A Picture of Dorian Grey-

A Picture of Oscar Wilde

and the Victorian Self.
How and to what extent does Oscar Wilde reveal himself and
aspects of the Victorian self in his only novel- The Picture of
Dorian Grey (1891)?






Abstract:
The Picture of Dorian Grey is Wildes most recognised and critically acclaimed work but also his most infamous. The
critical fame the book has amassed since its release is matched only by the infamy the books themes have garnered.
Wilde presents to us a work that, as I hope to demonstrate, is as revealing about him as it is the society around him as
it revealing about himself. From its philosophies on the relationship between artist and art, to its illustration of the
aesthetic hollowness of morality and Victorian society I hope to uncover how much Wilde reveals of himself in the
now and how much he reveals of the Victorian self. Finding to what extent can we draw conclusions on the respective
selves based on this work, set in the context of 19th Century Victorian London and Oscar Wildes other works and
essays.





















In April 1891 Oscar Wildes only published novel was released in its final format by Ward Locke
& Company publishers. The Picture of Dorian Grey, though first published in July of the previous
year by the influential magazine Lippincotts Monthly Magazine, was heavily criticised at for being
immoral, effeminate and unclean by literary critics of the time (Guest, 1968).

This lead to the addition of six extra chapters, including a preface in which Wilde outlines the role
the artist should take in society, this done in order to try and alter the way the book was being read
and received (Guest, 1968). The Picture of Dorian Grey (or Portrait) would go on to be not
only Wildes most recognised, but also most critically acclaimed work. The critical fame the book
has amassed since its publication has been mirrored by the infamy it has garnered for the author.

Themes of aesthetic philosophy; hedonistic morality and pursuits; the living of a double life; the
idolisation of youth and beauty; and perhaps most tellingly, though only ever implicit, of
homosexual relationships have intrigued and scandalised academics, critics and fans alike. Its
assertions towards homosexuality and homoerotic relationships between men can be seen as
foreshadowing the fall from grace Wilde was to have just months later. During the latter part of
the 19
th
century Wilde was to embark on a series of court room battles that would eventually lead
to his imprisonment on 25
th
May 1895 for Gross Indecency (Hyde, 1974). In what would be one
of Britains most famous series trails regarding the issue of homosexuality, Oscar Wilde had
evidence presented against him, obtained by private undercover detectives which documented his
allegedly sexual relationships with other men (Hyde, 1974). These being alleged visits to
underground brothels, use of male prostitutes and his much publicised relationship with
9
th
Marques of Queensbury, John Douglass nephew Lord Alfred Douglas (Which itself had been
the subject of a battle between Wilde and Queensbury, in which Wilde successfully sued
Queensbury for liable allegations regarding his sexuality) (Hyde, 1974).

Wilde born in Dublin Ireland, 1854 (Britannica, Oscar Wilde, 2010) moved to London to study at
Oxford University and eventually settled (Ellman, 1988).There Wilde became a star socialite
amongst the artistic crowd of the time, achieving fame and recognition on an international level
for his comic plays, such as Lady Windermeres Fan (1892) and his most famous, critically
acclaimed and remembered play The Importance of Being Ernest (1895) (Ellman, 1988).

Around the time leading up to the opening of Importance of being Ernest his homosexual
relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, nephew of Marques of Queensbury was beginning to
scandalise the circles Wilde frequented. After some very public arguments the aforementioned
trials took place, firstly Wilde suing Queensbury for liable, due to the public criticism Queensbury
had made towards Wilde. Then Wilde himself was convicted in a high profile trial, being charged
with what was then thought of as acts of gross indecency in 1895. As punishment for what was
then considered crime, Wilde was to spend two years in hard labour (Britannica, Oscar Wilde,
2010). During his time in prison Wilde wrote a long and now famous letter of heartbreak entitled
De Profundis (Ellman, 1988).

On release Wilde was to leave England, living in poverty until his death in Paris, 30
th
November
1900, converting to Roman Catholicism on his death bed (Britannica, Oscar Wilde, 2010). During
the time between imprisonment and death did not release anything under his own name. However
under a pseudonym Wilde published The Ballad of Reading Gaol in 1898.

