English Literary Essay
“Basil Hallward is what I think I am, Lord Henry what the world thinks of me, Dorian what I would like to be.” – Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde is known for his literature and the emphasis his puts in his work. As for ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, the characters show specific attributes which leave leaves the knowledgeable reader wondering how they relate to Oscar Wilde in different ways. Each character has certain attributes which prove that TPDG (The picture of Dorian Gray) is a sort of reflection on Wilde’s ideas and way of living. As the quote from Wilde himself states above, there are three characters which primarily express Wilde’s ideas.
Firstly, Basil Hallward. Basil is the painter of the apparent initially beautiful piece of art which the novel’s conflicts revolve around. He is a very good painter, though does not want the picture of Dorian Gray to be expressed in expeditions. Instead, his intentions are to keep the painting somewhat private, as he does not want to spoil the beauty and innocence which it expresses. This also counts for Dorian Gray himself, though both the painting and Dorian himself are absorbed by corruption. Lord Henry has the opinion that Basil is a rather dull person due to his painting. Basil is also fairly gullible, and is not very quick to see the evil and corruption in certain people. As explained before, the portrait of Dorian is Basil’s best work and must not be publicly viewed. He also does not want lord Henry to alter Dorian’s innocence and beauty into corruption which lord Henry expresses with his immoral theories. An example of when Basil shows compassion for Dorian is when he is about to view Sibyl’s play and says : “I hope this girl is good, Harry. I don’t want to see Dorian tied to some vile creature, who might degrade his nature and ruin his intellect.” He is obviously caring for Dorian.
Later on in the novel as Basil makes his final visit to Dorian for verification of his sins and the unpleasant rumors which are being spread, Dorian shows the altered painting. Not believing his eyes, Basil refuses to believe that such dark magic has corrupted the once-apparent innocence and beauty which the portrait and Dorian himself expressed. He then insults Dorian’s which leads to his unexpected death by the hand of the once innocent and beautiful boy he made a portrait of.
Oscar Wilde relates to Basil, firstly in terms of sexuality. Basil expresses symptoms of homosexuality as he is almost obsessed with the beauty and innocence of Dorian. Oscar Wilde is known for his expression of openly being homosexual in the Victorian times of England where it was not socially accepted. Although, Basil does not openly clarify it, there are almost obvious signs such as for example his disappointment when he realizes that Dorian “is not the man he used to be.” Unlike Dorian, Basil seems a great deal more controlled and sensible, which also shows relation to Wilde.
Secondly, Lord Henry. Lord Henry is expressed as an arrogant man who has certain philosophies about pleasure and his will of immorality. He even says in the begging of the novel to Basil : “There is only one thing in the world which is worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” He tries to convince Basil to expose his masterpiece to the public. He is also the main cause of Dorian’s corruption, though that is not his initial intention. Lord Henry believes that Dorian is the same kind of person that he is. Although, as the two of them obtain a more intimate relationship Lord Henry begins to use Dorian as a sort of experimental subject for testing his immoral theories. For example, he convinces Dorian that the death of Sibyl Vane was not a tragic experience. At this point onwards Lord Henry metaphorically holds his hand through his evil and corrupt ways. The interesting thing is however that Lord Henry has no actual intention of turning Dorian into a corrupt soul. In fact, when he hears that Dorian murdered Basil, Lord Henry does not believe that Dorian would be able to carry out such a deed.
As said before, Lord Henry is a figure for how the world sees Wilde according to himself. This means that at the time of his life, his surrounding audiences viewed him as a wrecked man, who only studied and believed in the immoral factors of life. Although, he never really does anything immoral. Lord Henry quotes : “The only way you can get rid of temptation is to wield it.” Another quote which expresses his immorality is “To me, beauty is the wonder of wonders. It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances.” Another minor similarity is that Lord Henry’s wife left him for another man as explained in the novel, exactly like Oscar Wilde’s wife leaving him for the same purpose. Lord Henry also often criticizes the society which he lives in, as of Wilde who even made a play which criticizes that exact same society. (The Importance of Being Earnest)
“Dorian what I would like to be.” Dorian Gray is first expressed in this novel as a beautiful, innocent, and unspoiled young male who in Basil’s eyes symbolizes all which is beautiful in the world. Although, once he is aquatinted with Lord Henry, his corruption starts making its mark on him. He becomes influenced by Lord Henry’s beliefs of hedonism and immorality. Dorian begins to alter his views on his surrounding world, putting others on a lower level than himself due to his immense beauty. It is also the only this which initially keeps him from sinning, as he quotes “Sins are written across one’s face.” He does not want to risk his appearance. However, as Basil shows Dorian the portrait which he made of him, Dorian wishes to switch souls and situations with the portrait. This wish is inevitably granted and Dorian stays young and beautiful for the rest of his life.
Dorian does however challenge his appearance by participating in vulgar activities such which for example also include homosexual acts. Though before all of this, his first act of corruption was his choice to not see Sibyl Vane again after viewing her performance. He tells her in such a vulgar and hurtful way that she decides to commit suicide. After this, all of the evil acts which Dorian carries out scar the painting of him, instead of his physical body. He maintains his beautiful appearance, up until he decides to stab the picture. This leads to him dying by an identical knife impalement to the chest.
In the previously displayed quote, Oscar Wilde says that he would like to be Dorian Gray. This is because Wilde could not openly have his feelings towards men due to the social unacceptance of homosexuality. Due to the fact that Dorian can have any woman he wants to due to his constant appearance, he becomes bored of it and portrays in homosexual acts. Though this is not made clear, it is very strongly hinted. (Paul, 1993) Dorian could take part in homosexual practice without altering himself. This is exact what Oscar Wilde wanted for himself. He wanted to be homosexual without facing the consequences.
In conclusion, all of the main characters in this novel make a connection to Oscar Wilde. Basil Hallward expresses his will to maintain calm and “humane”, Lord Henry expresses Wilde’s ideas of immorality and pleasure, and Dorian Gray expresses the ways that Wilde would have wanted to live. Being able to live the way he wanted to without any real moral consequences and circumstances. It is clear the ‘The picture of Dorian Gray’ is almost a reflection of Wilde’s thoughts and hopes.
Bibliography
"The Picture of Dorian Gray Quotes By Oscar Wilde." Share Book Recommendations With Your Friends, Join Book Clubs, Answer Trivia. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 June 2013. . immoral, be, do wrong without anyone noticing the difference. It seems Oscar Wilde wished for this too, and in another life.. "Oscar Wilde and his characters (The Picture of Dorian Gray) - Oscar Wilde - Fanpop." Fanpop - Fan clubs for everything. What are you a fan of?. Paul, 4 Mar. 2012. Web. 2 June 2013. .
Bibliography: "The Picture of Dorian Gray Quotes By Oscar Wilde." Share Book Recommendations With Your Friends, Join Book Clubs, Answer Trivia. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 June 2013. . immoral, be, do wrong without anyone noticing the difference. It seems Oscar Wilde wished for this too, and in another life.. "Oscar Wilde and his characters (The Picture of Dorian Gray) - Oscar Wilde - Fanpop." Fanpop - Fan clubs for everything. What are you a fan of?. Paul, 4 Mar. 2012. Web. 2 June 2013. .
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