Unit 1: Look at me Now! (2nde_gr2)

 A Young Man’s Portrait

The document under study is an extract from a novel entitled “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, written by Oscar Wilde, published in 1891.

In this extract, there are three characters: Lord Henry who is a friend of the eponymous protagonist Doran Gray and Basil Hallward, who is a painter. They are all gathered in Hallward’s studio to discover the portrait that he painted of Dorian.

Dorian is satisfied with his portrait because he thinks it perfectly reflects his beauty and his emotions. He is taken aback by the beauty of the painting. He is mesmerized by his portrait. He seems to fall in love with himself. Before seeing his portrait, he did not have self-confidence but now he seems to be more sure of himself. On top of that, we can say that this is the beginning of Dorian’s narcissism. In fact, as he is analyzing all his facial traits, he becomes aware that someday he will grow old and that he will not look as young and handsome as in this portrait. He is terrified with the idea of getting old and he becomes obsessed with the notions of youth and beauty. He is having a revelation/an epiphany about life and death. He seems to be ready to do everything in order to stay young and handsome.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Enjoy Your Vacation! 😉