Beauty is a form of genius-is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation.
So speaks Lord Henry, the cynical, superfluous, and callous gadfly to the protagonist Dorian Gray in Irish author Oscar Wilde’s only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. First published in 1890, the book is a fascinating examination of the inherent vanity of man that poses questions about the human condition that were then ahead of their time.
Wilde (who married and fathered two children) was a known homosexual and actually served two years in prison for “homosexual offenses”. The novel, which could easily be construed to contain homosexual innuendo, was used against him in court. Literature, of course, is by definition open to a wide degree of interpretation. But as I read, I did see where said innuendo could be picked up. Dorian Gray himself could be a literary symbol for John Gray, reputed to be Wilde’s first male lover.
The story opens in an English garden where Basil Hallward, a painter, has just completed his latest work, a painting of his friend Dorian Gray. Hallward shows the painting to the aforementioned Lord Henry, a young member of the aristocracy who makes it his life’s work not to work at all. Henry is so struck by the picture of Dorian Gray that he insists on meeting him. And so he does, and the two become fast friends.
During this meeting, the painting becomes the topic of discussion, and Lord Henry remarks upon the ability of art to capture the subject, freezing him in a moment of time. Would that the art would age and grow old rather than the subject through the ravages of time, he exclaims.
At length, Dorian announces to Lord Henry that he is in love. Dorian’s sudden love affair for the young actress, Sibyl Vane, is a complete shock to Henry, and something he tried to discourage with every ounce of will he can muster. To be sure, he does this subtly and indirectly, after his own fashion. Pointing out the faults of marriage and the inevitable pitfalls of relationships between men and women, Henry’s assaults are as soft as the touch of a gentle wave. But just as those waves can smash a boulder into sand over time, so too can his arguments have a devastating effect on Dorian Gray.
Does Henry’s sarcasm regarding Dorian’s infatuation with Sybil indicate a form of jealousy? It is quite possible; there are many segments in the book where some kind of attraction between Henry and Dorian seems to be in the air, and in fact Wilde toned them down a bit before publishing the book.
In any event, Dorian’s romance with Sybil is indeed a short-lived one. When he brings Henry to one of the girl’s plays, she gives the worst performance of her life. When a furious Dorian confronts her about this, she explains that the love she formerly displayed in her characters is only for him now. But Dorian will have none of it. He tells the girls their affair is over, their engagement broken off. He never wishes to see her again. For the girl, this cruelty is too much, and she commits suicide.
In truth, Dorian never loved Sybil Vane (a symbol of Gray’s vanity), but instead was infatuated with her art, her beauty, and her achievements. Everything he admired in her was on the surface. When he learns she has killed herself, he is at first devastated; later we learn that this is only concerned for the effects this might have on his own life. “How dare she do this to me?” Gray thinks. Before the girl is even in the ground, Gray is off at the opera pursuing new conquests.
As the years go by, Dorian Gray becomes more and more corrupt, perverse, self absorbed, and decadent. His corruption is contagious, too; almost everyone associated with him becomes the victim of misfortune, scandal, even death. And yet Gray never ages. He still looks the same at forty as he did at twenty. Something terrible, however, is happening to the painting. Not only is it aging, but it has also become a portrait of the very soul of Dorian Gray. A thing hideous and dreadful to look upon; Gray keeps it constantly concealed from everyone but himself.
Eventually, Gray reveals it to its creator: Basil Hallward. It is at this point that Gary reaches his nadir; for he decides to kill Basil for creating the picture that he feels has caused him so much grief over the years. Once again, Dorian’s self centered nature is readily apparent. After murdering Basil, the corpse is referred to as “the thing”, as if the friend whose life he has stolen never existed.
The murder, of course, does not end Dorian’s travails with the portrait, which will, in time be his undoing, just as the souls of all those who are as evil as Gray is ultimately prove to be theirs.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is an incredibly complex book, and one that is not easily digested in just a few sittings. Indeed, rather than speed reading through it, it is necessary to pause along the way from time to time to digest what is going on.
The symbolism of the portrait is important. All art is quite useless, or so Wilde prefaces the story. And in truth, art does only portray the very surface of the subject, but here, that is not the case: for once, the very core of the subject is displayed. Beauty is only skin deep, Wilde seems to be saying, we need be more aware of the true essence than the outer shell.
At times, Wilde seems to have disturbing notions, too, about the ravages of age, perhaps as an expression of dismay over his own mortality. The institution of matrimony is also frequently examined, most often in a fairly negative light.
Where Wilde shines above all is in his prose: it is elegant, beautiful, carefully crafted, and flows as smoothly as a sailboat across the surface of a placid lake. His dialogue is eminently quotable, with gems the likes of There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about and The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.. Such comments are often scalding assaults on English high society of the day.
The main drawback to the book is that most of the characters are extremely unsympathetic. Our protagonist, Dorian, is loathsome indeed, as is his mentor Lord Henry. The only characters with any redeeming qualities (Basil, Sybil) end up dead.
Ultimately, however, this adds to the complexity of the book. It is not meant to make us feel warm and fuzzy; rather, the intention is to make us think about society, about ourselves, about the very essence of human nature. In this, The Picture of Dorian Gray succeeds to an incredible degree.
Celebrated novel involves a handsome young Londoner who sinks into a life of depravity. His body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recent port...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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