Duality In Mark Twain's The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray seems to be two different people, at the exact same time. He is beautiful externally, but hideous internally. He is good-natured externally, and at the same time, ill-natured internally. Dorian appears to be perfect externally, but is extremely flawed internally. Dorian’s private ethics oppose the public morals of the traditional Victorian society in which he is a part of (Gillespie). He possesses a dual-nature through his struggle between his inner and outer selves. Dorian seems to exhibit a duality of innocence and sin at the same time. He is publically good and innocent. He maintains his good social standing for a time, by appearing to be the same, moral man he once was before he became friends with Lord Henry. However, at the same time, he

encompasses a private sinful nature that only is detectable by those closest to him. This dual-nature benefits him both socially and privately. He is still viewed as a good man in public, but receives private pleasures though his sinful actions. Because of this dual nature, Dorian could be expressed as a combination of both Basil and Lord Henry.

They each feel similarities between themselves and Dorian, and strive to mold him into a reflection of themselves. Basil through his portrait, and Lord Henry through his words, both recreate Dorian in their own image and likeness (Manganiello). He publically reflects Basil through his exterior personality, and privately reflects Lord Henry, through his inner personality and behaviors. In a criticism essay written on The Picture of Dorian Gray, a writer states, “The need to immerse one’s self in unfamiliar sensations stands as the motivating force guiding Dorian’s behavior” (Gillespie). This thought is an interesting idea because it explains why Lord Henry seems so appealing to Dorian. As a young man, Dorian is still developing himself through new experiences, and the intriguing novelty of Lord Henry draws him in. This fulfills the need for Dorian to immerse himself in unfamiliar experiences that he is not accustomed to. He is not used to living that type of lifestyle and when he has the opportunity to do so, he becomes completely captivated by it and is unable to release himself from the hold it has on

him.
As Dorian becomes more familiar with his changing nature, he acknowledges the duality within him through speaking about his love, Sibyl Vane. Lord Henry, however, opposes this relationship due to his negative thoughts on marriage, but Dorian refuses to listen to him. He says, “You know how a voice can stir one. Your voice and the voice of Sibyl Vane are two things that I shall never forget. When I close my eyes, I hear them, and each of them says something different. I don't know which to follow” (Wilde 57). In this case. Sibyl Vane is reflective of Dorian’s good natured side, while the opinion of Lord Henry is reflective of his bad natured side. He expresses difficulty in choosing between the two. He seems to be psychologically tied to both natures, and struggles in choosing one over the other. This idea can be seen through Basil’s portrait of Dorian. The painting is reflective of his ugly, dirty soul, while his outer beauty remains intact. Dorian views the painting and is displeased with the hideousness that reflects him, but cannot bring himself to change his actions. Through this quote, Dorian hints at his transforming soul, and the difficult task of deciding which path to follow. The voices he hears stir him in a way that only causes confusion within his mind. One moment, he is encompassed by the morals and ethics of the sinful Lord Henry and everything Dorian has learned from him, and the next moment he is entranced by the innocence and naïve nature of Sibyl Vane, who can also be seen as a reflection of Basil Hallward.
All of the influences on Dorian weigh heavily on him. The reader soon learns that Dorian chooses the path that Lord Henry paved for him, and puts an end to his relationship with his young love, Sibyl Vane. Before this occurs, Dorian seems to be so in love with Sibyl that he tells Lord Henry and Basil, “Then the curtain rises, and you will see the girl to whom I am going to give all my life, to whom I have given everything that is good in me” (Wilde 86). Dorian, shortly before he said this, expressed how his beauty is the only good thing he has, and when it begins to fade, he will be nothing, and he will kill himself. Therefore, by giving everything good that is in him to Sibyl, one can infer that once Sibyl dies, everything good inside of Dorian will die with her. This explains the sudden twist of Dorian’s nature to an enigma of negativity when he is informed of Sibyl’s suicide. Once this information sinks in, Dorian spirals into exactly what Lord Henry had been molding him into, which is an even less moral and ethical version of himself. This shows how the influence of another, Lord Henry’s influence on Dorian to terminate his relationship, can greatly contribute to one’s own code of conduct.
The life of Mr. Dorian Gray includes one filled with beauty, prosperity, and love, while also turmoil, hideousness, and spite. Once Mr. Gray chooses Lord Henry’s lifestyle over Basil’s, his nature takes a turn for the worst. His life descends in a downward spiral, but Dorian is accepting of this because his outer beauty remains intact. However, this influence by Lord Henry is not at all positive, despite the satisfaction Dorian Gray has with his outward appearance. This influence results in a total abandonment of any and all morals and ethics Dorian once had, which then in turn, result in the murder of his former best friend, Basil, and the suicide of his former love, Sibyl Vane, and himself. The novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the story of the life of Mr. Gray, establishes that outside influences have an immense effect on the patterns of behavior that an individual chooses to follow, as well has have the ability to transform single-natures into dual-natures and vice versa.