Dear All,
Please find below a list of different exam questions for you to attempt over the next few weeks. Remember the two most important aspects of this half of the exam: it is closed-booked, it is one hour long.
Therefore, try to recreate the same difficulties and environment you will expect on 16th May.
To answer the question, it is imperative you meet the following assessment objectives:
- You must answer the question – do not just write about what you have revised
- You must quote from the text (this demonstrates your knowledge and understanding)
- You must explain how your quotations support your point
- You must ZOOM IN and explain the effect the language has on the reader, by exploring the different connotations
- You must evaluate why you think Wilde chose that particular word/phrase/image above all else
- You must link the narrative and language to the historical, social and cultural context
- You must link the text to critical opinions
- You must have a fluent and coherent structure to your answer.
Please attempt to answer one question of your choice over the Easter holidays; write your answer in the comments section below.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Sir
‘DORIAN GRAY’: ESSAY QUESTIONS FOR EXAM PRACTICE
1. In a letter to a friend in 1894, Wilde wrote: ‘Basil Hallward is what I think I am; Lord Henry what the world thinks me; Dorian what I would like to be – in other ages perhaps.’
Analyse these statements in the light of what you know about Wilde and the novel.
2. Consider in what ways the choice of third-person narration in The Picture of Dorian Gray expands and/or limits our understanding of character, plot and authorial standpoint. In what ways is the reader manipulated by the narrator?
3. In what ways can we consider ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ to be an ironic book? Refer to verbal irony, situational irony and uncertain irony in your answer.
4. Comment on the portrayal of women in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’. You should refer to the social and historical context as well as characterisation and character purpose.
5. Consider the presentation of dualism in the novel, particularly in the development of the main character. Include some consideration of Victorian morality.
6. ‘Lord Henry enjoys disturbing the complacent assumptions of those who make up society but has no intention or desire to separate himself from their company’. (Michael Gillespie, Picturing Dorian Gray, Norton Critical Edition)
What is the role of Lord Henry in the novel?
7. Consider in what ways Oscar Wilde set out to expose the hypocrisy of the time in which he lived in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.
8. In what ways does the structure of ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ increase reader tension and engagement?
9. Analyse where the reader’s sympathies lie in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and consider whether Wilde wanted the reader to empathise with any character in particular.
10. ‘The artist is the creator of beautiful things.’ Oscar Wilde, Preface to ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.
Consider whether Wilde as created a ‘beautiful thing’ in writing this novel.
12D Literature Blog 
In what ways can we consider ‘The picture of Dorian Gray’ to be an ironic book? Refer to verbal irony, situational irony and uncertain irony in your answer.
‘The picture of Dorian Gray’ could be depicted as an ironic novel to a great extent by the use of its verbal, situational and uncertain ironic circumstances throughout. My discussion will be notable of the Preface, and its significant role that determines the amount of irony in the novel. Furthermore, the characterisation of the protagonist Dorian, who represents situational irony when he’s presented as a beautiful, well to do being, yet results in corruption. One could argue Wilde’s use of irony is to present the rise in drama in the 19th century, as opposed to literature, where a vase amount of irony and exaggeration would be used. Alternatively, Wilde could be capturing his personal isolated state of mind. As, Wilde’s homosexuality was deviated by the social satire of the Victorian era, so therefore he could be presenting this by the use of irony to show unstableness and isolation.
