Picture of Dorian Gray
Picture of Dorian GrayNecessary or Unnecessary
The Picture of Dorian Gray was published in 1891. The book was first published for a magazine. The magazine version was much shorter than the book version. When Oscar Wilde took to writing the book version he added seven chapters. Certain chapters are seen by some as blatantly unnecessary. Although, the additions of chapters five, seven, seventeen, and eighteen are debatable in their necessity to the book. These four chapters carry important information needed to increase the plot of the story. Not only do they carry information; they add characterization to Sybil Vane. Maybe it is not necessary to keep these chapters in their entirety, but they are necessary for the plot and climax of the story.
The one common trait that is carried throughout all four chapters is the character James Vane. James Vane is the older brother of Sybil Vane who goes away, but promises that if her new Prince Charming, Dorian Gray, was to hurt her he would be back to avenge. Well, Sybil Vane commits suicide because Dorian breaks off their wedding engagement. The brother soon returns and will, at all cost, find Dorian Gray. James Vane is an extra bonus to the book. He is a strong-willed character that allows the reader to remember how horribly shallow and evil Dorian Gray is. If he were missing, since he is only mentioned within these four chapters, the emotions that were felt by the reader at the suicide of Sybil Vane would be lost immediately after Dorian loses his emotion and continues his spree of immoralist acts. James Vane is needed to keep the idea that Dorian Gray is a bad person.
These four chapters also create a character for Sybil Vane herself and help to shed more light upon the character of Dorian Gray. Sybil is mainly touched upon in chapter five. Before this chapter is added not much is known of Sybil except that she is a great actress and is not from the best of breeding. We find that she has a mother who experienced...
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