Children of the Screen

Growing up in today’s society people are exposed at younger and younger ages to influences that previous generations did not deal with on such a wide spread basis. It may be cliché to say that those earlier generations had it so much simpler, but life seemed to move at a slower pace. No cell phones, television was limited, computers were not mainstream and people interacted in a more personal way. Now people are being pulled a million different directions at once. With the capability to have a computer and telephone with you at all times and a thousand different activities and conversations occurring at once its no wonder that people of this day and age are more stressed and busy. Obviously not every person walks around always plugged into a screen but generally screen use and entertainment is extremely high.

I feel extremely lucky to have grown up in a household where we did not get TV until I was a freshman in high school. I now find that I am hardly ever bored and can keep myself entertained and having fun with just little and simple things. Movies and TV are nice escapes sometimes, but that’s not what I rely on to keep myself entertained. I am able to use my imagination and creativity. This is something that seems to be slipping from some people though. I used to nanny for a family that told me when the kids started to get cranky to just place them in front of the TV. Its sad that because kids get sucked into the screen their parents use that to control them.

In the essay Children of the Screen the author Hannah Baylon makes several interesting points. She brings up Charles Darwin and his work on evolution. Baylon claims that people are losing themselves to the environment of the screen or an industrialized setting. The innate ability of humans to adapt to their surrounding is no the cause of lost humanity. Self-fulfillment through social climbing and making money seem to be all that people strive for. She points out that this lost touch with nature and what each individual wants or needs is part of the reason people turn to television.

Personally, I think some of these accusations or claims are a bit overdramatic, but I can see some validity in their formation. Looking at the activities of the average American will surely convince anyone that screen use and absorption into pop culture is all anyone knows. People seem to be losing their own outlook on life and merely conforming to what is presented to them in the media and other outside influences. I think its time for people to step back and re-assess what they want and need from life and if TV and other media sources are really and truly that important.

The Dorian Gray Assignment

Dorian Gray is a young and handsome man who has a secure place in high society. The movie opens with the scene of artist Basil Hallward painting Dorian’s portrait and introducing him to Lord Henry Wotton. Wotton certainly has his own ideas about the world and life and in their first interaction he starts sharing these ideas. The beauty of Gray’s face and the enthrallment of the artist with that face lead Wotton to state that the only things of worth in the world are ageless beauty and self-fulfillment. Gray, upon realizing that his beauty will fade and dull over time, makes a fervent plea that his visage remain unchanged and the painting instead will age and take on the characteristics of his person.

This is the key issue and controversial point. A man is willing to trade his soul for earthly splendor and fulfillment. That strikes the question of how far people are willing to go to get ahead in this world. I think that both the author of the novel and in turn the director of the film, were attempting to make people want to re-examine their motives and actions in life and see if the result in the end, whether sacrificing your soul or destroying another’s life was worth it.

The movie continues with Dorian Gray’s life. At first all is well and normal. He finds love in a young actress named Sybil Vane and asks for her hand in marriage. But, again he falls victim to Lord Henry Wotton and his ideas. Wotton asks Gray to conduct a small experiment where he asks Sybil to stay the night and when she says no, as is expected, act disappointed to see if society’s standards and expectations would be upheld. He does so and she reacts conventionally, but then she returns and Dorian’s disappointment in her action results in the rash decision to break off their engagement. Her sorrow is tangible, but to no avail with Gray. Then he looks at his portrait and sees that the face has become cruel. This immediately spurs him to action and he writes a letter to Sybil begging her forgiveness and asks that the marriage be planned again. This comes to late though. Sybil kills herself and from that point on Dorian lives his life exclusively for himself.

He hides his portrait, but visits the locked room where it is kept so as to look upon his own tarnished soul. His acts, though vague and not elaborated on, are atrocious. He has been responsible for the fall from grace of many in the upper class. It even comes to the point where murder is committed. Each and every one of his acts are visited upon the face in the painting. His likeness becomes almost unrecognizable as his soul becomes more and more contorted and tainted.

There is a scene in the film, towards the end and just before the climax of the plot, which foreshadows Dorian’s end. It is just after Sybil’s brother confronts him in the alley and then lets him go because of his ageless face. Then another man comes and tells the brother that Dorian Gray has looked that age for the last twenty years and it was in fact the man for whom he had been looking. The man then draws a hangman’s noose and Gray’s name on a wall. The lighting of the scene spotlights the noose and the name, while leaving the men in the shadows. The drama and context of the scene make the viewer realize that Gray is in no way destined for a happy ending.

And it proves to be true. Dorian commits one good act and that is to free his new fiancé, Gladys, from his cycle of despair. He returns one last time to see if the painting displays this one good and final act before he destroys the portrait. It is there if barely perceptible. Dorian Gray then attempts to wipe away the receipt of his deeds and vows to live a live of humble repentance, but as the knife in his had pierces the painting, he too is killed. The portrait contained his soul and in destroying the painting he also destroys himself. The sin is washed from the portrait and finally visited upon the visage of the doer.

Who Is That Person?

When first looking at this painting nothing really stands out as unique or unusual, but if you spend a little more time taking it in a couple things jumped out at me. First, neither of the individuals is centered in the portrait. In fact they seem to be framing the window. For a portrait I find that odd. Generally I assume that the people are supposed to be the central focus. This made me curious as to what the artist’s intentions were, who or what was he/she attempting to make the viewer take notice of and that though made me want to take a better look at the painting.

For me the first thing that comes to mind is the scene out the window, as it holds the central location in the painting. Though it is central, nothing strikes me as outstanding. The open window seems to be more of a locating device and could possibly be used to denote wealth or social standing. The exterior of the building across the way looks to be a well-kept town house. And in a large city, such housing is in no way cheap. Another aspect that signifies a wealthier standing is the size of the apartment in which the people live. The clothing also carries a similar significance. He is wearing a cashmere sweater and nice slacks. She, though I do not actually know what it is, is wearing purple, which was at one point worn by royalty and I still associate with wealth or at least a pompous assumption of superiority.

If you take a closer look at the people, other things jump out as well. Both the man and woman are looking directly at you. And it’s not just a mildly interested look. The woman seems to be saying, “who are you and what do you want?” The man has a look I would describe as amused by his own superiority. With the slightly cocked eyebrow and smirking smile, I feel like he’s mocking me. He’s also a smoker.

A couple of things threw me off though. Like the cat, it’s just sitting there, with no acknowledgement of anything. You don’t even see anything of interest. It seems random to me. Same with the phone and lamp on the floor, I do not see any significance or relevance to anything else in the scene.