Portrait presents its reader with a puzzling insight into the philosophies and moral outlooks of
the society Wilde found himself in. To this day the true meaning of the novel remains subject of
debate for academics. With aspects of the gothic novel, decadent literature and the philosophies of
aestheticism, Wilde presents to us a work that, as I hope to demonstrate, is as revealing about him
as it is the society around him. From its assertions on the relationship between artist and art, to its
illustration of the hollowness of Victorian morality and society I hope to uncover how much Wilde
reveals of himself in the now and how much he reveals of the Victorian self. Finding out to what
extent can we draw conclusions on the respective selves based on this work, set in the context
of 19
th
Century Victorian London and Oscar Wildes other works and essays.

The novel tells us of Dorian Grey, the subject of a painting artist- Basil Hallward. Basil we are
told, is infatuated with Dorians beauty. He completes the work but refuses to show it, proclaiming
that he had [] put too much of himself[1] in the piece. Dorian soon meets Lord Henry Wotton,
a friend of Basils. Lord Henry has a large influence over Dorian going on to make a speech,
espousing his new hedonism, placing the pursuit of beauty and sensual pleasure as the main goal
in life. Dorian, enthralled with this concept, becomes terrified at the realisation that one day his
beauty will fade. He wishes that instead of himself physically ageing the portrait would bear the
burden of age for him, while he remained young and beautiful. As the novel progresses Dorian
becomes infatuated with a working class actress- Sybil Vane.

The couple are due to marry, however Dorian ends the relationship suddenly, and causes Sybil to
commit suicide due to the heartbreak he caused her. As a result he notices the picture now depicts
his sins, the once beautiful depiction of himself, now aged showing signs of ugliness. Realising
his wish had come true Dorians life degenerates into debauchery.

Under the influence of Lord Henry and a yellow book pursues every hedonistic pleasure
possible, frequenting opium dens and mixing with criminals. His actions soon scandalise the
London social sect he belongs to, but because he remains beautiful they do not hold him
accountable for his actions.

Sybils brother then finds him threatens to kill him, out of vengeance however he is accidently
shot, preventing him from exacting his revenge. Basil attempts to reason with Dorian, however in
a fit of rage Dorian murders Basil and blackmails a doctor he knows into disposing of the body. In
his final act Dorian acting out of desperation and despair slashes with a knife at the picture, which
now is depicting a deformed, mutated image. A scream is heard and found is the picture, as it was
originally depicting a young, beautiful, innocent Dorian. Next to it bloody, lays a deformed body,
twisted and ugly- Dorian Grey.

The themes in this novel are central to understanding and realising to what extent Wilde reveals
himself and the Victorian self in this piece of work. One of the fundamental ideas expounded in
the novel is that of the purpose of art and the role of the artist. All Wildes views on the artist and
the role of art must be taken in the historical context they appear, thus we shall look at philosophies
of art Wilde appeared to subscribe to at the time if we are to find signifiers of himself and the
Victorian self, in a wider sense, within the work. Thus with that in mind we need to look at Wildes
views on the artist which are expounded throughout Picture, but most clearly and concisely in
the preface of the final published edition, in the context of the views Victorian society had of the
artist at large, and the views of the Aesthetic movement of the 19
th
Century. In addition to this we
must also look at the moral climate in which these views were formed, in order to find out why
these views were held and why Wilde felt the point needed to be made, a point which undoubtedly
he had to know would be held as contrary to the majority of Victorian society.

The majority of Victorian society can be seen as viewing art a means of social apparatus, a means
of educating people socially and morally. This is expounded mostly in Victorian Realist
literature of the time (Bailey, 2008). The most popular mainstream Victorian writers of the time
usually depict a character who lived an idealised version of a hard life, in which hard work,
perseverance, luck and universally held Christian ethics of selflessness, politeness, fear of sin and
the following conventional Christian virtues, lead to self-improvement, thus a better life (Bailey,
2008). The resolution of a typical, mainstream, Victorian novel of the day would see virtue
rewarded and wrong doers punished. This done in with an overall moral of the story in mind, which
would again serve to promote the morals and ethics of the day (Adams, 1995).

