Dorian Gray is perhaps one of the most intriguing characters of Victorian fiction. The Picture of Dorian Gray stands somewhere between the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allen Poe. Doyle's world is one of pure logic; Sherlock Holmes is a man who finds answers; everything is explained and demystified, all questions are answered, and conclusions follow premises with mathematical precision. Meanwhile, Edgar Allan Poe wrote in a world of poetry and symbol; his stories often leave much to the imagination of the reader; his characters find questions, rather than answers, and his stories often end with absurdly inconclusive conclusions, leaving the reader to hazard answers on his own from esoteric clues scattered throughout – if they can be found at all.
The Picture of Dorian Gray retains something of both. Oscar Wilde was skilled in both prose and poetry. Dorian Gray was his only full-length novel, but he wrote many poems and plays, most of which were well-received by his audience, despite the mixed reviews by professional critics at the time, who thought his work struck too close to sensitive and impolite topics. Wilde worked for several years as an art critic himself. His sharp wit and near obsession with 'art for art's sake' made his reviews of theater plays and novels compelling and entertaining.
The Picture of Dorian Gray retains the Victorian correlation between sin and decay. In the book, it is Dorian's sins which cause his picture to age, rather than any effect of time upon his person. This idea was widely held in Victorian England, and even John Watson, the loyal companion of the logical Sherlock Holmes, often makes judgments about some character's personality based on their physical features. In the novel, Basil Hallward and others are often shocked to hear of Dorian Gray's descent into drug addiction and sexual deviancy, simply because his face looks innocent. The idea of linking moral sin with physical decay or change is a Christian one, and is based on Biblical principles, but the correlation does not always equal causation, and the Bible warns about making judgments based only on outward appearances. Still, the parallel is an interesting one. Dorian's sins cause his portrait to age, just as Lord Henry's sins cause him to age. In reality, the link between moral decay and physical decay is rarely so simple, but the link exists all the same. In the end, Dorian Gray's sins do catch up to him, despite all appearances of innocence from the outside. Actions have consequences, even if they cannot always be immediately seen.
Oscar Wilde had a deep familiarity with Classical Greek and Shakespearean literature, and themes from both often bleed through his writing. The tale of a curse disguised as a gift, received by a bargain with the devil or other nefarious entity in order to escape some fate, only to have that fate brought about by the very same bargain, is a tale which can be traced back into the untraceable past. Wilde recognized and developed this theme, but the fate of Dorian Gray is more complex. Dorian's doom is not brought about by some unchangeable fate, but rather his own choices. Throughout the book, Dorian wavers between his desire for good and his desire for pleasure. In the end, it is not the deal itself which ruins Dorian, but Dorian himself. Dorian is incapable of denying himself even the simplest pleasures, and it is his own inability to escape or cope with discomfort which ultimately leads to his doom.
The Problem of Dorian Gray
Dorian is given a portrait of himself, draw by his friend, Basil Hallward. Dorian casually mentions that he wishes the painting would age, instead of himself, and the wish is granted, though the novel leaves unmentioned how the wish is granted or by whom. However it comes about, Dorian is granted the ability to pursue any pleasure or vice without consequence, while his portrait bears the results of his actions. He is persuaded to explore his hedonistic lifestyle by his friend, Lord Henry Wotton. Lord Henry is a self-proclaimed hedonist, and uses his influence and charm to convince others to not only follow in his path, but to pursue his ideas to their ultimate conclusion, which Lord Henry is unwilling to do. It is striking that The Picture of Dorian Gray was written and produced before the public scandal, trial, and subsequent incarceration which Wilde endured in 1895, for the novel contains a telling prediction of the ultimate end which Wilde himself suffered. Like Dorian Gray, Wilde pursued pleasure for pleasure's sake, idealizing it as the ultimate decider of moral good. "A book is either poorly written, or well-written, nothing more," Wilde said. He saw no morality beyond the beauty of art. Dorian Gray embodies this ideal, and follows it to its ultimate conclusion.