Wilde’s use of uncertain irony to present the character of Dorian Gray is significant. The Preface frankly states that ‘all art is useless.’ Firstly, the adjective ‘useless’, perfectly describes and creates an imagery of something or someone worthless and purposeless. Yet, art in the 19th century was crucial and to some extent the paradox of ‘useless.’ Paintings were used to capture the moment, instead of the modern camera. Therefore, the ‘uselessness’ as described in the Preface is some what ironic, as a reader of the 19th century would most probably agree, because art was much more appreciated then, as opposed to nowadays with the introducing of modern technology. Nevertheless, the metaphorical statement used by Basil: ‘Dorian Gray is a motive of art’, very much presents verbal irony. As, from this quotation, a positive tone is created as we begin to appreciate Dorian’s ‘extraordinary personal beauty’, as the use of the noun ‘motive’ demonstrates how he relates to a piece of art. Yet, there’s a great sense of verbal irony here, from the quotation ‘all art is useless.’ If Wilde perceives all art to be ‘useless’ , yet Dorian is compared to ‘art’ , this immediately demonstrates a sense of Dorian being a ‘useless’ character. This is ironic, as Dorian brings thrill, suspense and domination to the novel. Furthermore, it’s questionable to Wilde, if Dorian was so ‘useless’ why would he present him as the corrupted heroic protagonist, if he brought nothing to the novel. On the other hand, the sense of irony here could be used as a reference, and to forebode Dorian’s death. Also, the quotation ‘all art is politics’ adds to the irony from a situational point of view to an even greater extent. As, if art was ‘useless’, yet ‘political’, this is to a great extent misleading. Oscar Wilde was an archaist, who had a political idea of freedom. Therefore, Wilde is contradicting himself and his own morals.
A reference to situational irony is evident in the following quotations spoken by Basil: ‘I worshipped you’ and ‘I was dominated, soul brain and power over you.’ The fact Basil ‘worshipped’ Dorian, suggests towards the reader that he adored and honoured him utterly. Moreover, the verb ‘domminated’, instantly demonstrates that Dorian had great influence over Basil, as well as for a person to be ‘dominated’ also demonstrates they’re being to a certain extent controlled. Yet, Wilde uses the phrase to characterise Dorian as ‘he’s as bad as bad.’ Great irony is presented here by Wilde as, why would Basil be so ‘domminated’ by someone who was ‘bad.’ Alternatively, Basil states ‘I want to paint the Dorian Gray I used to know’, perhaps Basil used to be domminated by Dorian before he began to evolve as a character by Lord Henry’s psychological influence. However, this could be a reference to the Greek mythology named ‘The Republic’ with his soul being disfigured by the evils one commits. Dorian becomes corrupted ironically when he opposes he’s ‘not like any other man’, along with his ‘personal beauty’ then kills the companion he’s ‘most fond of’ – Basil. As Simon Joyce states this was ‘Dorian’s criminal masterpiece’, yet I frankly disagree, and if anything is a masterpiece of disruption .I understand Wilde demonstrates irony to a great extent, as the murder of Basil is unexpected, for the great ‘friendship’ they had. Yet, Dorian quotes ‘everyone has heaven and hell in them’ this may be a reference to Faust’s ‘double life’, or could be an ironic front to Dorian’s true ‘evil’ traits.
One could argue Wilde uses uncertain irony in a way that he presents women in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray.’ Sibyl Vane, represents an economically deprived young girl, in which is presented by Wilde as a ‘third rate actress with a pretty face.’ The use of ‘third rate’, creates a hindered weakness over the character, and with Sibyl being the first woman presented in the novel, for a modern reader we see the woman of the 19th century as less significant. As well as, the quotation used by Mrs Vane ‘My child! My child’, creates a sense of weakness and manipulation towards the ‘young girl’. The repetition on ‘my child!’, along with the exclamation mark, exaggerates towards the reader, how weak Sibyl is and to some extent insecure, by the use of patronisation. The character Sibyl Vane, was created by Wilde to demonstrate the private sphere woman had in the social satire of the 19th century; women were as Parsons states an ‘expressive’ role, meaning they were the housewife. Yet, men remained in the public sphere. However, Wilde has ironically portrayed the character of Sibyl Vane, and her ‘tired- looking’ mother, when he introduces powerful women such as Lady Narborough and The Duchess. Both individuals represent women who are shifting into the public sphere, as this was becoming most possible for women of the Victorian era. The quotation by Lady Narborough ‘Fin du globe’, meaning ‘end of the world’ demonstrates how there’s a new position for women, in which was almost as equal as men. Along with the Duchess confidently questioning Lord Henry’s philosophy in the quotation ‘does his philosophy make you happy?’ As well as, Lord Henry ironically verbally contradicts himself when he states ‘I do not approve or disapprove of anything’, yet argues that ‘no women have a choice.’ Wilde is manipulating here the role of women during the Victorian era, so therefore the modern reader still remains unsure on the role of women during the novels setting. As, the role of woman and men were not entirely equal.
