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The picture of dorian gray and women
The picture of dorian gray and women
The picture of dorian gray and women
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Homosexual Elements in The Picture of Dorian Gray
In spite of the novel's heterosexual text, many critics agree that it has various homosexual elements in its characters, in the dialogues, and even in the portrait itself. One of the critics, Richard Dellamora, mentions this feature of the text, and comments that "By definition this context is heterosexual. Wotton is married and pursues actresses. Basil himself is a graduate of Oxford, a well-established artist, and respectable to a fault" (28). However, he also remarks the intensity of male friendships, and referring to Basil, he continues "Later, he repeatedly enjoins Dorian to conformity. Both older men live in a network of male friendships that ramify through the novel " (28). As we can infer from what Dellamora says, it is obvious that all the homosexual events are happening in a heterosexual milieu. Examples of this situation might be Dorian's love for Sybil, and Lord Henry's marriage, which make them seem rather heterosexual men.
In this narrative, we mostly see the homosexuality as a male desire, in other words a desire for a beautiful male body or attractive male images. Ed Cohen suggests that Dorian Gray himself represents the male desire: "Within the narrative structure, Dorian is an image - a space for the constitution of male desire" (806). His observation of how Basil Hallward sees Dorian Gray as a male desire is that, "Dorian's 'personality' enchants Basil and throws him back upon himself, evoking a physical response that is then translated into a psychic, verbally encoded interpretation...His fascination with
Dorian leads him to foreground their erotic connection... and at the same time legitimate it in the sublimated language o...
... middle of paper ...
...ry's competition with Basil for this handsome young model, Dorian's admiration for his own beautiful body, and the portrait's visionary descriptions of male beauty are the clues of the male characters' homosexual identities. Even though Wilde does not articulate this phenomenon of his men, it is such a strong impression that homosexuality covers the whole story.
Works Cited
Cohen, Ed. "Writing Gone Wilde: Homoerotic Desire in the Closet of Representation" PMLA 102 (1987): 801-13.
Dellamora, Richard. "Representation and Homophobia in The Picture of Dorian Gray" The Victorian Newsletter 73 (1988): 28-31.
Gold, Barri J. "The Domination of Dorian Gray" The Victorian Newsletter 91 (1997): 27-30.
Jullian, Philippe. Oscar Wilde. New York: The Viking Press, 1969: 213-223.
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. London: Penguin English, 1992.
Basil goes to speak to Dorian to tell to him of the rumors they have been spreading. Many people believe him to be immoral and a corrupting influence that must be avoided to keep one’s good name. Hearing such rumors trouble Basil because he worships Dorian so strongly and is so devoted to him. He even refuses to exhibit the portrait of Dorian, the imitation he made, “Because, without intending it, I have put into it some expression of all this curious idolatry.” (13 Wilde) Basil feared that the world would be able to tell how much he adored Dorian. Continuing his conversation, Basil claims “but you, Dorian with your pure, bright, innocent face, and your marvelous untroubled youth—I can’t believe anything against you.” (127 Wilde) Which is to say that Basil believes that when one commits sin it changes the man’s outward appearance, corrupting him and since Dorian is beautiful he is without sin...
Obsession is the most compelling theme of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian’s obsession with his beauty and youth, and Basil’s worship of Dorian, are a driving force. Dorian’s tale is similar to every celebrity that has been adored only to fall in public approval when their true natures are revealed. There is no doubt that Dorian is a celebrity in his time, he is adored by many in London like a celebrity would be admired today. The idolatry, quest for beauty, and downfall of obsession are seen in fiction as well as reality, through Dorian’s obsessions and modern day obsessions like plastic surgery or following a favorite celebrity on every form of social media. Obsession is a toxic force that has a hold on humans regardless if it is in fiction or reality.
A critical analysis of Oscar Wildes only novel would yield that it is in fact a homosexual allegory of doomed, forbidden passion. The relationship between Lord Henry and Dorian, as well as Basil and Dorian is, clearly Homoerotic and must’ve shocked Victorian society.
The novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde shows the life of three men who are affected by art in the Victorian society. In Victorian times men were expected to provide for himself and his family, accumulate wealth, exemplify good morals and prove his masculinity. If a man did not show one of these qualities in the Victorian time his masculinity would be questioned. In the novel these men show three different sides to masculinity. Each character finds himself unhappy with the role he is forced to play in order to prove his masculinity. For them it seems in order to be successful or achieve happiness they must push past the gender roles society has placed on them. Basil Hallward represents the artist, Dorian
...y others to be a devoted aesthetic due to his concerns to consumerism and fashion, but not a feminist (Mintler 139). Thus, the neglect of women in Dorian Gray is evident and Oscar Wilde had more pursuit over aesthetics than the feminist movement, which is reflected by Dorian’s means of aesthetic pursue over the care of women.
... wants to believe he is acting. After Dorian tortures her with his words, she cries out, “Don’t go away from me. I couldn’t bear it.” (78) Even after seeing the cruel side of her true love, she blindly begs for him to return to her. “A low moan broke from her, and she flung herself at his feet, and lay there like a trampled flower.” (78) The young, insignificant woman had her heart broken by a man she barely knew.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a rich story which can be viewed through many literary and cultural lenses. Oscar Wilde himself purposefully filled his novel with a great many direct and indirect allusions to the literary culture of his times, so it seems appropriate to look back at his story - both the novel and the 1945 film version - in this way.