Dorian Gray becomes disillusioned with his hedonistic lifestyle, despite the fact that it has no ill-effect on his health or appearance. He attempts to make amends for his past sins, driven by a guilty conscience which he has not yet absolutely suppressed, but gives up his quest for redemption at the first sign of difficulty. His life of luxury and indulgence leaves him totally unable to act in any way which will cause him discomfort. He realizes too late that his desire for atonement is merely the next step in his quest for pleasure by placating his conscience. When pretended penitence also fails to give him the pleasure he has so desperately come to rely upon, he blames his portrait, and attempts to destroy it, but only succeeds in destroying himself.
The Creation of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde's popular critiques made him many connections in the world of artists, and he captured their attention in the same manner as Lord Henry Wotton captures the attention of Dorian Gray. Though he was mocked relentlessly by cartoonists and critics for his flamboyant style of dress and image of decadent hedonism, Wilde was widely admired by his artistic peers.
His last play,
written only weeks before the ugly trial
which ended not only his social life but also his flamboyant hedonistic optimism, was a comedic tongue-in-cheek play titled The Importance of Being Earnest, and became his last and most popular story. It is only in modern times, after a resurgence of Victorian Gothic literature, that Dorian Gray has become more widely known and accepted, finally overshadowing the success of The Importance of Being Earnest.
Of the many connections Oscar Wilde established during his professional life, one of them was the very Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who created Sherlock Holmes. It was at a dinner arranged by Joseph Stoddart that Dorian Gray became a reality. Stoddart had arranged the meeting with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Thomas Patrick Gill, and Oscar Wilde, with the idea that each of them would create a short novel for publication in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle produced The Sign of the Four, a Sherlock Holmes story, while Wilde created the infamous story of Dorian Gray.
The Personality of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde had a penchant for creating epigrams. Many quotes attributed to Oscar Wilde are still in use today. His penchant for memorable epigrams is comparable to that of Mark Twain. What Mark Twain became to uneducated rural American society, Oscar Wilde became to the more dignified tastes of aristocratic Europe. While Mark Twain's quotes tend to have a strong thread of simple common sense, Oscar Wilde's quotes hold a darker philosophic fatalism. Some of Wilde's most memorable quotes include:
“Some cause joy wherever they go; others whenever they go.”
“I can resist everything except temptation.”
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
“When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.”
“Man is least like himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask,
and he will tell you the truth.”
Many of his epigrams, especially those which are spoken by Lord Henry, are almost paradoxes, measuring concepts against their reverse. In a world which often seems to be at odds with itself, they take on an ability to explain the inexplicable with a cleverness that is seldom rivaled.
“It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances.”
“I always like to know everything about my new friends, and nothing about my old ones.”
“Nowadays, people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
“Skepticism is the beginning of faith.”
“One should always be in love, that is why one should never marry.”
“There are only two tragedies in this life:
one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.”
“There is only one thing worse in this life than being talked about,
and that is not being talked about.”
“A man's face is his autobiography; a woman's face is her work of fiction.”
“To get back my youth, I would do anything in the world,
except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable.”
The People of Dorian Gray
Despite the fame of Dorian Gray, the most memorable character from The Picture of Dorian Gray is certainly Lord Henry Wotton. He intentionally plays the devil's advocate, taking pleasure in poking holes in the thin veneer of society which covers the hypocrisy, but prefers to simply observe, rather than take any measures to improve society. He sees the youthful innocence of Dorian as a blank slate, which he can use as his own social experiment, testing the ideas he always wanted to try, but never dared attempt. Dorian's and Lord Henry's mutual friend, Basil Hallward, tells Lord Henry “you never say a moral thing, and you never do a wrong thing," demonstrating further the paradox of Lord Henry's personality. Dorian even refers to him once as "Prince Paradox".
