Journal #3

Reading Journal #3: Form a “claim” about Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”

At first glance, Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” might appear to portray the colour white as a symbol of innocence. After all, as the novel develops there is less and less white, and when Dorian orders flowers he asks for “as little white ones as possible.” However, the face of the avenging James Vane is expressed as a “white handkerchief”, which does not really fit in to “innocence.” Therefore, it is perhaps more accurate to assume that white symbolizes a sort of blankness—whether it be blank innocence or the blank stare of death. In this sense, “the white purity” and the “rose white boyhood” of Dorian Gray is something that is untainted and pure yes, but also blank.