In "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, we see a beautiful young man who makes tremendous efforts to transform the actual world into the idealistic world of art, dreams and sensations. Dorian's quest, however, culminates in his ultimate tragic destruction. Given that Dorian lives a corrupt life, one is likely to focus on the negative aspects of his character. In spite of his significant character flaws, Dorian Gray may still be considered a hero. This essay will examine Dorian's degradation from the innocent world to the vicious, sensation-oriented world. The elements contributing to Dorian’s status of tragic hero will then be discussed.
Oscar Wilde`s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is written primarily out of the aesthetic movement of the Nineteenth Century. Therefore, the text contains a profuse amount of imagery which reflects the concepts of beauty and sensory experiences. By taking the aesthetic approach, Wilde was able to revive the gothic style through grotesque imagery of the portrait and the character whose soul it represents. Wilde is not using gothic elements to shock his audiences; rather he uses the gothic to capture the hideousness of Gray`s corruptness which leaks out of the painting and into the tone of the entire text.
In this novel, Oscar Wilde displays Dorian’s moral corrosion negatively in order to convince his audience of the detrimental effects of aestheticism. As Dorian descends deeper into the depths of his depravity, the audience loses faith in him. His innocent, childlike and charitable qualities, seen in his philanthropy and petulance when he is first introduced, are lost, and he acts cruelly and selfishly. For example, when his lover, Sibyl Vane, performs on stage and fails to meet Dorian’s expectations, Wilde fashions Dorian’s reaction to be callous and bitter to her so that the reader sympathizes with Sibyl.
"I turned half way around and saw Dorian Gray for the first time. I knew that I had come face to face with someone whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself" (7). During the Victorian era, this was a dangerous quote. The Victorian era was about progress. It was an attempt aimed at cleaning up the society and setting a moral standard. The Victorian era was a time of relative peace and economic stability (Marshall 783). Victorians did not want anything "unclean" or "unacceptable" to interfere with their idea of perfection. Therefore, this quote, taken from Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, brimming with homosexual undertones, was considered inappropriate. Due to the time period's standards, Oscar Wilde was forced to hide behind a thin layer of inference and parallel. Wilde was obsessed with the perfect image. Although he dressed more flamboyantly than the contemporary dress, it was to create an image of himself. Wilde was terrified of revealing his homosexuality because he knew that he would be alienated and ostracized from the society. Through his works, Oscar Wilde implicitly reflected his homosexual lifestyle because he feared the repercussions from the conservative Victorian era in which he lived.
In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde readers are presented with a vast depiction of the art of immorality in the face of ignorant innocence portrayed by the character Dorian Gray. In the beginning it seems to be a quaint novel on artistry and the paradoxical relationship between two lifelong friends by the name of Basil Hallward and Lord Henry. The plot takes a surprising twist when introduced to the real center of attention, the character of the seemingly innocent Dorian Gray. Upon this introduction Wilde then begins to tell the tale of what a life of secrecy and deception will lead to without the consciousness of a moral threshold and the inescapable burden of Dorians horrid accumulation of sins. The deception begins with a simple shout out to the heavens for the impossible to be granted. This then flourishes into unspeakable acts caused by an Egyptian statue, bringing misfortune to Dorian Gray by giving him exactly what he so desperately desires, thus teaching the world a lesson. Not everything we so strongly desire the world to provide is good for the soul.
In Oscar Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, beauty is depicted as the driving force in the lives of the three main characters, Dorian, Basil and Lord Henry. Dorian, the main character, believes in seizing the day. Basil, the artist, admires all that is beautiful in life. Lord Henry, accredited ones physical appearance to the ability of achieving accomplishments in life. Beauty ordains the fate of Dorian, Basil, and Lord Henry. The novel embodies the relationship of beauty and morality. Beauty is not based on how attractive an object is to everyone, but how attractive it is to one.
In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian Gray reads a yellow book given to him by mentor-friend, Sir Henry Wotton. In the years after reading the book, Dorian Gray transforms from the pure and innocent young man he was into a two-faced immoral man. The reason behind the Dorian's degradation is never explicitly mentioned in Wilde's novel, which begs the question of whether literature has the ability to degrade a person. The influence of literature has the potential to corrupt one’s mind, but whether it does is dependant on the state of the reader.
Though Wilde wrote in the preface to this book that, "To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim", we can still trace the shadow of the author himself in all of the three major characters. Basil Hallward, the artist who painted the picture of Dorian Gray, probably has a homosexual attachment to the young Dorian. And as a homosexual himself (or to be exact, bisexual, because he also loved his wife and two sons), Wilde here might be commenting on the enforced secret homosexuals' lives in the late nineteenth century. Seemingly striving after impersonality and aesthetic perfection in his work, Basil feels the greatest anxiety of having put "too much of himself" into his picture of Dorian (Chapter 1, page 20) that he can't exhibit it. To display his work of art in public would, in a sense, amount to exposure of Basil's attraction to Dorian Gray.