Like Dorian, Lord Henry is far too wealthy to keep a job, and leads a life of indulgence and luxury. He encourages Dorian to go beyond the boundaries of society in pursuit of pleasure, but refrains from doing so himself. He is unhappy in his marriage, and is bored with his life of pleasure. His only joy is gained through introducing Dorian to the same luxuries which have made Lord Henry so miserable, with the same result.
While Lord Henry plays the witty and charming devil's advocate, Basil Hallward, Dorian's friend and artist, is the awkward and simple voice of sense and reason, though he ultimately fails in his attempts to stop Dorian's downward spiral. Basil retains the real sense of goodness that Dorian's superficial beauty symbolizes. He wants to see his friends find happiness, but struggles in his ability to articulate why Lord Henry's ideas will ultimately fail. He makes one final attempt to bring Dorian to his senses, eighteen years after the painting of the infamous portrait, and is shown the grotesque features that are the result of Dorian's lifestyle. He recognizes it as the same painting only by his signature, which is unchanged. Even faced with this horror which displays all the effects of Dorian's many vices, Basil begs him to repent.
Dorian Gray is the only character in the novel who changes in any significant way. By the end of the book, Lord Henry is much the same. He begins the book in a state of boredom, tired of luxury, but not so much as to give it up. Dorian gives him a pleasant distraction, and Lord Henry enjoys watching Dorian follow in his footsteps, but as Dorian loses his sense of pleasure, Lord Henry does as well. Basil remains the voice of reason and goodness, and it is only Dorian that goes from an innocent youth to a troubled man that has rotted from indulgence and plunged into insanity by a total lack of hardship. Dorian's pursuit of pleasure leads him to drug dens, brothels, and other unseemly vices which are only hinted at in the novel, but become all too clear when compared to the life of his creator, Oscar Wilde. By the end, Dorian is absolutely miserable; pleasure has failed to satisfy, leaving a growing void of boredom and misery. Dorian recognizes the steps needed to redeem himself and find true happiness, but after a life of complete pleasure, he lacks the moral fortitude necessary to take those steps, and instead turns to darker pleasures in a desperate attempt to smother his growing misery. Dorian never had any cause to develop self-control or self-denial, and although he realizes the necessity of these virtues, in the end, he is unable to deny himself the simplest pleasures. He flees in the face of any daunting task, and finds himself a slave to his own fear of being either physically or emotionally uncomfortable. When Basil finally forces him to confront his unhappiness, Dorian murders him, and then himself, rather than endure the discomfort which the conversation exposes. Having never exercised the skills needed to break his addiction to self-gratification, he is ultimately unable to prevent his doom.
The Presentation of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray was received poorly in Victorian England. The ending is tragic, the characters are all miserable, and the themes delve into drug addiction, prostitution, blackmail, murder, suicide, and present life as ultimately meaningless, but it is the several underhanded hints at homosexuality which ultimately made the novel too unseemly for England at the time. Today, such themes are celebrated, and multiple mainstream movies targeted to children have more overt homosexuality in them than Oscar Wilde's scandalous novel. Despite the tragic nature of the story, and the equally tragic story of Oscar Wilde, which parallels the themes of the book quite remarkably, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a modern parable which is needed today. It explores the final result of a life based exclusively on self-gratification and pleasure, and accurately presents the misery which ultimately results from such a life. Not a single character in the novel is truly happy, and the pursuit of happiness is wasted. The book's ultimate failing is in neglecting to provide the answer, though it is likely that Oscar Wilde did not know the answer when he wrote it.
The Purpose of Dorian Gray
Modern society often presents comfort as the ultimate goal. Life should be made easier, things which upset us should be avoided, we must 'live our truth' and focus on our own needs. People and situations which upset us are to be avoided. We are told to never say anything offensive or deny someone's 'truth'. While there is some seed of truth in this, there is also truth in the absolute necessity of doing, experiencing, and facing hard things. Discomfort is necessary for survival and happiness. Comfort is not found in seeking comfort, but in overcoming discomfort. Comfort is the bane of genuine happiness, and The Picture of Dorian Gray presents this in an unforgettable way. Lord Henry's witticisms and quips may be hard to answer on the surface, but the story itself is a striking answer to his claims. In the end, Dorian Gray's quest for pleasure leaves him empty, miserable, and cruel. He cares for no one but himself, and the transition from an innocent, kind, and happy boy to a sad, bored, and desperate man, willing even to commit murder rather than face his poor choices, is clearly displayed from start to finish.
