C ELLIOT
ART 347
The Allegory Of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde
In Relation To Hedonism And The Victorian
Society: Appraising Tactless Materialism and
Apathy
By KELVIN DE VEER
12/2/17
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Is it worth keeping up an elaborately stylish life? Or, is it better to pursue a life of morality and abiding
by society's moral standards? With perfect appearances and invented beauty, an imagined or the invented
way of life can appear to be less demanding and more lavish than a moral life (Craft 215). Living a moral
life isn't as appealing to the vast majority of people. However, its loaded with hardships and inconveniences
over making the best decision. One quality can't be held without losing the other, because of their conflicting
characteristics (Craft 217). While the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray draws out the focal inquiry "Is it
better to seek after hedonism, Aesthetics or Morality?" it portrays the life of Dorian Gray, who always tried
to keep up his appearance at the cost of his moral ethics (Wilde 210).
In the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the eponymous character Dorian takes
after the way of life of Hedonism. This lifestyle advocates a total surrender to your driving forces and does
not facilitate the interest in following social dictates or morals (Pearce 45). The book illustrates the longterm impacts of Hedonism (Pearce 46). As indicated by Lord Henry, the objective of hedonism is to
understand one's nature perfectly to offer critical analysis to every inclination, articulation to each thought
and reality to each fantasy (Wilde 198). Lord Henry's recommendation allures the pliable Dorian Gray, who
does not appear to understand that Lord Henry may advocate giving in to each drive, even the destructive
ones, yet he does not indulge in any low or distasteful conduct, contrary to Dorian Gray in his wild quest
for youth and beauty leading to loss of morality (Wilde 188). Lord Henry Wotton, a principal character in
the novel, is a man with "wrong, interesting, toxic, delightful theories " (Wilde 87). Despite the fact that
Lord Henry is a self-proclaimed hedonist, he lives a dull life in the novel (Arnold 60).
Dorian is told his whole significance in life is to be beautiful. Lord Henry clarifies that Dorian
should subsequently appreciate this beauty and utilize it further for whatever length of time that it will last.
Lord Henry goes ahead to clarify that, each motivation that we endeavor to grasp agonizes in the mind, and
poisons us however, the best way to dispose of temptation is to yield to it. Oppose it, and your spirit
develops debilitated with the yearning (Wilde 199). Dorian, in any case, takes Lord Henry's
recommendations concerning hedonism and the aftermath is disastrous (Wilde 120). Later on, He sees the
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picture Basil Hallward has painted of him and prophetically wishes, "How dismal it is! I will grow old, and
horrendous, and awful. In any case, this photo will remain constantly youthful. If only tables were turned!
whereby I remained young and the picture took over my aging years to come! For this, I would give
everything! Truly, there is nothing in the entire world I would not give!" (Wilde 205). Dorian models his
life after a work of art. In relation to this, “ Egon Schiele's self-portrait of 1910 ” is exceptional not just for
the frequency with which the artist portrayed himself. In this illustration, the artist has made an
extraordinary and practically terrifying vision of himself: withered, with sparkling red eyes, legs distorted
and footless, his body completely uncovered, yet with his face halfway covered up, maybe proposing a
feeling of disgrace, and in a contorting, posture obligated, as many writers have suggested (BeckerLeckrone 41). This was characteristic of the Expressionist mode that Egon Schiele was progressively
practicing at that time, he communicates his anxiety through line and form (Becker- Leckrone 42).
Dorian soon embraces Hedonism and sets out to carry on with his life as a pleasure-seeker with no
regard for morality, on account of Lord Henry's influence. Hedonism advocates living exclusively for
yourself. The main sentiments that were essential to Dorian were his own (Arnold 15). His association with
Sibyl Vane tests his commitment to this lifestyle by nearly leading him to abandon Lord Henry's lessons,
yet his affection turns out to be as superficial as he is. When he drives Sibyl to suicide after breaking her
heart, Dorian notices the first principal change in his self-portrait, giving confirmation that his portrait is
demonstrating the effect is of aging whiles his body remains ever youthful (Pearce 60). Dorian analyzed
Sibyl's suicide as the accomplishment of a creative thought instead of a catastrophe for which he is
responsible for. In spite of this, his murder of Basil Hallward marks the start of his end and demonstrates
his entire loss of morality. Dorian appears to lack a conscience through the novel and is supported by Lord
Henry thought that "Conscience a coward are similar things" (Wilde 7). As Dorian's life advances, his sins
deteriorate and his portrait looks more and more hideous while he keeps up his young appearance. Dorian
is a work of art, which implied the painting is genuine living (Wilde 130).
