I have watched The Browning Version with Albert Finney on DVD at least seven times. It weaves the Greek classic, Agamemnon by Aeschylus into a modern story. Agamemnon came back a hero from war and was then murdered by his wife. In The Browning Version, an older teacher (Albert Finney) is symbolically being killed by his wife because she cheats on him and says and does things that hurt him deeply.
I thought that maybe I could do the same thing in Knots 2 by weaving in Oscar Wilde's, The Picture of Dorian Gray, into the story. I'm giving it my best effort, but am not quite sure if it's working.
Over the year I have often come across clever quotes by Oscar Wilde. So I decided to find out something about him and rented the movie, Wilde, from Netflix. He was married with two children and wrote The Importance of Being Ernest, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and many others, including children's stories. He was at the top of his artistic career when he befriended Lord Alfred Douglas, who was also known as Bosie, a student at Oxford where Wilde had graduated. They had a short homosexual relationship but a long torrid and miserable relationship because Douglas, who was abused by his father, used Wilde to anger his father. Wilde was caught in the middle, but as hard as he tried, could not break off his relationship with Bosie. Much of this can be found in Wilde's letter to Bosie in what later came to be called De Profundus from Psalm 130. The first line reads, "Out of the depths I have cried for You, O Lord." Further on it reads. "My soul waits for the Lord..." Robert Ross, with whom Wilde had his first homosexual relationship, was responsible for the name and printing it. Oscar Wilde died at 46 a few years after being in prison for two years for "gross indecency. This came about because Bosie insisted that Wilde take up a fight against his father who had slandered Wilde.
Anyway, I've been weaving Wilde's, The Picture of Dorian Gray, into my latest story, Knots 2. Well, at least I've been trying. Knots and Knots 2 are about two teenage boys who are searching for their sexual, personal, and social identity as all teenager do. The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a handsome young man, who has been painted by his friend, Basil. Dorian wishes that the picture could grow old while he remains young, and this exactly what happens. I'm using the story to deal with the idea of youth and aging as well as dealing with the fact that our actions have consequences, even if we can't see them. Everything that Dorian does shows in the picture.
I'd like to hear what other authors think of this idea and if any of you have tried it. Suggestions and comments will be greatly appreciated. I've included a short excerpt from the latest chapter of Knots 2.
Excerpt from Knots 2 related to Dorian Gray.doc