The days most popular and widely read authors, such as Charles Dickens, George Gissing and
George Elliot to name but a few, attempted to portray a story of self-improvement and betterment
set against the hard-life, realist backgrounds of Victorian Britain, usually London, though other
places in Britain and even other countries were used. The points of view adopted in these works
are reflected in the fine art of the time, was popular at the time and been given accolade by the
Royal Academy J. Tissot (Departure Platform, Victoria Station (1881)), A.L.Egg (Past and
Present I, II, III (1858)) and Richard Doyle are amongst many artists that were house hold names.
All of which followed the realist ideals in art of Victorian England (Woods, 1983). Art for the
majority of Victorians carried a degree of not only educational and social responsibility, with it
but moral responsibility as well.

Wilde himself however was in opposition to this point of view, from the preface and views made
through characters seemingly acting as his mouth pieces throughout the novel we can see elements
of Wildes self and his ideas of the role that the artist should play coming to the forefront.

Wilde was a proponent of the Aesthetic movement in art which came into being in the 19
th
Century.
In opposition to the previously discussed view of Victorian England at the time, the Aesthetic
movement wanted to separate morality and social commentary from art (Woods, 1983). This can
be seen as being motivated by contempt for the strict moral codes of the day, influenced by the
Upper Classes reading of Christianity. The Aesthetic movement valued the aesthetic or visual
beauty in Art beyond all else. Be it literature, painting, or otherwise, over the view of the time that
art should bear moral and social messages and responsibility- Art for Arts Sake a term coined
by Philosopher Victoria Coins was to be their slogan.

This part of Wildes self and personal philosophy, a hard line aestheticism is certainly displayed
and expounded throughout Picture, the very first lines of the preface set out Wildes personal
stance about the place of the artist in Victorian Society: The artist is the creator of beautiful things.
To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim.[2]

The proclamation of painter Basil Hallward exemplifies this: "My heart shall never be put under
their microscope. There is too much of myself in the thing!"[3] Basil continues to lament his work
in a manner in which, it would seem, is a response to the criticism Wilde was receiving about the
book and indeed his personal life: "An artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing
of his own life into them. [] for that reason the world shall never see my portrait of Dorian
Gray."[4]

In this sense Basil Hallward and Lord Henry act as Wilde's mouth pieces in Picture, however it
is my belief that as regards Wildes self in terms of the artist and on a wider scale the self of a 19th
Century Victorian artist the novel is almost autobiographical.

This is a view shared by literary historian A.H. Nethercott who in his essay Oscar Wilde and the
Devils Advocate, puts it to us that Wilde used not only this work but all of his works as a kind of
confessional, an autobiographical revealing of sorts. It is put to us that Wilde reveals aspects of
himself with every character confession, agony, plea and extenuation, he goes on to cite examples
of this throughout different parts of Wildes work. Nethercott guides us to Wilde's series of poems,
Rosa Mystica (1881), in order to see Wilde telling us of his religious journey, physically as it was
written on a journey Wilde took as an Oxford undergraduate through Greece and Italy (Nethercot,
1944), and philosophically as he relays his own beliefs and relationship with religion (Nethercot,
1944). He then goes on to point out Wildes poem Requiescat which was written about the death
of his sister and a series of quatrains to Wildes wife, entitled To My Wife With a Copy of Poems,
both being sighted as extremely personal and revealing (Nethercot, 1944).

While Wilde does seem to reveal his own philosophies on art through principle characters of the
novel Basil Hallward and Lord Henry, the philosophy of Aestheticism seems to be contradicted
by the two main pieces of art in the book- The picture of Dorian Grey itself, painted by Basil
Hallward and the yellow book which Lord Henry gives to Dorian, in order to guide him through
experiments of sensation and hedonism.

