Good novels are a window into society and take readers to interesting places, but great novels take readers where they need to go. Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, written in 1890 takes audience on a journey to Victorian England and explores the hidden sides of humanity through romanticism and further enhances the views through the gothic aesthetic. The story follows a young man named Dorian Gray who trades his soul with a portrait of himself for everlasting physical youth and beauty to experience everything to the fullest without damaging his physical appearance, this leads to inner ugliness that is revealed by the painting. Readers journey with the corrupt young man to experience Victorian society as it was through the value of aestheticism, social perceptions of woman and the narcissistic hidden world of moral corruption that is compensated by the ultimate consequence of death. Through this, readers come to contemplate the consequences that society must come to face when aesthetics and outward mannerisms are valued over the conduct of your character and a blind eye is turned towards debauchery. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel that must be seen as a comment on society’s hedonistic lifestyle which is privileged over good conduct and morals. Wilde wrote this book because he believed it was necessary for people in the 1890s to see the lower side of society and consider issues that they may not want or are uncomfortable to address.
The Victorian era was a time where art was valued highly and was a tool used for social education and moral enlightenment. In the novel Lord Henry Wotton, is a charming talker possessed with fascinating and poisonous theories that have the power to corrupt young minds such as Dorian Gray’s. “Good artists simply exist in what they make, and consequently are perfectly uninteresting in what they are. A great poet, a really great poet, is the most unpoetical of all creatures. But inferior poets are absolutely fascinating.” Wilde uses dialogue that suggests Lord Henry believes art is completely irrelevant to society and so the artists also do not relate meaningfully to the world; values contrary to many Victorians. Harry remarks “I am so glad you have never done anything - never carved a statue, or painted a picture, or produced anything outside of yourself! Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets.” The same way Lord Henry believes artists put themselves into their art, Dorian has also put all of himself into his life by enjoying it well and making his life his art. Lord Henry is conveying that if Dorian tried to live differently his life wouldn’t be as beautiful. However, despite Lord Henry’s views readers are able to see otherwise, they can tell that the way Dorian is living his life means he is never able to understand or find his own true character. Wilde’s way of communicating his message that art’s purpose is to be purposeless is expressed in the novel through Lord Henry Wotton and allows readers to see the value given to art from a different perspective.
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Oscar Wilde lived by the principle of aestheticism and valued youth and beauty, in his eyes, art served no other purpose than to offer beauty, therefore, the supremacy of both youth and beauty in evident throughout The Picture of Dorian Gray. When Dorian sees Basil’s finished picture of him, he says “I am less to you than your ivory Hermes or your silver Faun. You will like them always. How long will you like me? Till I have my first wrinkle, I suppose.” After realising Basil’s passion for beauty, Dorian accuses Basil of preferring art over his friends for the reason that art will always keep its beauty and will never grow old. The portrait of himself makes Dorian realise the supremacy and short-lived nature of youth and beauty which evokes jealousy towards anything that will remain beautiful forever. Near the end of the book Dorian sees what his actions, in the name of youth and beauty, have done to his soul and although beauty and youth remain important at the end of the novel, the portrait is returned to its original form, suggesting that the price that must be paid is exceedingly high; in Dorian’s case it was his soul. The extents that Dorian went to in this novel in order to acquire everlasting youth and beauty and how his corrupt behaviours were overlooked by society because of the “innocence’ and “purity of his face” showing how dependent society was on outward mannerisms and appearances; to the extent that friendships, morals and values no longer mattered.
In a society that values youth and beauty beyond character it is common to see immoral behaviours and hedonistic underworlds that are deeply hidden by the façade of good appearances. Oscar Wilde uses his novel to take readers to the less flattering side of Victorian England through Dorian Gray’s journey. The story begins when he finds that his portrait will bear the scars of his hedonistic lifestyle, leaving his physical appearance unstained. Dorian abandons good morals, values and principles for a life of pleasure knowing he is able to have the best of both worlds, acceptance of society and fulfilment of his narcissistic desires, because his unblemished looks would save him from the accusations of corruption and immorality. Lord Henry’s influence and manipulative words are the source of Dorian’s initial narcissistic behaviours. Dorian becomes a symbol of hedonism after Lord Henry tells him ““A new hedonism,—that is what our century wants. You might be its visible symbol. With your personality there is nothing you could not do. The world belongs to you for a season.” The titular object in the novel in Dorian Gray’s painting is a symbol which goes from a beautiful image of a young man to a corrupted and horrific representation of his soul that has been influenced by the hidden darkness and ugliness in society that was previously trapped away. The painting is a symbol of society’s behaviour and conveys an important message to the audience informing them that the truth no matter how deeply hidden will reveal itself with time. Through Wilde’s characterisation of Dorian Gray and Lord Henry Wotton, readers see the juxtaposition of beauty against moral depravity and its consequences. Dorian Gray’s beauty juxtaposed with the dark gothic themes of his soul transferring to the painting show that behind beauty lie darker truths that are waiting to be exposed. Oscar Wilde’s use of the romantic and gothic aesthetics help bring the hedonistic underworlds of society that are hidden from the rest of the world to light.
Ultimately through the consequences that Dorian suffers, and the death of Basil readers come to contemplate and are reminded of the effects of leading a life of bad morals and values through the cautionary tale. On a positive note, audience are also taught to appreciate beauty and art but never forget morality, it teaches them to live life to the fullest and live it beautifully but live it with morality. The alluring diction, juxtaposition of the romantic and gothic aesthetic and the dark themes in the novel allow readers to see the value given to art, the superficial nature of society and hedonistic lifestyles that are covered by the façade of upper-class mannerisms taking readers back to the 1890s Victorian England and life there. The novel illustrates the long-term effects of following a hedonistic form of life and shows the gradual destruction of Dorian which ultimately leads to madness and his own death.
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