Sibyl Vane In The Picture Of Dorian Gray
A story of a love between an actress and a heartless man is contained within the pages of The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde. This actress was Sibyl Vane and the heartless man was the once innocent Dorian Gray. Oscar Wilde uses pathos, appealing to an audience's emotions, to convince or convey a message. Oscar Wilde introduces Sibyl Vane as a poor indentured servant and the cruelty of Dorian Gray to make his audience more sympathetic to Sibyl Vane. Oscar Wilde’s appeal to pathos in chapters 5 and 7 fail to succeed because Sibyl Vane character development made her seem well off, the readers attention was drawn toward Dorian Gray, and that Sibyl Vane’s stereotypical characteristics turned off many readers that could have been sympathetic.
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Wilde’s lack of success is shown in the interactions between her family, in some interactions when Dorian Gray breaks off their engagement, and Wilde’s portrayal of Sybil talking to her brother. Sibyl Vane’s character fell flat due to Wilde mismanagement of Sibyl’s character development. In chapter 5 Sibyl's mother says to her “You must not think of anything but your acting. Mr. Isaacs has been very good to us, and we owe him money” (53) / “Mr. Isaacs has advanced us fifty pounds to pay off our debts, and to get a proper outfit for James. You must not forget that Sibyl. Fifty pounds is a very large sum” (53). Sibyl is being shown as a part of a poor family when Oscar Wilde uses the word “owe”. Oscar also makes Sibyl an actor as Sibyl’s mother describes her profession as “acting”. In this scene the reader is suppose to feel sympathy as Sibyl must continue “acting” and that they owe debt to “Mr.Isaacs”, but when Sibyl Vane’s mother uses the words “Mr. Isaacs has been very good to us” it misleads the reader to think that they are not impoverished. This reassures readers that Sibyl Vane background is nothing to be sympathetic to. In chapter 7 Oscar Wilde uses Lord Henry to describe Sibyl as “There was something of the fawn in her shy grace and startled eyes. A faint blush, like the shadow of a rose in a mirror of silver, came to her cheeks as she glanced at the crowded, enthusiastic house” (70). This character development uses the words “shy”, “fawn”, “silver”, and “rose” to describe the beauty of Sibyl Vane. Even though Oscar Wilde describes Sibyl Vane as gorgeous this further contrasts her poor background and makes it hard to be sympathetic to her character. The words “enthusiastic house” makes her popular and distracts the readers from her background. For all of the character development Oscar Wilde tries to apply to Sibyl Vane, all the readers are able to see is a well off beauty about to be married and this makes it hard for the reader to be sympathetic to Sibyl Vane.
Oscar Wilde fails to capture the reader's sympathy as their focus was on Dorian Gray.
In the breakup between Dorian Gray and Sibyl Vane, Dorian sees “She crouched on the floor like a wounded thing, and Dorian Gray with his beautiful eyes, looked down at her, and his chiselled lips curled in disdain. There is always something ridiculous about the emotions of people whom one has ceased to love” (75). In a saddening breakup between Sibyl Vane and Dorian Gray., Oscar Wilde fails to invoke sympathy but rather disgust. This disgust comes from the words “chiselled lips” and “disdain”. The “chiselled lips” describes a lack of passion and “disdain” is a strong word for disgusted. This portrayal of Dorian Gray being disgusted and being described with “beautiful eyes” to a sincere Sibyl Vane broken down figure makes the readers feel disgusted at Dorian Gray. All of these descriptive words are pointed at Dorian Gray and the only portrayal of Sibyl is “She crouched on the floor”. Even the description “like a wounded thing” is vague and unsympathetic to Sibyl Vane. The readers are only able to hate Dorian Gray because the main focus is not on Sibyl but on Dorian. Dorian own feelings of detachment describing “emotions” as “ridiculous” makes him seem cold and stone hearted. Another passage making the readers have disdain for Dorian Gray was when Dorian tries to describe himself as a victim stating “During the three terrible hours that the play had lasted, he had lived centuries of pain,
aeon upon aeon of torture. His life was well worth hers. She had marred him for a moment, if he had wounded her for an age. Besides, women were better suited to bear sorrow than men” (Wilde 77). As the readers view Dorian attempting to make Sibyl Vane the villain, they are drawn to a feeling of disgust to Dorian rather than having compassion for Sibyl. The “centuries of pain” and “aeons of torture” is Dorian trying to describe his pain, but in the context of “three terrible hours” it makes him seem like a cry-baby. He later states “marred him for a moment” and compared that to “wounded her for an age” Dorian is describing that the amount of pain they felt was eq ual if not more so to him. This line of irrational thinking by Dorian does not emphasize the plight of Sibyl Vane, but rather enhances the feeling of Dorian Gray as a cold hearted monster.
The final nail in the coffin for the lack of sympathy to Sibyl Vane was that her character was a trope. Sibyl Vane own thoughts were “She was free in her prison of passion. Her prince, Prince Charming, was with her” (54). This naive description makes Sibyl more like a disney princess rather than a real person and this disengages the audience to connect with her. The words “prison of passion” describes her naive and emotions toward her lover. The way she described the lover as was “her prince”, this usage makes her seem like a princess and it follows the classic damsel description of naivette. There is more of this pampered princess description when Sibyl Vane was walking with Jim and she says “‘You are not listening to a word I am saying Jim,’ cried Sybil, ‘and I am making the most delightful plans for your future’’’ (58-59). Sibyl Vane’s need to be listened makes her that pampered and emotional women trope in books. Sibyl Vane uses the words “not listening” and shows her annoyance by the description “cried” as how she said it. This shows that Sibyl Vane wants to be listened and does not like to be ignored following the women always talk and hate it when others do not listen trope. Another feminine trope is that she says she is making “plans” and that it is “most delightful”. This pretend “plan” makes her follow the trope that women do things that aren’t really important. All these tropes make the readers disengage with Sibyl Vane so when Dorian Gray breaks up with her, everyone is disgusted at Dorian rather than sympathetic with Sibyl.
