PODG: #1

“People say sometimes that Beauty is only superficial. That may be so. But at least it is not so superficial as Thought is. To me, Beauty is the wonder of wonders. It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible... Yes Mr. Gray, the gods have been good to you” (Wilde 16).

            In the garden Lord Henry gives a speech to Dorian Gray where he praises Dorian’s youth and beauty and warns him of how soon those qualities will fade. Lord Henry urges Dorian to live life to its fullest, to spend his time “always searching for new sensations” and to “be afraid of nothing” (Wilde 16). Lord Henry’s speech is quite intriguing. He makes light of society’s superficiality and does not stray from the truth. Most people of Lord Henry’s high class might lie about how much they care about their looks, but he could not be more frank. To Lord Henry, beauty is not just something to admire or to covet, but rather the greatest wonder in the world. It holds secrets and mysteries that even intelligence cannot convey. With this wondrous beauty comes a costly price, however. Those who are beautiful will soon age and lose the one important aspect in their lives. Those who are never graced with beauty from the beginning do not end up lose anything. In today’s world people who judge based on appearance are deemed “shallow.” Lord Henry believes the exact opposite, and he believes that that point of view is just a façade of society’s true feelings. Upon hearing this speech, Dorian Gray acquires a new outlook on life, one that makes him more aware of his beauty and boosts his ego to new heights.