Wisniewski 1

Maggie Wisniewski

Ms. Winter

Brit Lit, Period 1

10 May 2017

Dorian Gay

Living in a society that views one as a criminal simply for being who they are causes a

negative backlash. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, revised and published in 1891 by Oscar

Wilde, major character Dorian Gray endures a drastic change of character as his moral decay

leads him to commit shameful acts due to societal views and expectations. These acts begin to

corrupt a painting done by Basil Hallward, who attempts to preserve his growing affection

towards Dorian within the painting. Societal views on homosexuality drastically influence the

actions of both Dorian Gray and Basil Hallward. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, the fear of

homosexuality in the Victorian era is reflected through the relationship Dorian Gray shares with

Basil Hallward.

In the beginning of the novel, Basil finds himself nervous in regards to the feelings

Dorian brings him. When talking to his friend Lord Henry, Basil mentions that right when he

made eye contact with Dorian, he felt as if he had come face to face with some one whose

mere personality was so fascinating, fearing that perhaps it would absorb [Basils] whole

nature, [his] whole soul, [his] very art itself (Wilde 10). Dorians ability to have such an

extensive effect on Bail, without even exchanging a word, suggests an immediate attraction.

Basil quickly progresses in declaring his love for Dorian when he proclaims to Lord Henry that

[he] couldnt be happy if [he] didnt see [Dorian] every day. [Dorian] is absolutely necessary to
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[him] (12). Basil establishes a dependence on Dorian, feeling as though happiness is

unattainable without any form of interaction. This association of Dorian with happiness provides

context to the relationship, showing that it is more than merely friendship. Basil insists that he

cannot put his portrait of Dorian in an exhibit as he feels ;the world may guess it; and [he] will

not bare [his] soul to [societys] shallow, prying eyes insisting that his heart shall never be

put under [societys] microscope (14). Basils refusal to showcase his work out of fear that the

world may guess his fascination and love towards Dorian express the emotions expressed

towards same-sex relationships during this time period. To live in fear suggests that society has a

strong distaste for the love Basil feels for Dorian, thereby influencing the theme of secrecy

playing out throughout the entirety of the novel.

With Basils love towards Dorian preserved in his portrait, Dorian begins to mirror the

struggles of being homosexual in a society that views it distastefully. When Dorian initially sees

the portrait Basil produces, he proclaims how sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and

dreadful. But this picture will remain always young then proceeds to ask Basil, why did you

paint it? It will mock me some day (25-26). Dorians reaction of seeking to preserve his youth

and innocence while suggesting mockery explains his wish to keep who he is secret. Rather than

having to age with experience, Dorian wants to be forever innocent, or forever morally pure from

his homosexual desires. When Dorian finds himself interested in a woman named Sibyl Vane, it

soon becomes apparent his interest is merely based on acting skills alone. When Dorian finds

Sibyls acting skills to be inadequate, he informs her that she has killed [his] love and leaves,

against her pleads for him to stay. Dorian arrives home to find the expression [on the portrait]

looked different. One would have said that there was a touch of cruelty in the mouth(76-77).
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Dorians shallow interest in women drastically differs from his infatuation he expresses towards

Lord Henry, however, he still pursues women. The corrosion the portrait begins to express with

Dorians cruelty portrays his loss of morality, and his struggle with inner homophobia. When

Basil confronts Dorian about the rumors circulating, Dorian finds himself frustrated and takes

Basil to see the corruption within the portrait. Once Basil lays his eyes on his portrait, he is

horrified and suggests that [he] worshiped [Dorian] too much. [He] is punished for it (132).

Basils preservation of love within the portrait is in ignorance, Basil finds himself incapable of

believing such horrendous things about Dorian until he sees the portrait for himself. In attempts

to regain control of his innocence, Dorian [seizes] the [knife], and [stabs] the picture with it

resulting in a splendid portrait hanging on the wall as Dorian lay on the floor withered,

wrinkled, and loathsome of visage (183-184). Dorian makes his final attempt to rid himself of

his loss of innocence, or moral corruption due to homosexuality. By ridding Basils preservation

of love, Dorian establishes a distance from the same-sex desires. His pursuit in establishing

himself separate of homosexuality embodies the views that society held during the Victorian Era.

