Using a Classic Story in Your Story

[Uplifted Spirit]

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

[The Pecman]

I think you can use an old story as a jumping off point, but it damn well better be 1) good and 2) respectful to the original. I'm not sure if a painting would necessary relate to life in 2014. Maybe a cell phone photograph or something like that would be more timely.

Edited January 28, 2014 by The Pecman

[Thorn Wilde]

Referencing other works is a time honoured tradition among authors, from Dante's Divine Comedy (the first self-insert fanfic) to Bridget Jones's Diary (where the plot is influenced by Pride & Prejudice AND the book is referenced by the main character constantly). In cases where it's deeply obvious, it's sometimes known as pastiche. Either way there is nothing wrong with it, in my opinion. You wouldn't be the first to use Dorian Gray as a starting point for a story. Neil Gaiman wrote a short story (to be found in, I believe, the collection Smoke & Mirrors) which he wrote for a pair of friends who were getting married, where a married couple get a manuscript for a wedding present that maps out their lives together, but every time something horrible is about to happen, it happens in the manuscript rather than the real world.

 

Discounting the Bible, Shakespeare is probably among the most commonly used. Romeo & Juliet has influenced many generations of tragic love stories, including West Side Story, and Hamlet is pastiched in, for instance, The Lion King. The three witches from Macbeth make appearances everywhere, from Charmed to Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. In fact, it's likely that you're referencing Shakespeare in your work without even knowing it, because words and expressions from his stories are so deeply embedded into the English language that it's hard not to.

[Sasha Distan]

Referencing other works is a time honoured tradition among authors......etc

 

How is it that you know everything?  I used to think i was smart and/or eloquent

[Thorn Wilde]

How is it that you know everything?  I used to think i was smart and/or eloquent

 

Lol! Nah, I'm just a huge nerd. I suck up knowledge like a sponge. Unfortunately, it's mostly very obscure knowledge, too weird to even come in handy at a pub quiz (though it does happen). Anyway, you have useful skills; there's no question about which one of us would die first in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

[Uplifted Spirit]

Thorn, I'm very impressed with your knowledge.  Thanks for sharing it and pointing out the many examples where this has been used.

Pecman

 

You make a good point about using a modern day picture.  But that would be for a different story.  Matt's reading The Picture of Dorian Gray in class and see there are some parallels in his own life.  

[The Pecman]

You make a good point about using a modern day picture.  But that would be for a different story.  Matt's reading The Picture of Dorian Gray in class and see there are some parallels in his own life.  

 

I just think it would be odd in 2014 if somebody got an actual oil painting made of their likenesses and then the painting aged while they didn't. It's a little dated. It works great for 1890, when the story was written. 

 

No question, Oscar Wilde was an immensely talented, extraordinarily glib man who yielded some of the greatest quotes in history. I'm sure there's some interesting fodder for new stories among his classic work. 

[Thorn Wilde]

No question, Oscar Wilde was an immensely talented, extraordinarily glib man who yielded some of the greatest quotes in history. I'm sure there's some interesting fodder for new stories among his classic work. 

 

On my fridge, I have the following quote by him: 'I will do anything to regain my youth, except take exercise, rise early or be respectable.'