Wikipedia:Peer review/The Picture of Dorian Gray/archive1

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Archived discussion from 29/07/2006

I have substantially edited this article, and tried to make it adhere to the guidlines set out in the Wikinovels project. I am looking for constructive responses, specifically those that deal with how this article can become an FA. Thanks very much -Adasta- 16:31, 27 August 2006 (UTC) [reply]

I've just passed the article for GA, and have left a list of suggestions as to how the article can be improved on the article's talk page. Moreschi 13:38, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are several places where I dislike the style, especially the plot summary. This should be a rundown of the progression of the plot without including the styling of the actual text. I would rather see shorter summaries of other stories, like the Japanese one. But my main problem is one of ommission. Nowhere is the significance of Wilde's revisions to the second edition mentioned. There changes were used in his criminal trial to show his intentions of corrupting young men. Also I believe there were some remarks in the preface to the second edition that were also used in this manner. I will have to look up a source later but this aspect of the topic is of high encyclopedic value. --Birgitte§β ʈ Talk 02:45, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Review by Awadewit
[edit]
I'm sorry to say that this article should never have been passed for GA.
The biggest problem with this page is that it does not base its analysis of the novel on the work of literary critics or any kind of scholarly source. I clicked on almost every internet source. The sources here are appalling; they are sites like cliffs notes, sparknotes and gradesaver. These are not reliable scholarly sources and do not reflect the current state of scholarship on Wilde or Dorian Gray. Do we really want the outside world to think that wikipedia is basing its entries on books that students use to cheat in high school and college and that are notorious for their mistakes? I think not. Moreover, the information that you obtain from these sites could be just plain wrong; it will obviously be superficial and incomplete. Wikipedia articles are supposed to be based on solid scholarship by experts. See WP:RS. I would start with The Cambridge Companion to Oscar Wilde edited by Peter Raby. It has introductory essays on major topics related to Wilde and his texts. It also has a helpful bibliography. I would then move on to the MLA database. The editors of this article need to spend months researching this article and totally rewriting it.
Moving on to other problems.
The lead has too much plot summary and a cliched statement about the book as a "classic."

The plot summary is difficult to follow at times and has some odd sentence constructions.

I am not a fan of character lists. The plot summary should adequately tell the reader who the important characters are. Wikipedia's novel pages look too much like sparknotes and not enough like an encyclopedia entry. Character lists only enhance this effect. There is no real information gained from these lists.

The theme of "aestheticism" which critics have definitely agreed is central to this novel is never explained, nor is its connection to duplicity. The quotations do not stand in for explanation.

The page also does not make it clear what is the editor's interpretation of Dorian, what the editor read at sparknotes and what is a scholar's interpretation. It is very confusing. It needs to sound less like a college essay. The extensive use of quotation is part of what gives it this appearance of a personal opinion.

While anti-Semitism might exist in the novel, the page has presented it as one of three major themes in Dorian. That seems far from fair to me. The editors need to read the scholarship on this text. If the scholarship emphasizes that theme to that extent, then the page should as well, but if it does not, then it should not be given undue weight and other, more important themes should be included.

Although there is no written proof that "Urashima Tarō" had a direct influence on The Picture of Dorian Gray, it is the notion of deferral of aging is central to both stories: Dorian's primary wish is "to be always young". - Why have you included this extensive section on the Japanese tale? What scholars have discussed this?

I would urge the editors to integrate the "allusions to other works" into the "themes" section. For example, why was Faust alluded to? The reason is that there are similar themes in Dorian - explain the themes and the Faust reference (using scholarly sources) together rather than separating them.

The former date is also significant in that it coincides with the year in Wilde's life during which he was introduced to homosexual practices. - This is a highly dubious statement. The editors need to read more about Wilde. The page should also take into account what literary critics and historians have said about "homosexuality" in the nineteenth century - it was not nearly as defined as it is now. There is much to be said on that topic.

The "literary significance" section seems like more of a "publication history" section.

The "Allusions from other works" is listy and seems to reference almost entirely works post-1980; delete or include pre-1980 works.

Much more referencing needs to be going on here in general, but research should help out with that. Awadewit 02:19, 28 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Please see automated peer review suggestions here. Thanks, Ruhrfisch 04:09, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]