Although deemed immoral and criminalized, the relationship Dorian and Basil share

represent a transition of morality during the Victorian Era. The novel is an impassioned

affirmation of homoerotic love and its healthy potential which gives new meaning to Wilde's

statement, Hallward is what I think I am(Alley). The representation of Basil as a gay

character, and as the one who is the only truly morally pure character in the novel, humanizes

those who are criminalized. As homosexuality was criminalized, it becomes understandable that

Dorian's act is also one of internalized homophobia; he kills Hallward because he hates the male

love that would seek him out and speak its name (Alley). Dorian represents this societal attempt
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to hold on to traditional values rather than adjust with the changing of times; to preserve the

criminalization of homosexuality rather than understand it. This fear is prevalent throughout the

course of the novel and throughout the society as the questioning of morals becomes at the

forefront of society. Gerald Monsman states that Wilde's narrative itself was censured as a

decadent novel. Monsman proceeds to claim that Basil would exhibit his painting as an image

of a god to be worshipped were he not afraid of being thought mad. The fear of being

represented as mad for his portrait still demonstrates the fear of homosexuality within the

Victorian society, however, it does represent a transition. As opposed to being criminalized,

Basil would be dismissed as mad. This slight difference in reaction due to a change in time

demonstrates the transition that was starting to occur in regards to morality.

Produced by Simeon Solomon, the watercolor Sappho and Erinna in a Garden at

Mytilene depicts two ancient greek poets expressing affection. The doves placed about the two

heads is representative of their romance with one another. The deer located to the left of the

painting symbolizes the sensitivity expressed through

this painting. The facial expressions seem reluctant,

with the crow in background suggesting a bad omen.

For Solomon to publish an intimate painting of two

women greatly went against what was acceptable for

the era. As stated by Michael Hattersley, late

Victorian society simply did not allow for a more

explicit exploration of the love whose name could not

be spoken. The love that could not be spoken was homosexuality.

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Even though the society morally would not allow homosexuality to be explored, Solomon

challenges this moral through his painting. Oscar Wilde similarly challenges this moral through

Dorian Gray which while cautious, was implicitly homosexual as it inundated late-Victorian

society with a highly visible body of homoerotic literature causing an enormous reaction

(Hattersley). Hattersley proceeds to say that Wilde was immediately arrested and tried for

indecent acts. Wilde pushes the moral boundary through his novel, and eventually is arrested

for committing acts of indecency. Viewing homosexuality as a crime causes emotional turmoil

on those who identify as such. Dorian Gray exemplifies this struggle in his portrait, just as

Solomon portrays in his somber painting.

Dorian Grays internalized homophobia can certainly be credited to the societal views

during the Victorian era. Joseph Bristow argues that [Wildes] purpose was to expose the

implicitly 'criminal' effects which led beautiful beings such as Dorian into the most fatal of

crimes. Continuing to make note that In the 1890s, when the infamous 'Love that dare not

speak its name' was alluded to in the Wilde trials, the idea of 'homosexuality'--as a specific type

of person--was still restricted to medical textbooks and by as late as 1836, sexual intercourse

between men was called sodomy or buggery, a crime punishable by death in England and Wales

(Bristow). Although the novel was revised and published in 1891, there was only fifty-five years

between the publication date and the time in which citizens were murdered due to their same-sex

tendencies. This short amount of years is not enough to purge a society of specific morals. By

restricting homosexuality to medical books as a condition which can be cured, Basil and Dorian

are then dehumanized and boiled down to one aspect of their lives; sexual orientation. By having

this as such a critical issue, it becomes understandable as to why Dorian feels the need to
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suppress his desires. Four years after this publication, Wilde himself had his second trial for

gross indecency with young men (McKenna). Although Wilde gave in to his temptation, he did

have several attempts to kindle love affairs with women however for each of these several

attempt, Oscar Wilde was involved in [relationships] -... sexual [relationships] with men

