Yesterday, we went to Blocks Greenhouse in Romulus, and as any curious plant-buyer would, I was able to just take a moment away from my busy life to appreciate the beautiful plants and flowers around me. My parents went there to stock up on vegetables for our garden this summer, while I came to see if there were any cool flowers that we could buy and plant. As I was meandering through the aisles, I noticed something interesting about most of the flowers that I saw.
Apart from the marigolds (which were fabulously tinted in shades of yellow and orange), most of the flowers fell into four distinct colors: white, pink, purple, and red. At first, I thought that it was merely a coincidence. Maybe these are just the natural colors of the flowers themselves. However, after putting some thought into it, I wondered if these flowers were selectively bred for their color? Are these the colors that people want to see?
It makes sense if this is the real explanation as to why. White represents innocence, a state that no person wants to exit. When we first meet Dorian Gray, he is described as having "rose-white boyhood" and "cool, white, flowerlike hands," showing that he starts off as an innocent and beautiful boy. In the Bible, white represents light and purity, which could show why so many flowers are bred to be white.
The color red was also prominently displayed in the garden. The roses and rieger begonias displayed the most vibrant and lively shades of red, just as Dorian and Sybil's lips and cheeks had in the novel. Red is the color of vigor and passion, and the vibrancy exuded from it fixates the viewer upon the object. People are as attracted to red and Lord Henry is attracted to Dorian.
Finally, I noticed the lilacs, which were grown in shades of pink and purple. Although the lilacs didn't fully bloom yet at the greenhouse (they're more developed at my house), I couldn't help but the remember the Greek myth we learned about the lilac. About how Syringa turned herself into a lilac bush in order to evade Pan, and the implications of Dorian burying his face into the lilac, as he tried to become innocent once again.
I simply find it amazing that The Picture of Dorian Gray perpetuates the symbolism of colors and flowers from the real world.
Wow! This post was amazing! I love how you connected the different plants you witnessed to their symbols in the book. Specifically, I really like how you connected the colors of the flowers to their representation.
ReplyDeleteNice job connecting flowers from your trip to a greenhouse to symbolism in "The Picture of Dorian Gray." I never would have imagined that an old philosophical novel and flowers could be related, but you did it successfully lol.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that color psychology in flowers also applies to real life. Also if we ever get quizzed on colors for this book I’m definitely using this as review.
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