While Wilde has his characters at speak at length of the value of Aestheticism and we know that
Wilde himself was a proponent of the philosophy, the two focused on pieces of art in the book,
indeed two of the main focal points of the novel, are in fact presented as the very opposite of the
philosophy of aestheticism and more in keeping with the traditional Victorian writings of the time.

Both of the featured pieces of art serve purposes beyond being beautiful, not only crucial to the
plot, but which come to define said items and have lasting effects on the main protagonist Dorian.
Basils painting of Dorian in the novel is given the purpose of being a mysterious and magical
gage of Dorians immorality and age. The picture itself ageing and distorting as Dorian commits
immoral acts, visibly changing while Dorian remains youthful.
The Yellow Book (commonly assumed to be decadent writer J. K. Hyussmans rebours
(Ellman, 1988)) Lord Henry gives to Dorian serves the purpose of being Dorians guide to
sensations and decadence, causing Dorian to condemn himself to a life of infamy amongst his
peers and leading him to corruption.

It is unclear with these contradicting views what Wilde was trying to demonstrate with the novel.
On the one hand, he plainly sets out his Aesthetic philosophies on art and the role of the artist.
However the two main pieces of art, that are used as focal points of the book, all have purposes
beyond beauty, thus are all in direct contradiction with Wildes view on art. It could be the case
that Wilde highlighting the wrongness of the Victorian societies views on what the artist should
be. In doing so demonstrating that instance on art having meaning and purpose leads to it becoming
a corrupting force in society and has negative influence over the individual.

However presenting the tale in such a fashion, that of a cautionary or even moral tale, would seem
to then give his own piece of art, the novel itself purpose, the addition of a moral to the story,
ensures that his own piece of art is no longer purely aesthetic. This contradiction is further
highlighted when, late on in the novel, Wilde puts it to us that the imagination gives order to the
chaos of life writing: Actual life was chaos, but [] [i]t was the imagination that set remorse
to dog the feet of sin. [] In the common world of fact the wicked were not punished, nor the
good rewarded.[5]

A contradiction here can be seen, with Wildes aesthetic philosophies, and the notion of the
imagination giving life order and meaning. If we are to agree that art and the products of art is also
the product of the imagination, and the imagination that gives life meaning and order from chaos,
then wouldnt the imagination instil that meaning in the art it creates? It would be fair to assume
that the product of such an ordering and meaningful source would also possess meaning.
What we can garner from this, when regarding how Wilde expresses himself and the wider self of
a 19
th
Century Aesthetic artist, is that while aesthetic philosophy may have succeed from free art
and indeed Wilde from the confines of mainstream Victorian morality and ethics. The philosophy
itself was restricting in other ways; it imposes a frame work that Wilde himself found hard to
navigate and indeed, contradicts in his own work. This however does not prevent us from seeing
aspects of Wildes self in the work and a wider sense of the Victorian aesthetic artists self in the
work. True there are contradictions, however they serve to highlight the problems those artists had
with aestheticism at the time. If anything in seeing these contradictions we can learn that the
aesthetic movement though popular at the time, was in a struggle with its own contradictions, after
freeing itself from the Victorian morality it then had to face its own short comings and try to find
an answer.

Leading from the philosophies of Aestheticism presented in the book, problematic as they can be,
we can now look at another theme of Picture. That being the idealisation of youth and beauty
displayed throughout by many of the characters, but specifically in a sense personified by the
novels main protagonist Dorian Grey.

Dorian in the novel appears to find solace in beautiful things such as the tapestrys he collects, the
heavily scented oils and burning odorous gums from the East[6] he amasses are all collected in
order for his to find refuge from facing his sins and wrong doings. Indeed so much value is placed
on beauty throughout the course of the book that Wilde in a sense has to rein in the emphasis
placed on it; this can be seen most clearly in a conversation between Lord Henry and the Duchess
of Monmouth. The former proclaiming "I never tilt against beauty,"[7] the latter proclaiming: I
admit that I think that it is better to be beautiful than to be good. But on the other hand, no one is
more ready than I am to acknowledge that it is better to be good than to be ugly."[8]

Indeed this goes on to be prophetic, as Monmouths claim towards Lord Henry goes on to be a
foreseeing of the downfall of Dorian Grey. Even at the end of the novel though, beauty is restored
to painting as it is took away from Dorian, however the price Dorian paid for the eternal beauty,
in himself while living and post-humanously in the picture was the corruption, degeneration and
degradation of his very being, his soul.

