Paradox:
Apart from the aesthetic colors with which it is painted, “the picture of Dorian Gray” is also a book strewn with illuminating paradoxes about love, marriage, life, mankind, etc, which leave not only a mesmerized Dorian Gray, but also amazed readers. Nicknamed as “prince paradox”, Lord Henry briefed Dorian on his life philosophy primarily through witty paradoxes. When talking about trust, he said “I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible”. And It is in this way that he comments on love “The only difference between a caprice and a lifelong passion is that the caprice lasts a little longer”. In terms of sympathy, he announces “I can sympathize with everything, except suffering”. And he observes human from this perspective “There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating---people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing”. With epigrammic wit, paradoxes like these cast a spell upon readers throughout the pages. Lord Henry’s use of paradoxes would be less disturbing for readers if it were a style that Wilde had applied solely to depict an obviously corrupt character within the novel. But paradox is the hallmark of Wilde’s own style of speaking in his real life, and much of Lord Henry’s philosophy is reiterated in his critical discourses. For example, he holds to the belief that “There are only two tragedies in life; one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it”. / “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it … I can resist everything but temptation”. Confusing as they are, these paradoxes carry with themselves some truth. So frequently are paradoxes used in Wilde’s address and writing that they become vintage the aesthete.
Despite all the pungent and unjust attack it incurred when it was published, “the picture of Dorian Gray” survives all the criticism upon it and joins the rank of world classics. Serving as a witness of Oscar Wilde’s aesthetic values from every perspective, the book, the three main characters involved in particular, offers an easy access to readers’ knowledge of the distinguished leading aesthete and invites more endeavors made upon the study of aestheticism as a literary trend.
【Bibliography】
[1]Oscar Wilde.“the picture of Dorian Gray” 外文出版社,1989年第1版.
[2]Peter Raby.“Oscar Wilde”.上海外语教育出版社, 2002年7月第1版.
[3]Anne Varty.“A preface to Oscar Wilde”.北京大学出版社,2005年3月第1版.
[4]张介明. 《唯美叙事：王尔德新论》.上海社会科学院出版社,2005年3月第1版.