Wilde’s lack of success is shown in the interactions between her family, in some interactions when Dorian Gray breaks off their engagement, and Wilde’s portrayal of Sybil talking to her brother. Sibyl Vane’s character fell flat due to Wilde mismanagement of Sibyl’s character development. In chapter 5 Sibyl's mother says to her “You must not think of anything but your acting. Mr. Isaacs has been very good to us, and we owe him money” (53) / “Mr. Isaacs has advanced us fifty pounds to pay off our debts, and to get a proper outfit for James. You must not forget that Sibyl. Fifty pounds is a very large sum” (53). Sibyl is being shown as a part of a poor family when Oscar Wilde uses the word “owe”. Oscar also makes Sibyl an actor as Sibyl’s mother describes her profession as “acting”. In this scene the reader is suppose to feel sympathy as Sibyl must continue “acting” and that they owe debt to “Mr.Isaacs”, but when Sibyl Vane’s mother uses the words “Mr. Isaacs has been very good to us” it misleads the reader to think that they are not impoverished. This reassures readers that Sibyl Vane background is nothing to be sympathetic to. In chapter 7 Oscar Wilde uses Lord Henry to describe Sibyl as “There was something of the fawn in her shy grace and startled eyes. A faint blush, like the shadow of a rose in a mirror of silver, came to her cheeks as she glanced at the crowded, enthusiastic house” (70). This character development uses the words “shy”, “fawn”, “silver”, and “rose” to describe the beauty of Sibyl Vane. Even though Oscar Wilde describes Sibyl Vane as gorgeous this further contrasts her poor background and makes it hard to be sympathetic to her character. The words “enthusiastic house” makes her popular and distracts the readers from her background. For all of the character development Oscar Wilde tries to apply to Sibyl Vane, all the readers are able to see is a well off beauty about to be married and this makes it hard for the reader to be sympathetic to Sibyl Vane.
Oscar Wilde fails to capture the reader's sympathy as their focus was on Dorian Gray.
In the breakup between Dorian Gray and Sibyl Vane, Dorian sees “She crouched on the floor like a wounded thing, and Dorian Gray with his beautiful eyes, looked down at her, and his chiselled lips curled in disdain. There is always something ridiculous about the emotions of people whom one has ceased to love” (75). In a saddening breakup between Sibyl Vane and Dorian Gray., Oscar Wilde fails to invoke sympathy but rather disgust. This disgust comes from the words “chiselled lips” and “disdain”. The “chiselled lips” describes a lack of passion and “disdain” is a strong word for disgusted. This portrayal of Dorian Gray being disgusted and being described with “beautiful eyes” to a sincere Sibyl Vane broken down figure makes the readers feel disgusted at Dorian Gray. All of these descriptive words are pointed at Dorian Gray and the only portrayal of Sibyl is “She crouched on the floor”. Even the description “like a wounded thing” is vague and unsympathetic to Sibyl Vane. The readers are only able to hate Dorian Gray because the main focus is not on Sibyl but on Dorian. Dorian own feelings of detachment describing “emotions” as “ridiculous” makes him seem cold and stone hearted. Another passage making the readers have disdain for Dorian Gray was when Dorian tries to describe himself as a victim stating “During the three terrible hours that the play had lasted, he had lived centuries of pain,
aeon upon aeon of torture. His life was well worth hers. She had marred him for a moment, if he had wounded her for an age. Besides, women were better suited to bear sorrow than men” (Wilde 77). As the readers view Dorian attempting to make Sibyl Vane the villain, they are drawn to a feeling of disgust to Dorian rather than having compassion for Sibyl. The “centuries of pain” and “aeons of torture” is Dorian trying to describe his pain, but in the context of “three terrible hours” it makes him seem like a cry-baby. He later states “marred him for a moment” and compared that to “wounded her for an age” Dorian is describing that the amount of pain they felt was eq ual if not more so to him. This line of irrational thinking by Dorian does not emphasize the plight of Sibyl Vane, but rather enhances the feeling of Dorian Gray as a cold hearted monster.
The final nail in the coffin for the lack of sympathy to Sibyl Vane was that her character was a trope. Sibyl Vane own thoughts were “She was free in her prison of passion. Her prince, Prince Charming, was with her” (54). This naive description makes Sibyl more like a disney princess rather than a real person and this disengages the audience to connect with her. The words “prison of passion” describes her naive and emotions toward her lover. The way she described the lover as was “her prince”, this usage makes her seem like a princess and it follows the classic damsel description of naivette. There is more of this pampered princess description when Sibyl Vane was walking with Jim and she says “‘You are not listening to a word I am saying Jim,’ cried Sybil, ‘and I am making the most delightful plans for your future’’’ (58-59). Sibyl Vane’s need to be listened makes her that pampered and emotional women trope in books. Sibyl Vane uses the words “not listening” and shows her annoyance by the description “cried” as how she said it. This shows that Sibyl Vane wants to be listened and does not like to be ignored following the women always talk and hate it when others do not listen trope. Another feminine trope is that she says she is making “plans” and that it is “most delightful”. This pretend “plan” makes her follow the trope that women do things that aren’t really important. All these tropes make the readers disengage with Sibyl Vane so when Dorian Gray breaks up with her, everyone is disgusted at Dorian rather than sympathetic with Sibyl.