These ideas of the supremacy of beauty and youth can be seen as reflecting Wildes views and
philosophies in his own life. Not only in his embracing of Aestheticism, as we have spoken about
previously, but also the persona he created for himself in public. Wilde himself puts it best in a
letter to his love, Lord Alfred Douglas, to Wilde a beautiful young man himself, whom he was
infatuated with, thus causing his fall from grace in Victorian society and eventual imprisonment.
In De Profundis Wilde writes:
I amused myself with being a FLANEUR, a dandy, a man of fashion[] I became the
spendthrift of my own genius, and to waste an eternal youth gave me a curious joy. Tired
of being on the heights, I deliberately went to the depths in the search for new sensation.[9]
Here not only can we see that Wilde had fell foul to an obsession with beauty and youthfulness,
but also the manner in which he describes his own fall into obsession has clear parallels with
Dorians fall, not only in the events described, but also in the manner they are described as well
proclaiming that beauty that had ruined him, his beauty and the youth that he had prayed for.[10]

It is fairly safe to say his preoccupation and near obsession with youth and beauty in the book is a
reflection and communication of himself to the reader. This is shown through Wildes letters,
especially in the aforementioned De Profundis (Wilde, The Letters of Oscar Wilde, 2000) and the
work of biographers of Wilde, particularly Richard Ellman in Oscar Wilde (1988) and Hesketh
Pearsons The Life of Oscar Wilde, which vividly recalls conversations with Wilde via use of oral
history, using primary sources such as those that knew him, people such as Bernard Shaw, George
Alexander and accounts by Lord Alfred Douglas himself (Pearson, 1946).

His accounts of the supremacy of beauty can be seen as two fold, the way we have just discussed,
Wildes personal obsession with youth and beauty. But it can also be seen, just as importantly, as
a commentary about the superficial nature of Victorian society. The Victorian emphasis on
decorum, manners and etiquette, especially in the middle to upper classes in which Wilde mixed,
at least while promoting his plays etc, can be seen as inspiring the manner in which Wilde portrays
the social judgments place on Dorians actions in the novel.

Evidence of the importance Victorian society placed on superficial values such as etiquette,
manners and decorum, all forms of what they regarded as social beauty, can be found in the
handbooks and guides prevalent in Victorian society as the time. To this day books such as The
Habbits of Good Society: A Handbook for Ladies and Gentlemen (1860) and Hills The Essential
Handbook of Victorian Etiquette remain influential today in how we conduct ourselves socially.
This way of thinking is shown to the point of almost satire and caricature in the novel. The three
main characters of the book, Dorian, Basil and Lord Henry all judge people, not through their
actions, but whether they are beautiful or not. Here I put it to you that Wilde is caricaturing and
satirising the Victorians upper class preoccupation with manners and etiquette, superficial values
being placed over values that actually define character and a person, such as moral worth, virtue
etc.

This idea is continued when regarding Dorians degeneration throughout the novel, while his life
falls into a hedonistic decadent depravity, he is never ostracised from is social circle. Rather despite
his lifestyle, which by this point in the novel is out of control, and everyone knowing that this is
the case, he is pardoned by his peers due to his purity of face and handsomeness. Stating that
although people knew of his evil doings and debauched ways, his presence caused them to []
recall to them the memory of the innocence that they had tarnished. They wondered how one so
charming and graceful as he was could have escaped the stain of an age that was at once sordid
and sensual.[11]

We see this put even more explicitly in a conversation between Lady Narborough and Dorian. In
response to Dorian proclaiming his is disappointed with life astonished she replies: you are made
to be good-- you look so good.[12]

While Dorian is warned by Basil that the elite will begin to question his name, he never suffers ill
consequence at the hands of his reputation from his peers; his superficial beauty is enough for them
to be happy with. This for me is not only an expression of Wildes views on society, but a wider
commentary and satire of Victorian upper class values and means of judgment of a character. It is
from this piece of satire we can learn Wildes views on the one hand and on the other hand, from
reading deeper into the piece, the position Victorian society found itself in as a whole, its emphasis
on etiquette, manners and decorum overriding morality, virtue and ethics at times.

