- What were your first impressions of Sybil (and her family)?
- What did you think of the situation revolving around Dorian Gray’s engagement?
- Do you think Sybil’s explanation for her bad acting was legitimate? Do you think Dorian overreacted?
- Was Sybil’s death necessary?
- Do you think the portrait is really changing, or is it just the Dorian’s guilt that is changing his perception of the portrait?
The description of Sybil’s family really irked me in a negative way when Wilde described their everyday interactions in theatrical way. It gave the mother, especially, the air of being a failed actress who had no other way to express herself. I thought Sybil’s description about not being able to feign love anymore because she now knew the real thing very sweet and very tragic because it stole away her talent. I think Dorian fell in love with her characters or her ability to act, not the actual Sybil, so his actions could have been an adequate reaction to the failure of what he fell in love with. Sybil’s death was necessary in order to show the development of Dorian and how he was able to move on from her death fairly easily. I think the painting could be actually changing, but since Dorian hasn’t checked it again it could very well be exactly the same and he’s just worrying from guilt; personally I think it’s changing and his guilt is overwhelming him as well.
-I loved Sybil and her family. I think it adequately portrayed what a working class family would interact. It would all be about the survival of the family and familial obligations rather than dreams and out there expectations. I feel like Sybil was the outcast in the family as soon as she realized that she had an “out” in her life.
-I think the engagement was really fitting in the sense that it reflected the whole aspect of youth and innocence. Dorian was so swept up by the enchantment of love and marriage and happiness that he doesn’t bother getting to know Sybil. And when she loses the thing that made her special to him, he realizes that he’s in fact not really interested in her at all.
-In my opinion, Sybil’s explanation wasn’t that great. I assume that experience is supposed to enhance a performance because you’re drawing the inspiration from how you really feel. I didn’t expect that it would take away from it.
-I think Sybil’s death was necessary just to show how much Dorian would change. Nothing really bothers him anymore unless it has to do with his betterment or his destruction.
-Sybil seemed really idealistic and naive. Her family, especially her mother seemed extremely dramatic.
-This might be harsh, but I felt that Sybil was being an idiot with her explanation. As Hecate said, Sybil’s experiences would add to the performance, not take from it. On the other hand, she was also young and, as I said above, idealistic and naive so I guess it fits with her character. As for Dorian, I think his response just shows how he wasn’t truly in love with Sybil, he was in love with the idea of Sybil and the characters that Sybil portrayed in the plays.
-I agree with both Hecate and Rachel that Sybil’s death was necessary to show the change and development of Dorian’s character. I feel that Dorian is moving more and more into vanity and narcissism and he’s going to become this cold person who isn’t affected by anything.
Did you find Sybil a little annoying? I mean it was explained that they were a little older than 20 (later in the book) and I feel like it was just really…bahhh. Well I suppose I’m not as articulate as I used to be at this point because of that darn book, but I feel like in her circumstances Sybil should have been more of a steady character. She wasn’t supposed to be swept up in all of this idealism because she’s in the working class. She should’ve been realistic.
I thought Sybil was 17? But, yeah I found her kind of annoying. She just seemed like this total romantic, and not in a good way. She just seemed to be too caught up in this ideal view of love and the fact that she referred to Dorian as “Prince Charming” even to her family? I don’t know, I just felt that she should have been more grounded. I mean, it’s one thing for her age, but also it’s a different time period and I just felt that she should have been, as you said, more realistic, especially given her status.