Oscar Wilde's life also ended unhappily, after a life of pleasure which ultimately did not satisfy. He spent two years in prison after an ugly trial just weeks after the great success of his play, The Importance of Being Earnest. Oscar Wilde never wrote professionally again, saying, “I can write, but I have lost the joy of writing.”
Oscar Wilde died in 1900 at the early age of 46, and it was not until over a decade later that The Picture of Dorian Gray became more popular. It was adapted to a stage play in 1913, and became a major motion picture in 1945, winning Angela Lansbury an Academy Award for her portrayal of Sibyl Vane.
The character was later adapted to the movie, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in 2003, and Dorian Gray in 2009. Today, there is even a medical condition named after the character: Dorian Gray Syndrome, identified by a combination of narcissism, body dysmorphia, and paraphilia. It presents as an obsession with looking younger, to the point that drugs and body modification surgeries are enacted to reduce aging, increase fertility, etc. Severe depression happens when these fail to retain youth, sometimes ending in suicide. It is a rejection of reality, and considered a severe mental disorder. The symptoms bears striking similarity to transgender beliefs, including the rejection of one's natural body, the desire to surgically change natural features of the body to conform to a believed reality, the use of drugs which alter natural hormone balance, and the appearance of severe depression or suicide when these surgeries and drugs ultimately fail. Oddly enough, Dorian Gray Syndrome is considered a mental illness, while transgenderism is not considered a mental illness, despite them having almost identical symptoms.
In modern adaptations of Dorian Gray, he is tall, dark, and handsome. Though he was described as unnaturally beautiful, Oscar Wilde describes him as “wonderfully handsome, with... finely curved scarlet lips... frank blue eyes... crisp gold hair.”
It is unclear why Dorian's pale, innocent-looking features and curly, golden hair have been replaced with swarthy and dangerous good looks, but the fact remains that Dorian Gray has almost never been portrayed accurately with curly blond hair, at least not since 1976. That is, until now. Dorian Gray plays a major role in my Gray trilogy, part of The Callahan Chronicles, and The Picture of Dorian Gray is intended to compliment the novels, providing important backstory for several of the characters which make an appearance. Many authors adapt classic characters for their own use, but I always found it irritating when they made changes which contradicted the original story, and neglected to explain them. Perhaps you feel the same.
Although I have made several major plot changes in my books regarding the history of Dorian Gray, I have made efforts to explain them, so a reader of my books can also read The Picture of Dorian Gray, and see the connecting links, viewing them as complimentary, rather than contradictory. I intend to take the same efforts with future books, blending my own story in and among other classic novels, so that the stories blend into one complex interwoven tapestry. And yes, Dorian Gray is a blond. Finally.
Though the story of Dorian Gray is tragic, I intend to give him a better ending in my own novels. I hope you get a chance to read them and find Dorian Gray as enjoyable a character to read as I have found in writing him. Let us take a lesson from Oscar Wilde and Dorian Gray, and seek joy in facing hard and difficult things. Let us help ourselves by helping others. In the style of Oscar Wilde, and as a salute to Lord Henry, I will end with an epigram of my own:
“Happiness is best saved by giving it away.”
For more information on Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde, or my novel, Grayscale, check out these links:
The Picture of Dorian Gray and What it tells us - a blog post by Saoirse Exton
The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, free online through Project Gutenberg
The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, free audiobook by Librivox.org
You can also find The Picture of Dorian Gray through most free book apps, since it is in the public domain. You can also read free short stories by me at the Traitorbooks website!
Happy reading!
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