Possibly one of the most revealing parts of the book, regarding the self of Victorian society as a
whole, is the way the book deals with influence and the negative effects of said influence.
Throughout the book Lord Henrys philosophies, the portrait and the yellow book all have
powerful but negative influences on Dorian.

The giving of ones self totally to a dogma or the submission to ones obsessive urges leads to the
downfall of Dorian, through his obsession with beauty and youth, aided in his blind following of
the yellow book and Lord Henrys hedonistic philosophies. Basils idolisation and obsession
with Dorian leads to his eventual murder at the hands of the object of his obsession.

It could be said that the books overall message is that of a celebration or prizing of individualism,
expressions of ones self, being comfortable of ones self and being ones self without
uncompromising devotion to a dogma, philosophy or person. This can be as an expression of
Wildes self. If we regard the manner in which he defended himself during his trial for example,
we can see proof that Wilde was fiercely individualistic; it can also be seen as being a caution
to people in Victorian society on a wider level.

From Puritanism to Dandyism, from Aesthetic movement to the Realist movement Victorian
society was obsessed with all-encompassing philosophies, creeds and dogmas, it is not surprising
that today Victorian ways of thinking are often thought of as Victorianism. Its views on how to
treat the poor, to how to raise children, were often seen as being absolute and in todays eyes
somewhat extreme. Philosophical movements of the Victorian era also bear this out, Utilitarianism
being amongst the most influential (Adams, 1995), giving way to ideas such as the workhouse,
ideas coming from Germany like Neitzschian philosophy to early versions of Phenomenology and
existentialist thought. The Victorian society was filled with extremes, from the schools of thought
discussed and the extreme class boundaries that existed within the society (Adams, 1995).

Wildes portrayal of the negatives effects of extreme influence and celebration of individualism
could be seen not only as a cautionary message to Victorian society, thus revealing himself, but
also an expression of self of the individual in general in Victorian society.
One of the most often referred to themes of the book is one that isnt ever explicitly stated in the
book itself, but its a theme which would have a massive impact on Wildes preceding the books
release for Oscar Wilde was to begin a love affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, resulting in a famous
series of trials and eventually Wildes imprisonment (Ellman, 1988).

There are no explicit references made to homosexual relationships in Picturehowever, the book
appears to hint at least homoeroticism, in particular the relationship between Basil Hallward and
Dorian Grey has undertones of homoeroticism and homosexual desire. Referring to Dorian Basil
tells us I see everything in him [] I find him in the curves of certain lines, in the loveliness and
subtleties of certain colours."[13] This is indicative of Basils feelings towards Dorian throughout
the book. Basil adores Dorians beauty; the painting of the picture of Dorian to begin with was
brought about as his expression of adoration for Dorians beauty. When telling us of the first time
he met Dorian Basil exclaims [Dorians]mere personality was so fascinating that,[]it would
absorb my whole nature []I have always been my own master; had at least always been so, till I
met Dorian Gray.[14]

The theme of homoerotic relationships is continued with the relationship between Lord Henry and
Dorian, Lord Henry feeling the desire to seduce him with his philosophies of hedonism and mould
him into his own hedonistic protge. This is displayed while he gives a speech and []felt that
the eyes of Dorian Gray were fixed on him[15] while we are told of Dorians adoration of him
He was brilliant, fantastic, irresponsible [] Dorian Gray never took his gaze off him, but sat
like one under a spell[16]

