The Picture of Dorian Gray

Overview 

Just as the artist has put too much of himself into the portrait of Dorian Gray, so too has Oscar Wilde put too much of himself into the novel, rendering it almost confessional in nature. Indeed, the book, despite being a work of fiction, was used as evidence against Wilde when he came to be imprisoned for indecency in 1895. The initial and more explicit draft of Dorian Gray was first published in 1890 for the July edition of Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine. It was then remediated for later publication the year following with revisions surrounding descriptions of a homo-erotic nature which were considered inappropriate for the time. Six additional chapters were added, with some contributing to the fleshing out of the James Vane sub-plot, furthermore, a preface was included in the published novel. 

Preface and Death of the Author

During the preface, Oscar Wilde ‘outs himself’ to a degree by unintentionally colouring the text with the tone of a disclaimer. Here he states, ‘it is the spectator and not life that art really mirrors.’ He then goes on to admit through the voice of Basil in the first chapter that ‘every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not the sitter.’ His preface can certainly be read as having a self-conscious air about it, making one consider why he felt the need for it, which is undoubtedly not the desired outcome. The answer to this question is, of course, that it is a direct response and an attempt to quell the criticisms he had hitherto received. Throughout the novel, the author, voicing opinions vicariously through the central characters, wrestles with the idea of art being indistinguishable from its author with Dorian Gray using his companions as sounding boards off of which to bounce philosophical ideas around. Often the author tries to encourage the reader to avoid concluding that this is the case, that artist and artwork are inseparable, in favour of an aesthetic ideal of beauty existing as a singular point of meditation unattached to anything external. In the case of the preface, it seems to exist solely for this purpose. 

Chapter 1

In the first chapter, sections can be described as almost meta-cognitive in what they wish to convey, with discussions over how the artwork is to be perceived in a manner that mirrors Wilde’s probable personal concerns regarding the publication of the book itself. A comparison can be made between Basil Hallward agonising over exhibiting his work with Oscar Wilde and his hesitancy shown through the need to make revisions with this very novel, providing a saddening and yet intriguing insight into the complexity of the situation the author was facing as he was torn in two separate directions with the revealing yet accomplished writing which he had produced. Wilde has put so much of himself into each of the characters that Lord Henry poking fun of Basil’s vanity for making the same claim portrays aspects of Wilde’s self pre-empting how he will be criticised by the public in due course. The introductory chapter reads very much like a conversation between Wilde’s distinct aspects of himself touching upon married life, the pains of being an artist and also the feeling of compelling magnetism towards a member of the same sex. It is at this point that Basil Hallward also introduces the theme of destiny as he expresses the inevitable influence of Dorian Gray that he has come to be possessed by. 

Main Themes- Destiny 

When it comes to the theme of fatality, it is the character of Dorian who most embraces the notion of fate with both Basil and Sybil most afflicted by it. Basil describes his first meeting with Dorian as being life-altering, feeling an indescribable desire to have Dorian as his muse immediately, at first sight of him. It is unfortunate then that Dorian’s life takes such a dark turn, as he finds himself unhappily influenced by Lord Henry’s opinions (and book recommendations). The unravelling of events in his life may be used as a strong example of the butterfly effect- Dorian is introduced to Basil and then upon his insistence, Lord Henry, who is responsible for filling his- presumably thoughtless- head with the idea of arresting beauty as a virtue and the only thing worth living for. It is this chain of events that eventually leads to Dorian’s implied debauchery and loss of morality which then finally leads to the murder of Sybil Vane and Basil Hallward. It is notable from a psychological perspective that Dorian Gray kills all the people who love him most, in particular, naive and sinless characters who aren’t capable of seeing him for who he truly is. In Jungian terms, it could be argued that these are characters who have not integrated their shadow selves and who ultimately pay the price as a result. The book is littered with references to Shakespearean plays as Wilde took a particular interest in the playwright on several counts, however, I believe that it is no mistake that it is when Dorian sees Sybil perform as Juliet in a play warning of the perils of youthful abandon and its impermanence that he falls in love with her. Recklessness and carelessness are highlighted as being defining negative traits of youth in Romeo and Juliet but Dorian, thinking of nothing but her beauty, misses the message entirely proceeding to murder Sybil Vane through heartbreak as with the central characters of the play.  Unfortunately for Basil, he meets his end by actively being murdered by his muse who, by this point, has convinced himself of a total lack of responsibility for his actions through his belief in a predetermined fate. After all, Dorian Gray has lived a privileged life through a passive plea to remain eternally youthful which he expected to be inconsequential. This accidental Faustian bargain warns of the dissatisfaction of sacrifice, ultimately leading to a life that is unhealthily balanced in one direction and unsatisfying for this reason. In the case of Basil, living the life of an aesthete has led to his untimely death and so, the notion of beauty as goodness dies along with him. 