(McKenna). Wilde later on noted that his relationships with women were a cloak to hide his

secret (McKenna). Wildes intimacy with men draws parallels to that of Basil, who is a gay

artist that seeks to preserve his same-sex desires within his art. Simon Joyce argues that the

Dorain ranges freely between aesthetic pursuits and criminal ones (Sexual). Joyce also

makes note that Dorians crime doesnt sound very elevated and artist because - like the portrait

itself - it needs to remain hidden from the public (Sexual). Dorians aesthetic pursuits are in

attempts to preserve his innocence, while his criminal ones are to preserve his internalized

homophobia. These pursuits play a long battle throughout the entirety of the novel. His crime

being hidden is symbolic in that it represents his homosexuality being hidden. That is, until

Dorian murders the hidden portrait, exposing his true self to those who come to observe what has

happened. The views of Victorian era can be seen through the struggle Dorian endures

throughout the novel.

Although the relationship Dorian shares with Basil endures hardships and results

in death, it stands representative of how society viewed homosexualty with the rise in

questioning morality. Although Oscar Wilde faced pushback and was requested to revise his

work, his publication served as an entryway for more homoerotic literature, thus leading to a

better understanding of what it truly means to identify as gay. Due to artists in the Victorian era

challenging the morals shared in society, society soon adapted. This challenge of societal
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morality and norms through the means of literature still remains prevalent as time progresses.

Perhaps, through literature, society can reach a point at which uncertainty is embraced and those

who are different are met with compassion, rather than being ostracized. Regardless, time has

proven there will always be many to challenge unjust views.

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Works Cited

Alley, Henry M. "The gay artist as tragic hero in The Picture of Dorian Gray." CLCWeb:

Comparative Literature and Culture, vol. 11, no. 2, 2009. Literature Resource Center,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=eldorado&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA20

4861634&it=r&asid=be1738c1a8b349fbe6824d93548be134. Accessed 27 Apr. 2017.

Bristow, Joseph. "Wilde, Dorian Gray, and Gross Indecency." Twentieth-Century Literary

Criticism, edited by Kathy D. Darrow, vol. 272, Gale, 2012. Literature Resource Center,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=eldorado&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH14

20110024&it=r&asid=48a186624ff86f6a83b5fd95f3d45c37. Accessed 26 Apr. 2017.

Originally published in Sexual Sameness: Textual Differences in Lesbian and Gay

Writing, edited by Joseph Bristow, Routledge, 1992, pp. 44-63.

Hattersley, Michael. "How gay was Dorian Gray?" The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, vol.

21, no. 6, 2014, p. 10+. Literature Resource Center,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=eldorado&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA38

8825696&it=r&asid=0c5a98e6c92a4ac28fce0e72671aef16. Accessed 27 Apr. 2017.

McKenna, Neil. The secret life of Oscar Wilde. New York: Basic , 2006. Print.

Monsman, Gerald. "The Platonic Eros of Walter Pater and Oscar Wilde: 'love's reflected image'

in the 1890s." English Literature in Transition 1880-1920, vol. 45, no. 1, 2002, p. 26+.

Literature Resource Center,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=eldorado&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA82

256383&it=r&asid=6f128987b6d1b6a6895ca2f4b4847e9c. Accessed 27 Apr. 2017.

Sexual Politics and the Aesthetics of Crime: Oscar Wilde in the Nineties, ELH 69.2 (Summer
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2002): 501-23. Copyright The Johns Hopkins University Press. Bracketed page

numbers refer to this Norton Critical Edition. Reprinted by permission of the Johns

Hopkins University Press.

Solomon, Simeon. Sappho and Erinna in a Garden at Mytilene. 1864, watercolor.

Wilde, Oscar, and Michael Patrick. Gillespie. The picture of Dorian Gray: authoritative texts,

backgrounds, reviews and reactions, criticism. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2007.

Print.