In a sense one could say that Wilde expresses to the reader homosexuality and homosexual/erotic
relationships through the lenses of or in the frame work of aestheticism. Wilde using imagery such
as the idealisation of Greek beauty can, when put in the context of the above quote, two of
examples of the many allusions to homosexuality in the book, to portray homosexual feelings and
desires. Using the veil of aestheticism Wilde finds a way for male characters to express and
eroticise each other, being justified in doing so under the appreciation of beauty with no meaning
of Aesthetic philosophies.
This is seen as an even stronger expression of Wildes self when one looks at the passionate speech
Wilde gave in defence of himself while on trial in 1895:
The Love that dare not speak its name' in this country is such a great affection of an elder
for a younger man as there was between David and Jonathan, such as Plato made the very
basis of his philosophy []is as pure as it is perfect[]It is in this century misunderstood,
so much misunderstood that it may be described as 'the Love that dare not speak its
name'[]There is nothing unnatural about it[.][17]

The removal of morality and meaning from beauty allows the characters in the book to comment
on the beauty of someone and express desire, in some cases almost explicitly sexual, without
considering the subject. Aestheticism allows the characters in the book the comment on beauty
without any reference to the agent at hand in that regard. Thus through the use of a philosophy
whose movement encouraged idolisation of beauty without any meaning Wilde can have his
characters express strong feelings of what at least can be considered as incredibly strong
admiration and at most love for each other.

Aestheticism seemingly allows Wilde to present these expressions of desire in a manner in which
he hoped would be far enough away from the realities of Victorian society to not cause a negative
response or at worst of all him being ousted as a homosexual himself.
This opinion to some extent is shared by Ellman in his Wilde biography, James Eli Adams in his
look at Victorian society Dandies and Desert Saints (1995) and to a large extent by Elisa Glick in
The Dialectics of Dandyism (2001). Her in-depth look at homosexuality within Picture and
within the Dandy and aesthetic movements of the time asserts to us that Picturerepresented the
newest face of homosexual aestheticism and so demonstrates the ongoing relevance of
aestheticism for gay male subject formation.[18]

The great change or the new mode that Dorian brings to Basils life to the passion and vigour
Lord Henry displays towards Dorian, all seem to heavily allude to a homosexual awakening in
both men. Glick goes on to put forward a similar notion about the use of aestheticism to display
this further on this the aforementioned journal article. Asserting that Greys decent into hedonistic
debauchery can be seen as a: spiritualizing of the senses [] understood in the context of the
novel's extended inquiry into the dangers of repression and the positive value of pleasure.[19]

The theme of homosexuality and homoeroticism goes hand in hand with a wider theme within the
novel. The books overriding theme of duplicity, looking at the negative influence of repression of
feelings and the living of a double life, can be seen of having parallels to Wildes life as a famous
playwright, poet and social commentator in public, to his visiting of homosexual brothels,
prostitutes and his participation in private in a then illegal and forbidden homosexual relationship
(Ellman, 1988).

I will not bare my soul to their shallow prying eyes. My heart shall never be put under
their microscope.[20]- In the book this is most explicitly shown in secret life Dorian leads of
sin in his private life to loved socialite in public. Dorian towards the end of the book amasses
secrets such as the murder of his friend Basil Hallward, drug and other substance abuse etc. Yet
he still attempts to live an upright and moral public life.
Like Wilde Dorian was unable to live the two lives at the same time and in a sense with his
imprisonment and very public fall from grace Wildes life in many ways mirrors that of his
character Dorian Grey. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.[21]

The idea of Wilde himself living a dual life is seen throughout his others works. Arthur Nethercoat
in his essay Oscar Wilde and Devils Advocate (1994), points out allusions to sin and a double-
life in Wildes poetry such as, Helas (1854), and Panthea (1890) amongst others, sighting a
convincing example of Wilde depicting tales of his homosexual double life in Taedium Vitae
(Nethercot, 1944) with the reference Where my white soul first kissed the mouth of sin.[22]

We can then take this reading of Picture and see if it bears out as an expression of a larger
homosexual self in Victorian Britain. While homosexuality was illegal in Britain at the time the
practice was wide spread though hidden, David Thomas in his book Hellanism and Homosexuality
in Victorian Oxford (1994) confirms this, looking mainly at the geographical area that Wilde
himself would have been most in contact with- Oxford (Thomas, 1994). It is fair to suppose then
that many men and indeed women (though lesbianism was not illegal) would have seem parallels
in their own lives in Wildes depiction of a double life and the homosexual in Victorian society,
Wilde in his depiction of homosexual and homoerotic relationships as something not seedy, sordid
or immoral, rather something of beauty, love and refined culture would have spoken, to and for a
silent, hidden yet relevant and ever growing part of Victorian society and beyond.

