I find it very interesting that you choose to focus on the aesthetic aspect of the novel because it is such a large part of the novel. I really like the quotes you pulled to put in your common place book because they highlight the contrast between ethics and aesthetics that is shown throughout the novel. I also like how you tied it all back to the dogmas in the preface which is something we all had to think a lot about for the forum. It’s very interesting to compare a handwritten common place to the typed ones, but I think it brings a whole other aspect to the entry.
I like the pictures you have chosen to include. The picture of Wilde is one that shows a middle version of him compared to what I’ve seen elsewhere. Also the photo of the preface dogmas is nice, I always like seeing original handwriting and it ties back to your quotes from other sources that reference some of the dogmas. I have seen in a lot of the sources I looked at as well as other’s common placing that these dogmas are not only what the book is written around, it also is what is used to both critique and support the message/morals of the book.
I am fascinated by the Victorian views of art you describe; I wonder why they stopped looking for messages and focused on appearances. Clearly, Wilde recognizes this as a corrupt train of thought and points this out in his book with Dorian’s unhealthy obsession with all things beautiful and the decay of his soul while he remains boyish. Interesting that this is the second novel we’ve read involving monstrous art, the first being Jane Eyre with Jane’s paintings. These too showcased the main character’s soul, though in the form of sorrow rather than sin, directly when she drew herself as plain as possible after drawing Blanche as divine, and indirectly with the dark subjects of her earlier paintings, like a shipwreck and women’s sad faces.
Hi Caitlyn! Your entry this week was super intriguing. There is something about the format you chose that just makes this whole commonplacing activity just feel a lot more genuine and real. You included the same passage from the British Library as Jen, which is not surprising! It is important to look at. I also included the quote from the novel about “the terrible pleasure of a double life.” I am starting to think that this is a major theme within the novel and that there should be a good amount of attention devoted to unpacking it. Awesome job!
4 thoughts on “3/25/2020”
Hi Caitlyn,
I find it very interesting that you choose to focus on the aesthetic aspect of the novel because it is such a large part of the novel. I really like the quotes you pulled to put in your common place book because they highlight the contrast between ethics and aesthetics that is shown throughout the novel. I also like how you tied it all back to the dogmas in the preface which is something we all had to think a lot about for the forum. It’s very interesting to compare a handwritten common place to the typed ones, but I think it brings a whole other aspect to the entry.
I like the pictures you have chosen to include. The picture of Wilde is one that shows a middle version of him compared to what I’ve seen elsewhere. Also the photo of the preface dogmas is nice, I always like seeing original handwriting and it ties back to your quotes from other sources that reference some of the dogmas. I have seen in a lot of the sources I looked at as well as other’s common placing that these dogmas are not only what the book is written around, it also is what is used to both critique and support the message/morals of the book.
I am fascinated by the Victorian views of art you describe; I wonder why they stopped looking for messages and focused on appearances. Clearly, Wilde recognizes this as a corrupt train of thought and points this out in his book with Dorian’s unhealthy obsession with all things beautiful and the decay of his soul while he remains boyish. Interesting that this is the second novel we’ve read involving monstrous art, the first being Jane Eyre with Jane’s paintings. These too showcased the main character’s soul, though in the form of sorrow rather than sin, directly when she drew herself as plain as possible after drawing Blanche as divine, and indirectly with the dark subjects of her earlier paintings, like a shipwreck and women’s sad faces.
Hi Caitlyn! Your entry this week was super intriguing. There is something about the format you chose that just makes this whole commonplacing activity just feel a lot more genuine and real. You included the same passage from the British Library as Jen, which is not surprising! It is important to look at. I also included the quote from the novel about “the terrible pleasure of a double life.” I am starting to think that this is a major theme within the novel and that there should be a good amount of attention devoted to unpacking it. Awesome job!
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