. As far as essays go, you can simply write one and done, but blogs seem to go on and on. But! Blogs are shorter, and I feel like you can put more personal thought into them. Unfortunately, I am a major procrastinator, and that may be obvious by my last minute blogs. In that case, I feel like I still have no idea which would be worse, cramming an essay in, or finishing up my blogs? Hhhm, Essays are rough, and long, so as far as that goes, blogs are wonderful. I also liked the idea of blogs this summer because it is different. Essays are so routine and boring, that this was an insightful change! I hope that I am ready for not only this English class, but my other classes this year. Keeping my brain going this summer should have definitely helped!
:D

Jane Eyre question 8

Jane Eyre is obviously a historical novel. It was written many years ago, and is a good example of “the old times”. It seemed quite accurate as well as interesting. Jane has many different relationships throughout the novel, and each one seems to have different responsibilities. The first one, is the family relationship, which seems to fall short of the understood responsibilities. Jane is very uncared for, and leaves this relationship. It seems to me that women did not have the same responsibilities as men, and that is very understood; the women worked for men. This is an important and dislikable relationship. The times itself had a big role in the authors inspiration while writing, or so I think. They were much more sexist than times are now, and this is cause for a rough life as a female. If these times had been different, Jane’s life would have been different, causing the entire story to be different! Golly gee, that would be a bummer. If things had been different “Jane Eyre” could have been a boring classic just like so many others. Thank goodness it wasn’t.

Brontë, Charlotte, Fritz Eichenberg, and Bruce Rogers. Jane Eyre. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Jane Eyre, characteristics (Question 7)

Jane Eyre is an exciting novel containing the story of a tragic young girl’s amazing twist of fate. It is interesting, real, and different. It is those characteristics that make a reader want to continue reading any book, especially a classic. Unfortunately, to many high school students, hearing a book being classified as a “classic” is an instant turn off. Fortunately, Jane Eyre seemed to be an exception. I actually found it to be quite interesting. I felt like it was a relatable and “real” story. This quality is what separates Jane Eyre from many other classics. This is also how Charlotte Bronte draws in her readers. In my opinion, she did a very good job of that in this novel. The entire novel seemed to be filled with a type of symbolism undertone. All along, we are reading about her life, which symbolizes change. As we watch Jane grow and become a better, stronger person, we realize that that could be us. We could also symbolize change, and be an example for others. This was also nice to me. I really enjoyed the topics and ideas brought up throughout the entire novel.

Brontë, Charlotte, Fritz Eichenberg, and Bruce Rogers. Jane Eyre. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Jane Eyre, Still read? (Question 6)

Jane Eyre is a timeless classic. It could draw in any reader, and actually tells a good story. It’s historical, interesting and timeless. These are just a few of the reasons that I believe that this book is still read today. The book not only tells an awesome story while being interesting, but it has a very relatable theme. It is almost inspirational reading about Jane’s life. I find the novel to be extremely timeless because anyone of any time period could relate to Jane’s story. She had such drive and independence (Bronte 75) that anyone could learn a little bit, and that brings us forward. Throughout the entire novel, we could just continue to learn more and more if you choose to. If you are planning on reading Jane Eyre you must go into it with a positive and open mind. If you do this, the learning could be endless. Not only can you learn from the theme, you can also learn from Jane’s actions. She is a wonderful woman who anyone could model certain parts of their lives after. I really enjoyed reading this novel. :D

Brontë, Charlotte, Fritz Eichenberg, and Bruce Rogers. Jane Eyre. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Jane Eyre, significance (Question 5)

Because of the time in which the book Jane Eyre was written, as a reader, you notice some differences in social and political situations. It seems to me that the novel is very accurate when talking about social issues of the period. The whole idea of an orphaned girl growing up independently and wonderfully seemed pretty accurate, and not all that farfetched. Jane’s life is described as a difficult and harsh, though she makes it out very ahead. The way she does it is much different than how it would be done today, though. She goes to a school specifically for orphaned children, and today, that is not very common, though for the time period, that seems accurate. Nothing seems to be out of place for the time period, and I liked the realism.