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Unmistakably the main character in the book who is reliably legit and direct is the portrait of Dorian
Grey, which mirrors the progressions that Dorian's own particular face ought to reflect as his identity turns
out to be increasingly shrewd (Pearce 63). This is like Egon Sheilie's Hermits 1912; This uncommon
twofold representation, among the most metaphorical works in Schiele's life, indicates Schiele and Klimt
standing together, about as one. As close as the two men were, and for every one of their similarities, Schiele
spent quite a bit of his profession trying to break free of Klimt's impact (Becker- Leckrone 49). This is in
connection to Dorian who tries to break free from the influences of Lord Henry as this turn out bad for him.
In Hermits, the two men wear their mark long dark caftans, an item of attire for which Klimt was known,
and which Schiele appropriated for his own particular work, maybe in tribute. Schiele positions Klimt out
of sight, daze and for the most part covered up, as though being devoured by the more youthful artist
(Becker- Leckrone 50). The subsequent frame brings out the picture of a solitary dim figure, demonstrating
the successor Schiele acquiring the authoritative mantel (Becker- Leckrone 51). As result of Dorian
attempting to break away, alone in his room, he examines in the picture the face that ought to be his own
and chooses to end everything by diving a knife into the painted figure's heart. At the point when his body
is found, obviously, the blade is in his own heart, and the portrait reverts to being as beautiful as it was the
day it was painted (Craft 249).
Wilde exemplifies the entire standards of the Aesthetic and hedonistic Movement well known in
Victorian England. Hedonism advocated whatever characteristics that were likely to maximize the beauty
and joy in one's life, in the custom of hedonism. Wilde, through Lord Henry, laments the smothering idea
of his contemporary Victorian society (Arnold 119). The Victorian age was the time when the British
Empire was at its most grounded and most prominent. Wilde demonstrates the desire to be privileged
through Dorian Gray. Dorian Gray is a prime case of Victorian Society, he is attractive outwardly and thus
lives a happy life (Arnold 121). However, inside Dorian is a killer, a blackmailer, and a really terrible
individual. Dorian had the facade of respectability. Your facade was thought to be vital, as long as you look
great outwardly you are acknowledged, it doesn't make a difference what's within. In Victorian culture,
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selfishness was ethically essential, and it really was ideal to think about your looks and that's it (Matsuoka
15). Lord Henry was a prime case of the aristocratic world he lives in and recommends selfishness is
something to be thankful for. Lord Henry supposes we should put ourselves before others. The Victorian
culture was not an exceptionally decent place to be in, everybody needed to live in the aristocratic world,
which was not really a decent place. It was brimming with corruption and outrage. (Matsuoka 16).
Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray appears to purposefully promote hedonism and
aestheticism at first. In Wilde's opening preface and all through Lord Henry's lectures in the novel, the
aesthetic and hedonistic philosophy appear to be the fundamental themes, embraced by both the characters
and the author (Matsouka 97). Wilde illustrated a need for a controlled way to deal with hedonism, without
which would prompt a serious loss of morality. The concept of unrestrained hedonism, as showed by
Dorian, resulted in egotism, a lack of guilt, and loss of mental control and selflessness evident though
Dorian's newly acquired personality; you know, living a life he wasn't accustomed to (Matsouka 110). As
the theme of this paper asks, Is it better to seek after Hedonism or Morality? it portrays the hedonistic way
of life: the life of Dorian Gray, and answers the question by unveiling the slow decay and possible death
of Dorian Gray's life. We can justify about any move we make on a few grounds (Arnold 117). As we
weave this mind-boggling web of untruths, we reproduce ourselves in some picture totally foreign to the
way we truly are; we make our thought processes pure and our actions blameless. It is better to keep up a
moral life with a conscience loaded with guilt than to have an existence of magnificence and liberality,
loaded with only the temporary pleasures of the world around us.
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Work Cited
Arnold, Matthew. “Culture and Anarchy.” The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ed. Andrew
Elfenbein. NY: Pearson Longman, 2007. 276–279.
Becker-Leckrone, Megan. “Oscar Wilde (1854–1900): Aesthetic and Criticism.” The Continuum
Encyclopedia of Modern Criticism and Theory 20 (2002): 658–665.
Craft, Christopher. “Come See About Me: Enchantment of the Double in The Picture of Dorian
Gray.” Representations 91 (2005): 109–136.
Matsuoka, Mitsuharu. “Aestheticism and Social Anxiety in The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Journal of
Aesthetic Education 29 (2003): 77–100.
Pearce, Joseph. The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde. NY: Ignatius Press, 2004.
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ed. Andrew Elfenbein. NY: Pearson Longman, 2007.
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