Oscar Wilde’s version of the Faust temptation tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, proved so popular that it was later converted to drama and opera and imitated by other writers in subsequent novels. It first appeared in 1890 in Lippincott’s Magazine and was lengthened later that year for publication as Wilde’s only novel. The magazine and book versions vary in ways that, while not substantially altering the story’s theme of the perils of temptation, do alter some metaphors and cultural inferences. Students of the work should read both versions to observe how Wilde simultaneously fashioned a traditional Gothic tale and one particularly suited to fin de siècle interests, including that of modern art.

A naive orphan, Dorian Gray wishes that he might remain young while his portrait ages, proclaiming that his 18-year-old form will mock him as he grows old. But when the portrait painter, Basil Hallward, picks up a knife to destroy the picture, Dorian stops him, saying that would be like murder. That scene foreshadows an ironic later turn of events when Dorian, grown callous and desperate, murders Hallward. Hallward’s friend, Lord Henry Wotton, plays the part of the devil in Wilde’s tale, granting Dorian his wish for eternal beauty and youth in exchange for his soul. Lord Henry’s evil, destructive personality is balanced by Hallward’s good and generous nature, his artistic bent rendering him a positive and creative character.

By making Gray a high-society figure, Wilde suggests the duplicity and hypocrisy inherent to the London social scene in which he immersed himself. He also inserts his trademark ironic humor, evident, for example, in a discussion between Lord Henry and Hallward of Gray’s plan to marry the actress Sibyl Vane. When Hallward exclaims over the foolishness of such an idea, Henry responds, “Dorian is far too wise not to do foolish things now and then, my dear Basil.” Hallward rejoins that one can hardly marry “now and then,” to which Henry answers, “Except in America.” Wilde’s light tone indicates a less-than-serious attitude toward his dark story, which he enlivens with his trademark witty repartee between characters.

Following Sibyl’s suicide, Gray sinks into low-class activities while remaining active on the social scene. The physical weight of the aging portrait, borne at one point by the doomed Hallward as he struggles upstairs under its load, metaphorically suggests the weight of Gray’s sin. As Gray dies at the book’s conclusion, the portrait is magically restored to its original quality, suggesting a rebirth of creativity.

In the novel’s preface, Wilde anticipated criticism of his book by famously writing, “There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all.” The Picture of Dorian Gray remains popular and is available in print and electronic text.

Bibliography
Haslam, Richard. “Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.” The Explicator 61, no. 2 (Winter 2003): 96–98.
McCormack, Jerusha Hull. The Man Who Was Dorian Gray. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000.

Categories: British Literature, Literature, Novel Analysis

Tags: 1890 Lippincott's Magazine, artistic creativity, Basil Hallward, character dynamics, classic literature, Dorian Gray, Dorian Gray analysis, Dorian Gray's downfall, eternal beauty, Faust temptation tale, fin de siècle literature, Gothic novel, literary critique, London social scene, Lord Henry Wotton, modern art, moral immorality in books, Oscar Wilde, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, portrait aging, portrait symbolism, Sibyl Vane, soul exchange, The Explicator, The Man Who Was Dorian Gray, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Victorian Literature, Wilde adaptations, Wilde criticism, Wilde's ironic humor, Wilde's literary legacy, Wilde's novel, Wilde's preface, Wilde's wit