Log 5

 Log 5

Recently, I borrowed “The Picture of Dorian Gray” from the library because I think the reading level of the book I’m currently reading is too high for me. Oscar Wilde is a well-known name, but I have never read his novels or poems before. His work is said to be elaborate and full of wordplay. Surprisingly, I find this book more accessible, and because the story is largely shown in dialogue form, I feel engaged when reading the story. 

However, there’re  some sentences that are difficult to understand, while each word and sentence is understandable, but the meaning is still difficult to grasp, especially those said by Lord Henry, whose words are quite philosophical. I feel that my life and reading experiences are too limited to fully grasp them.

This story starts with three people, Lord Henry Wotton, Basil Hallward, and Dorian Gray.  

Lord Henry is a very rich man, he is witty, smart and philosophical, and he wants to control Dorian.

Basil is a talented artist, he has a gloomy spirit, he likes Dorian very much.

Dorain Gray is a young man, he is naive, beautiful, and he has a tragic family.

I find Lord Henry's words always somewhat awkward, like when someone naturally states those embarrassing truths that we keep hidden in our hearts. Perhaps it’s these words that force us to reflect the behaviors we usually escape, allowing us to deeply feel our humanity. In particular, I found this line has sparked considerable discussion online:

“It is only stupid people who do not judge by appearance. The true mystery of the world is what we can see, not what is hidden.”

I agree with this statement. In reality, we are indeed superficial and judge others by their appearance. We can only assess someone’s appearance with our eyes, and we use our knowledge to determine if they are good or bad, smart or foolish, rich or poor. Those who don’t judge by appearances, are they ignoring or escaping the most fundamental feelings of humanity? Could that be a form of superficiality or foolishness?

However, the words that most made me unsettled is the following:

“All influence is immoral, because to influence a person is to give him one’s own soul. One takes away a person’s natural thoughts and feelings and virtues. He becomes an echo of someone else. The aim of life is to develop oneself. People have forgotten this.”

Since childhood, as long as I’ve been learning, I’ve often been in a state of being influenced, interacting with others makes me influenced or I influence them. Also, we often talk about how someone has a significant influence. Does it mean they are immoral people? To discuss this statement, we first need to clarify what morality is. Morality is a set of standards constructed by public thoughts to measure whether our behaviors are right or wrong. However, some influences serve to correct and lead us closer to morality. Therefore, I oppose the idea that all influence is negative, perhaps some influences are moral.

However, I agree with the second sentence: influence turns a person into an echo of the influencer. When you accept someone else's thoughts, a small part of their soul, you are inevitably affected by the ripple of that influence and become a ripple yourself. As for the final line, the aim of life is to develop oneself. I believe this is largely correct. I have become a person, but I will undoubtedly be influenced by others. If not, my life would be void of meaning. Being influenced, then processing that through our flawed brain, taking action, and being influenced again. This process allows us to develop into individuals and to feel the diverse flavors of life.