The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Résumé du document

After reading disappointing reviews on The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, nobody would be tempted to read it. On the contrary, it would be a missed chance to learn more about life and its superficiality and about the power of manipulation and its negative influences. It may be possible that this book was too modern for its time, and that subjects such as homosexuality, immorality, cult of beauty have offended people. The style of the novel is also distressing, with a clever blend of satire, humor and the supernatural, which gives rise to this comedy of manners.
Perhaps, all these elements led to the outbreak of a scandal, which followed the first publication of the book, in the Lippincott's Monthly Magazine on June 20, 1890. Panned by critics and presented as an "immoral story", The Picture of Dorian Gray, was revised by its author in an expanded second version with six new chapters added and published in 1891.

Extraits

[...] This adoration for beauty above everything and the constant attitude of the characters to transform all life situations in artistic experiences is sometimes fearsome. The best example of such an attitude is Dorian's reaction to the death of Sybil Vane. The suicide of the seventeen- year-old actress because of her desperate love for him is seen by Dorian and Lord Henry as the perfect end of a beautiful play. This offhandedly vision is really shocking! This carefree attitude of the main character was used to justify the idea of an immoral book wrote by a man without a heart. [...]

[...] Synopsis The novel focuses around Dorian Gray, the main character who is described as a handsome young aristocrat. But if the nature has endowed Dorian Gray with exceptional beauty, the young man is also easily influenced, a weakness used by Lord Henry Wotton. This seductive talker appears as the mentor of Dorian and uses all his intelligence and his art of manipulation, to convince him of the necessity to pursuit beauty, youth and sensual pleasures. If Lord Henry could be seen as Dorian's bad conscience, Basil Hallward could be presented as the good one. [...]

[...] Beauty is the centre of this movement: beautiful paintings, handsome face Dorian Gray is in that way, the perfect ideal researched by Aestheticism, a “Prince Charming” as Sybil Vane called him. Dandyism in the nineteen century, with its search for smartness (which is linked with beauty and youth) is part of the Aesthetic movement. Oscar Wilde identified himself as a Dandy. But, we can wonder, how to define a dandy? Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton and in less measure Basil Hallward are three dandies. [...]

[...] The summit of his perversity appears through his three murders, the suicide of a young actress (Sybil Vane), ruined by her love for Dorian, the assassination of Basil Hallward and finally his own suicide, by slashing his portrait. Themes and symbols As we say above, The Picture of Dorian Gray is based on several themes, which are developed around Dorian's discovery of what Wilde called the true nature of life. Indeed, the innocent young aristocrat trapped by his own selfish wish and corrupted by Lord Henry, adopts progressively a gloomy vision of life and people. [...]

[...] This recognition is mainly due to the numerous sources and references used by Wilde. Among them, Aestheticism and Dandyism must be underlined. The Aestheticism movement finds its origins in Emmanuel Kant's philosophy and his vision of Art as a unique way to develop beauty and sensations. The movement knew a great development throughout the eighteen and the nineteen-century in Europe and in the United States. In France, for instance, we can evoke authors such as Théophile Gauthier and Baudelaire, who contributed significantly to the movement. [...]