Narcissism

Another overriding theme of the novel is narcissism and performance. Artistry and performance are given high priority by Dorian Gray, but also by his mentors Lord Henry and Basil Hallward. The veneer is often deemed as being of a greater significance than the reality as when Dorian falls in, and promptly out of love, with an actress who makes a living portraying fictional entities, purely for her beauty and talent rather than for who she truly is. Lord Henry, in particular, is unaffected by her death, simply seeing her as being a beautiful yet necessary component in a dramatic love story. His take on her death is cold, unfeeling and devoid of empathy. Instead, he focuses entirely on the tragedy and how it relates to Dorian rather than the damage he has inflicted. Basil is guilty of being deluded by beauty in the respect that he values it and has come to worship it over anything else as an artist, he is blinded by it as a consequence. Dorian Gray is profoundly affected by Basil’s idolatry and towards the latter half of the story begins to see how negatively he has been impacted by his beauty and the way that he has been treated because of it- ‘ugliness that had once been hateful to him because it made things real, became dear to him now for that very reason.’ He comes to see his beauty as a concealer of the truth which has skewed his view of the world. At this point, he expresses his dissatisfaction and disillusionment with human nature which has arisen as a byproduct of his own experience. This, in turn, contributes to his belief that ugliness, or that which is hidden, is the only true reality.

Initially, Dorian displays a fascination for the portrait of himself, repeatedly looking at and even kissing his own image. The portrait is his true face and what everyone else sees of him is a mask, creating an increasingly greater divide between his inner and outer self as time passes. It is easy to see the very deliberate parallels between Dorian Gray and the story of Narcissus falling in love with his own reflection. On one occasion Dorian makes the comment: ‘I wish I could love… But I seem to have lost my passion, and forgotten the desire. I am too much concentrated on myself. My own personality has become a burden to me.’ As he grows weary of his beauty, it can be seen that he has become accustomed to and tired of it being his single asset, so much so that it has depleted him as an individual and left him void of any depth or inner beauty, preventing him from cultivating a stronger sense of self and living a fulfilling life.

Identity

‘Is insincerity such a terrible thing? I think not. It is merely a method by which we can multiply our personalities.’ One can’t help but wonder if this is how the author feels about having to conceal his own true identity. This is one example of where it would seem that the author may have identified the most with Dorian of all the characters. It has been said that the characters of Basil and Henry are modelled on two men, Frank Miles and Lord Ronald Gower, with whom Wilde met whilst studying at Oxford. Of these characters, it was most likely Lord Ronald who also happened to lead a homosexual life, who caused the author to feel corrupted in much the same way as his protagonist. The common theme of multiple or double identities runs through Wilde’s work. Similarly, with Shakespeare, on whom Wilde wrote essays speculating over homoerotic subtext, this is the case. Within both authors’ work, a running trend of characters with double identities is present. There is reason to believe that Wilde was very familiar with the playwright, not just because he chose to write essays on the topic, but also as there are several allusions to Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and The Winter’s Tale throughout the story.

Psychology and the Metaphysical

The complexity of human psychology is yet another recurring topic on which it would seem the author was quite learned. Considering the time period in which the book was written, intellectual discussions on this pseudo-science were only just entering the public sphere before Freud’s arrival on the scene, at the turn of the century. Generally speaking, Wilde displayed traits of an open nature, willing to learn more in upcoming fields of interest including the occult or the supernatural, and so it is perhaps not surprising to discover that he embraced psychology as a means of developing his characters. It was around the time of his writing that mystical practices such as mediumship had entered popular consciousness and with some psychologists- Carl Jung for example, psychological thought and the paranormal were not so distinct. This overlap between the two areas of interest creates a fascinating amalgamation that raises questions surrounding the depths of the human psyche and what it encompasses. For Wilde, who would regularly visit fortune tellers and was known for his literature on mythic figures, the blurring of lines between these now separate areas goes some way in explaining the inclusion of both the psychological and the paranormal in his literature. It is interesting to note that, Wilde, like his contemporary Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was well-known for having written fairy tales prior to the publication of the book. The late 19th century saw the beginning of a trend of fairy tales arising in popular literature which continued into, and peaked during the early 20th century, correlating with a collective interest in human psychology. One example is the famous Peter Pan by J.M Barrie although, W.B Yeats, who praised Wilde’s novel, shared a fascination for occult topics having written on this subject himself with a particular focus on stories of the fey among other theorised spirit forms. 

Conclusion

The Picture of Dorian Gray has been described by Arthur Ransome as being ‘the first French novel to be written in the English language,’ an incredibly well-observed and accurate point which likely alludes to the extremely poetic and descriptive style the author employs, that which critics would derogatorily deem purple prose. It was an absorbing feature of the author’s writing which could only be found to enhance the text. Sections such as ‘the crisp frost lay like salt upon the grass. The sky was an inverted cup of metal, a thin film of ice bordered the flat reed-grown lake’ may be considered unnecessary by some and yet the novel was full of beautifully rich language which the right reader will take delight in, it is certainly possible to go so far as to argue that the writing style contributes to the novel’s status as a classic. The tale is so well-structured, so carefully thought out in every aspect, that it is impossible not to view it as a fully complete work of art in itself. Countless quotable lines can also be found within which avid readers continue to associate with Wilde. These are often dry, witty but truthful comments, though they may be spoken through irredeemable characters such as Lord Henry or Dorian Gray. One such line, ‘I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters and my enemies for their good intellects. A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies’ caught my attention, possibly as it was something which was darkly relatable on some level and also as a premonitory foreshadowing of what was to come in the author’s own life. Once again Wilde captures something of the darkness of human nature and lays it bare for public scrutiny, a dangerous practice that, as Wilde discovered, does not always end well.