We have found then that Picture then can be viewed as an expression of the self in several
different ways. The confessional nature of the book, with the themes we have covered all lend
themselves to being expressions of Wildes self and his various guises. We see in Wildes self-
expressed as the dandy artiste, aestheticism philosopher, social commentator, observer of manners
and, as hidden as it was apparent, Wilde as a homosexual, forced to live a secret life. This
expression of Wildes self would be as telling as it was a foreboding of what was to come, in the
following years Wilde would fine himself tormented, disgraced and persecuted for the life
expressed and alluded to in Picture, in hind sight the book tells us a lot more about Wildes self
than it would have on release, as we now know more about the secret he tried to hide.

As much as the book is an expression of Wildes self it has wider expressions, it eloquently
expresses the multiple selves that existed in Victorian society, demonstrating the beliefs, trails,
conflicts and duplicity of Victorian society. In particular Wildes Victorian society which both
praised him and forced him to live a secret life. Eventually condemning him as a criminal,
imprisoning him.

While a work of fiction The Picture of Dorian Grey can certainly be read as both a portrayal of
the various collective selves of Victorian society but also an equally importantly as an expression
of Wilde himself, presenting to the reader through A Picture of Dorian Grey, A Picture of Oscar
Wilde.


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Oscar Wilde. Henry Holt & Co LLC.
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Footnotes
[1] Wilde, O. (1968). The Picture of Dorian Grey(1891). In O. Wilde, Oscar Wilde Stories (Chp1, pp.19). London:
Heron Books
[2] Wilde, O. (1968). The Picture of Dorian Grey(1891). In O. Wilde, Oscar Wilde Stories (Preface, pp.17). London:
Heron Books
[3] Ibid (Chp1, pp.19).
[4] Ibid (Chp1, pp.19).
[5] Wilde, O. (1968). The Picture of Dorian Grey(1891). In O. Wilde, Oscar Wilde Stories (Chp 18, pp.153). London:
Heron Books
[6] Wilde, O. (1968). The Picture of Dorian Grey(1891). In O. Wilde, Oscar Wilde Stories (Ch11f-Chp15). London:
Heron Books
[7] Ibid (Chp17, pp.149)
[8] Ibid (Chp17, pp.149)
[9] Wilde, O. (2000). De Profundis (1900). In M. Holland, & R. Hart-Davis (Eds.), The Letters of Oscar Wilde. Henry
Holt & Co LLC.
[10] Ibid (Chp20, pp.165)
[11] Wilde, O. (1968). The Picture of Dorian Grey(1891). In O. Wilde, Oscar Wilde Stories (Chp 11, pp.103).
London: Heron Books
[12] Ibid (Chp 15, pp.143)
[13] Wilde, O. (1968). The Picture of Dorian Grey(1891). In O. Wilde, Oscar Wilde Stories (Chp 1, pp.20). London:
Heron Books
[14] Ibid (Chp 1, pp.19)
[15] Ibid (Chp 3, pp. 39)
[16] Ibid (Chp 3, pp. 39)
[17] Pearson, H. (1946). The Life of Oscar Wilde. London: Methuen
[18] Glick, E. (2001). The Dialectics of Dandyism. Cultural Critique , 129-163
[19] Ibid
[20] Wilde, O. (1968). The Picture of Dorian Grey(1891). In O. Wilde, Oscar Wilde Stories (Chp1, pp.19). London:
Heron Books
[21] Ibid (Preface, pp.1)
[22] Wilde, O. (1881). Tadaeum Vitae. In The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde Volume 1. Kindle (2009).