The significance of the novel really seemed to fall back onto the theme. The whole idea of setting your mind to a great life and making it for yourself was very deep. Reading the story of a girl’s life seemed so real, and that was also significant. The realism was just as important as the theme itself, in my opinion.

Brontë, Charlotte, Fritz Eichenberg, and Bruce Rogers. Jane Eyre. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Jane Eyre! Hero, (Question 4)

To me, it seems obvious that the hero in Jane Eyre is in fact, Jane Eyre herself. She is intelligent, humble, independent and deserving. She leads a life in a kinder way than many people could even imagine doing so. Throughout the novel, she manages to go from absolutely nothing, to marrying the man she loves with all of her heart, and creating a great life for her. She seems at first simply like a poor orphaned girl. She is confused, hurt and lost, as I can only imagine I would be in that situation. Though she feels all of these things, that does not stop her from pursuing her life forward. She does many heroic things throughout the novel that inly a strong independent woman could do. One of these includes walking away from the love of her life, but finding the will to come back. She is continually moving forward in her life and seems to be a very respectable lady. I definitely found her to be the strongest character in many ways.

Brontë, Charlotte, Fritz Eichenberg, and Bruce Rogers. Jane Eyre. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Jane Eyre! Universal Themes (Question 3)

Jane Eyre is a novel that can relate to anyone, though I feel as though it may be more relatable for independent people. I felt like one of the biggest things that Charlotte Bronte wanted to get across was that you can be self-sufficient and make a life for yourself. There are many people that may just need a little reminder of how they can be awesome on their own. Watching Jane make something out of her life was very encouraging as a reader, and I think anyone could relate. It seems as though the author really understands the troubles that some children, as well as adults, went, and still go through. It also seems like she herself could easily relate to many of the events in her story.

As the story grows, we watch the character of Jane grow. We learn exactly who she is supposed to be, and what Charlotte wants us to see in her. Being able to write a character as dominant as Jane takes a lot of observation of the human race, and it is obvious that Charlotte really understood human nature. We can tell this with how strongly and interestingly she wrote the character of Jane.

Brontë, Charlotte, Fritz Eichenberg, and Bruce Rogers. Jane Eyre. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

Jane Eyre! Causes, Gains, Losses (Question 2)

Throughout the novel, Jane Eyre, we watch a young girl grow into a strong, independent woman. When we are first introduced to Jane, she is a young girl who has been orphaned and sent to live with her aunt. She seems to of lost everything. Even with the fact that she has lost something so incredibly dear to her, her family, the extended family she goes to live with, only hurts her more. She is tormented and made fun of by not only her cousins, but the help as well. Jane’s pretty much stinks. Then, her aunt sends her to a boarding school for orphaned girls, which seems like it would be bad, but this is where she begins to have some gains in her life. While there, she meets a good friend and helpful teacher. It really helps get her through some tough times. She finds a job working for a kind man named, Mr. Rochester. Things seem to be going great; she even falls in love with him! She seems to be gaining and gaining, and has certainly made a great life for herself, considering the time period. Then comes the next loss; MR. ROCHESTER IS MARRIED (Bronte 379). This hurts Jane deeply, and she leaves. Luckily, she realizes his love for her, and the eventually get together and marry. All in all, Jane seemed to make an awesome life for herself. She’s strong, intelligent, and independent. Go her!

Brontë, Charlotte, Fritz Eichenberg, and Bruce Rogers. Jane Eyre. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, question 8

Getting back to The Picture of Dorian Gray, we see how it was written many years ago. This being so, it leads me to wonder how accurate the topics and characters actions may be. We aren’t introduced to very many different classes, though there are many personalities all throughout the novel. We are first introduced to Basil, a painter, and Lord Henry (Wilde 7). We meet Lord Henry as the stereotypical high class proud man. Though he seems proud, he never seems to act “too good” for Basil, in fact, they consider themselves good friends. Unfortunately, we watch as this change’s. It is obvious that the author wants us to see the influence that Lord Henry has on Dorian Gray. We watch Henry and Basil’s relationship change and Henry and Dorian’s grow. Lord Henry almost has the “responsibility” or guiding Dorian’s life. He is given such a strongly influenced role in the story that it almost seems like his duty. I think the thought of beauty and greed is what influenced Lord Henry to persuade Dorian. Just as it could easily happen today, it was beauty and popularity that sent Dorian on his downward spiral.

