You were the most unspoiled creature in the whole world. Dorian allows the portrait to carry that burden for him as he ignores his conscious in pursuit of a life of pleasure and sin. You mentioned … Basil seems to worry about Lord Henry’s interest in Dorian because Basil wants to monopolise Dorian as his motivation of art. His central image of a secret ‘portrait in the attic’ is frequently used as a metaphor in cases where people seem to be rather unnaturally preserving their youthful looks. Basil and Lord Henry are in rivalry to gain Dorian’s attention. The Picture of Dorian Gray, moral fantasy novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde, published in an early form in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel by Oscar Wilde that was first published in 1890. I was only happy when I was with you. Because of his aesthetic taste and flamboyant style, people often consider Wilde as a pleasure-seeking type of person such as Dorian or Lord Henry. Essentially, what Dorian gives up in order to maintain his influence over others is his soul. The cleavage of this dual nature in Dorian Gray deepens as he interacts with Basil Hallward, and Lord Henry ‘Harry’ Wotton, thereby showing their male homo-social world. (97-98). “Basil,” said the lad, going over to him and putting his hand on his shoulder, “you have come too late. With him, reclining and smoking a cigarette, is Lord Henry "Harry" Wotton. Yes; he would try to be to Dorian Gray what, without knowing it, the lad was to the painter who had fashioned the wonderful portrait. The story starts with a meeting between Basil Hallward and Lord Henry where they talk about the extraordinary beautiful youth Dorian Gray. The Superficial Nature of Society – Dorian’s ability to maintain a youthful complexion helps him keep favor with the who’s who of London society despite the rumors that circulate about him. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray is set in the late 19th century in London, England. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a story about a youth whose beauty is unaffected by age or corruption since his soul is placed in his portrait. From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Picture of Do‧ri‧an Gray, The /ˌpɪktʃər əv ˌdɔːriən ˈɡreɪ/ (1891) a novel by Oscar Wilde about a beautiful young man, Dorian Gray, who has a painting of himself that he keeps in the attic (=a room under the roof) of his house. Print. The Perils and Consequences of Social Influence – The social company that Dorian begins to keep includes people who share his personal philosophy that life has no meaning if it is not pleasurable and beautiful. In fact, when Dorian tells Lord Henry that he killed Basil, Lord Henry just laughs it off saying that Dorian is not nearly brutal or aggressive enough to have committed a murder. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Main Theme of The Picture of Dorian Gray – Introduction, Literature Explained – Literary Synopses and Book Summaries. What do you want?” “I want the Dorian Gray I used to paint,” said the artist sadly. Lord Henry recognizes that there is something special in this and immediately decides to influence the young and impressionable Dorian because he knows that Dorian will be able to win over anybody that he wants to. His belief in art for art’s sake—or “Hedonism” (22) is sharply contrasted with the conventional, ordinary marriage with a woman: “If you had married this girl [Sibyl] you would have been wretched” (85). From the beginning of the story, the talented painter Basil Hallward already admires Dorian Gray and paints his portrait. This is seen in Basil’s experiences as well as that he feels he cannot show the portrait at a gallery because he became too invested in the portrait’s subject. This emphasizes the uglier side of a life all about the pursuit of pleasure and beauty. In addition to this, in the 1890 version of the story, there are few more lines before the quote above. These lines about the secret of Basil are the most obvious and important evidence which relate to the theme of homosexuality in The Picture of Dorian Gray: Dorian, from the moment I met you, your personality had the most extraordinary influence over me. Consequently, he imprudently begs for his beauty to remain eternal while his portrait endures the burden of age. He did not show his interest in Wilde at first, therefore Wilde had to wait in anguish. Somehow, I had never loved a woman … I quite admit that I adored you madly, extravagantly, absurdly” (Dorian Gray Norton Edition 250). Its a meaning of compassion toward others and not always about their self but a little encouragement. The grotesque deformities of the picture come into being in Dorian's own body, while painted Dorian is restored to its original image of spotless beauty. (93). These two characters are artistic and intellectual like Wilde, and Wilde claims that “Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me” (Ross 5). However, the portrait serves as an external source of a conscious for Dorian and it torments him so that he hides it away from any other potential wandering eyes. Now, I don’t know what has come over you. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Dorian meets those beautiful ladies and spends passionate time together, however, when they lose their value as “beautiful objects”, Dorian suddenly loses his interest and abandons them. At that time, Lord Henry rarely knows Dorian: ‘Yes, that is his name. However, importantly, Basil also sees Dorian’s innocent ‘soul’. An author of Wilde’s biography which focuses on his love and sexual life, Neil McKenna, claims that John Gray “was an exceptionally handsome boy, and likely to grow into an extraordinary handsome young man” (119). Glamor or Glamour – What’s the Difference. Wellbeing or Well-Being – Which is Correct? ( Log Out /  By representing heterosexual marriage as tedious and commonplace, Wilde is, consciously or unconsciously, negating the social convention. The Picture of Dorian Gray opens in the London studio of Basil Hallward, an artist. While negative remarks about heterosexual alliance can be seen throughout the story, the relationships is deeply suggestive of homosexuality, namely, between three characters, Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward, and Lord Henry Wotton are divided into two interpretations. By this quote Dorian Grey means that people have the capability to do great harm and the capability to do great goodness in the world. The New Yorker 8 Aug. 2011: 64. I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. Time and time again throughout the novel, beauty is treated as something that can revitalize and inspire so it is no wonder that Dorian becomes terrified of the fact that he will lose this power when he begins to age. “Deceptive Picture; How Oscar Wilde Painted Over. The novel, the only one written by Wilde, had six additional chapters when it was released as a book in 1891. It's a kind of living allegory, a visible interpretation of Dorian's soul. The thing human beings must admire is not just their desire, but their innocent soul and inner nature. At various points in the novel, the seedy nature of large cities is highlighted as Dorian, a wealthy young man, visits some of the more ragged theaters of town and eventually begins to spend time in opium dens. A viewer such as Dorian Gray discovering out the meaning of his picture is an example of this. Basil is finishing painting a portrait of "a young man of extraordinary personal beauty." Following a brief encounter with Lord Henry, Dorian begins to fear the demise of his youth and the onset of old age, along with the hideous imperfections that will surely mar his perfection in the coming years. Lord Henry tells Basil, “beauty, real beauty, ends where an intellectual expression begins” (6). When you were away from me you were still present in my art. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. You talk as if you had no heart, no pity in you. When Dorian finds a way to keep himself from aging, he becomes devoid of any conscious or moral compass, but his face keeps him in the good favor of society because he appears innocent and pure in his features. McKenna, Neil. Dorian is charmed by Lord Henry’s theories, such as “youth is the one thing worth having” (21), and he follows them. He needs no one but Dorian to create his art. However, through Basil’s existence, Wilde tries to show his ideal, or can be said his real nature that is caring, sensible, and moral. But the plan backfires dramatically: by stabbing the portrait, Dorian inadvertently kills himself. See more. However, Dorian offers that if Basil could tell him his secret he used to mention sometimes, he would show him the portrait. He gives me good advice” (50). When I like people immensely I never tell their names to any one. The DGS is characterized by a triad of symptoms that overlap, and so combine diagnostic signs of dysmorphophobia, narcissistic character traits, and the immaturity of arrested develop… ... People for whom Wilde believes "there is hope" are "the elect to whom beautiful things mean only beauty." The book explores the purpose of experiencing art in the process of trying to live a life of pleasure. Oscar Wilde and Myself. Like Lord Henry’s close connection with Dorian, homosexuality, or a homosocial tie, is often misunderstood to be “immoral”, but by showing that Basil could have reformed Dorian – if he was not killed, Wilde is able to show that a homosexual subject can be positive, and can produce real beauty. Lord Henry is attracted by Dorian’s beauty, which comes from his unintellectual innocence. London and New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 2007. Wilde sent gifts and paid constant attention to the beautiful Gray, therefore he “did eventually consent to become Oscar’s officially beloved, several months after they first met” (118). The city provides an appropriate backdrop for a tale about beauty, hedonism, and pleasure-seeking lifestyles. As a consequence, through Lord Henry’s influential homosocial relationships, the true beauty of Dorian’s soul and personality are corrupted. Patrick Gillespie. In the middle of the story, the most affectionate lines of Basil appear. I wanted to have you all to myself. Basil adores Dorian’s beauty and becomes mildly obsessed with Dorian as his subject for a while. Youth and Beauty as Vehicles of Influence – Youth and beauty are coveted traits from the very start of the novel when Basil is telling Lord Henry about the young man he recently painted and how entranced he was with the man’s attractive features. Written in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde’s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author’s most popular work. Art is reflected by the one viewing the art, and their interpretation of it mirrors what they think the art is supposed to represent. The Picture of Dorian Gray Lord Henry is a man possessed of “wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories.” He is a charming talker, a famous wit, and a brilliant intellect. I grew jealous of every one to whom you spoke. The Picture of Dorian Gray. ( Log Out /  Wilde uses the quote, “forget all the maladies of mediaevalism, and return to the Hellenic ideal,” to show how the Victorian society and way of thought is being argued by individuals who want to ideally live …