Wilde, Oscar. Picture of Dorian Gray. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 2007. Print.

Jane Eyre! Values?

Seeing to the fact that I am a procrastinator, Jane Eyre is very fresh in my mind. Jane Eyre was published in 1847, but back then, books that were written by women did not get the same publicity and interest that men’s books did, so it was written under a pen name. Bronte must have been a very intelligent and strong-willed woman, as well as independent to make the character of Jane. One of the most important characteristics of Jane is that she does what she believe is right, not what others tell her to do or are doing (Bronte 372). This value may have come from Charlotte Bronte, herself. Charlotte obviously has a very strong attitude regarding women when writing this book. She writes Jane as a very strong and independent character. I’m guessing that those were characteristics that she believed that most women should have all shared. This novel was written in a first person perspective, meaning that Jane was telling the story. You know that the novel took place sometime in the past because of how Jane is telling the story as well as how it is written, but you don’t know when exactly when until you reach the very end of the book. The book is written in a perspective of ten years later.

Brontë, Charlotte, Fritz Eichenberg, and Bruce Rogers. Jane Eyre. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Universal themes.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a wonderful novel full of ideas that anyone could learn from. The topics brought up in the book are those that are relatable to anyone anywhere. One of the biggest themes and lessons I learned from this novel was to be careful with what you love. Dorian is, in a sense, in love with himself. He becomes overly obsessed, and loses everything. Every person in our world must be careful to not get caught up in the things in their lives. This novel was a perfect example of how greed can ruin one’s life. It is obvious that Wilde understands the want of beauty in society. It is something that dates back for a very long time. No matter the time period, beauty has always been a valued quality, and Wilde saw that. The fact that he was able to see how valuable beauty is, is what made the novel so interesting and entertaining. Certain qualities of life will always be more valued than others, and figuring out that you have those qualities may not always be a blessing. Sometimes, you must be careful what you wish for.

Wilde, Oscar. Picture of Dorian Gray. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 2007. Print.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Question 7

I had a deep interest in the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde does a very good job of keeping a reader interested in what he’s writing. He is very descriptive in his writing, as well as relatable. There is also a suspense aspect to his writing. Though there aren’t many “cliff hangers” there is a certain part of the reader that is always left wondering (in a good way, of course). All of these qualities together make for a deadly afternoon of nonstop reading! I really enjoyed the mystery in wondering what was going to happen next, yet I liked being able to try and guess what I predicted would happen. Many novels seem to just drone on and on, but I felt like a new idea or topic was brought up the right amount of times. There was not one small idea that continued on much too long as there is in some novels. The way I was pulled into the novel encourages me to look into some other classics by Wilde. If all his novels are as interesting, mysterious, and exciting at this one was, I would definitely be interested in reading another one. It was very well written.

Wilde, Oscar. Picture of Dorian Gray. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 2007. Print.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Heeerrroooo?

Throughout the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, you soon realize that the main character, Dorian, is by no means a hero. As you read deeper, you begin to ask yourself, who or what is the actual hero? As I sat and thought, I began wondering if the hero was actually a person. I decided that it was not. The actual hero, to me, was the truth that always hid inside Dorian. It was the truth that led him to begin his life as a young humble man. The antagonistic force of evil brought on by Lord Henry’s words early in the novel (Wilde 52). Throughout the novel, we can only sit and read as we watch Dorian fall farther and farther, until he reaches the very end of his rope, and the truth hits him. As Dorian finally realizes that he is so disappointed in who he has become, he is hit with the truth, so it seems. In Dorian rage we read that he rips the picture that was painted for him at the beginning of the novel (Wilde 21). We find that this kills Dorian himself. The truth finally takes over, and ends the rage of Dorian Gray.

Wilde, Oscar. Picture of Dorian Gray. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 2007. Print.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Feelings.

In the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, the author seems to have some pretty strong thoughts and feelings. The entire book is based off of someone’s appearances. To write an entire novel depicting from one idea, the author must have some strong feelings toward that idea. He seems to be writing from the perspective of a watcher or viewer. Wilde seems to see an outward appearance as a wonderful thing for some people, and not so great for others. He also knows how the self-love of oneself can ruin not only their own life, but the lives of the people around you. Throughout the novel, Dorian manages to completely ruin his life (Wilde 107) ending in death. This is all caused by the simple fact that Dorian Gray loved himself. This novel leads me to wonder if Wilde had a personal experience with this “appearance” issue. He seems to be very interested as well as opinionated toward it. This, in my opinion, made for a much better and more interesting novel. Who wants to read a novel with an uninterested author that wrote it? Not me, that’s for sure. The emotional connection Wilde seemed to have really helped me stay interested.

Wilde, Oscar. Picture of Dorian Gray. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 2007. Print.

Causes, Gains, and Loses: The Picture of Dorian Gray

Throughout the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, the main character, Dorian, goes from being on top of the world as a humble young man, to dying in vain as an old hideous witch. At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to Basil, an aspiring artist, and his friend Lord Henry. Dorian is originally introduced as the muse of Basil (Wilde, 25). Unfortunately, when Lord Henry gets his hands on Dorian, Dorian changes who he is entirely. He loses the humbleness he once had, and finds himself in a downwards spiral. Throughout the book, our main character, Dorian Gray, loses himself more and more with each chapter. Unfortunately, there is not much that Dorian gains through the novel besides a new personality. Dorian not only loses friends, he is the sole reason they are gone. He personally kills Basil, as well as causes a lover to commit suicide. This book definitely was full of loss. Unfortunately, it was all over the stupidity that comes with becoming obsessed with one’s own looks. The main cause of all of the problems in the book seemed to be Lord Henry. He was the one who got Dorian obsessed with his looks (Wilde 28), and that is where things went downhill.

Wilde, Oscar. Picture of Dorian Gray. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 2007. Print.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, historical relevance.

In the time period in which this book was written, it seems to me that the social class of someone was very important. In, The Picture of Dorian Gray, many of the characters are of a higher class. You hear many terms such as “Lord”, “Lady”, and “Sir” all throughout the book. When you read in history books, this also seems to be true. Things did not seem to be quite as fair back then as they are now.

I find this novels significance in its simple timelessness. Though it seemed like a pleasure novel, you learn something new with everything you read. As far as I could tell, and I’m not much of a history person, the book was accurately written. The dialogue and scenes seem as though they would fit in in the time period in which it was written. Certain social issues are also addressed. It seems to me, that appearance was very important to some people, such as Dorian Gray (obviously). I am not sure if appearances were quite that important back then, but they definitely were in this book. The Picture of Dorian Gray was not only enjoyable, but it was educational as well. I really enjoyed it.

Wilde, Oscar. Picture of Dorian Gray. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 2007. Print.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, still read?

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a book I would definitely consider a classic. It is a book that I could see myself “rereading” in the future. It is full of insightful ideas and timeless thoughts. In the book, a man gets lost in his own beauty. He does not realize his beauty at first, but once a bad influence is brought into his life, that is when Dorian turns (Wilde 28). Dorian getting caught up in his appearance is something that our society can relate to in a present and recent day. Looks are something many people fixate themselves on. People will become very caught up in their looks, themselves. Our society has a problem with worrying much too much on how they look, as well as other people. Teenagers and anyone older judge and are judged by their looks. I think this is a big reason that this book is still read today. It is about something our society can relate to, which makes it a popular classic. This is also a reason for current schools to choose this book. It speaks of things that are easily relatable. I believe that this book is still read because of its relatable themes and ideas.

Wilde, Oscar. Picture of Dorian Gray. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 2007. Print.