Overall, the extent of irony is delivered by Wilde as Arkenberg states ‘through a constant contradiction.’ Especially, by Wilde himself when calling art ‘useless’, yet as an archaist himself stating it’s ‘political.’ We learn, the character ‘Dorian’ is verbally ironic throughout, by others, when starting as a ‘extraordinarily beautiful’ individual, and despite never ageing, corrupting into a dead man whose ‘as bad as bad.’ As Sheldon Wliebman states- ‘Dorian is truly the man in the middle’, he’s no longer the heroic protagonist and ‘worshipped’, like Basil states. Yet, ‘youth has destroyed him’, which ironically contradicts the modern readers expectations of a ‘beautiful man.’
Excellent work, Clodie.
I like how you answer this question from a variety of different perspectives an think constantly about using textual analysis to support your assertions. Furthermore, your subtle blend of contextual information is very good, as well as your written fluency. Finally, your ‘zooming in’ on the language used by Wilde is very good, and I enjoy reading you alterative interpretations.
One Target to Rule Them All: AO4 – to link specific historical and social events to the novel, as apposed to quite general connections. For example, instead of ‘The represents Wilde’s homosexuality which deviated from the Victorian norm’, you could focus on his relationship with Lord Alfred Bosie or his work ‘De Profundis;.
Questions:
What did you find most challenging about the essay?
Which specific historical and cultural events could you add to your essay?
How have you improved your language analysis (which was your previous target)?
6. ‘Lord Henry enjoys disturbing the complacent assumptions of those who make up society but has no intention or desire to separate himself from their company’. (Michael Gillespie, Picturing Dorian Gray, Norton Critical Edition)
What is the role of Lord Henry in the novel?
Lord Henry is, paradoxically, both the most likable and least likable of the three main characters. He does not whine like Basil or Dorian, and is easily the most readily quotable of them, quite apart from doing his best to show up the hypocrisies of Victorian society. Yet, at the same time he is completely amoral and does much harm, as well as proving himself to be spineless and selfish.
Julian Hawthorne once dwelt upon how Lord Henry “lived to witness the destruction of every other character in the novel”; this is true in more than one way. He does chronologically outlast every other character of note, but his manipulative ways also show that he does, indeed live purely for the pleasure of observing the downfall of others. At one point Henry’s internal monologue declares that “One can never pay too high a price for sensation” and it is this code that defines his dominant characteristics. The subtle undertones of how he is willing to sacrifice those close to him (the “price”) for sensation are all the more sinister to the reader because of how utterly dismissive of others he really is. Much later on in the book he mocks Basil as “dull” and a “representative British artist” even when he has already been convinced that Basil has most likely died; the key phrase “representative British artist” is all the more telling because it contains Henry’s trademark roguish, charming cynicism, now revealed as the lure of a purely sociopathic character; one whose apathy may be even more vile than Dorian’s hate, and an even more telling example of the fallacy of relying on the superficial appearances of others.
However, Henry fulfils as important a role in communicating the theme of corruption and influence as he does the theme of aesthetics; Henry is the catalyst for much of the early plot; he is the straw that stirs the drink. He is a Mephistophelean character, luring Dorian away from the good example of Basil with comments such as “You have such a marvellous youth Dorian, and youth is the one thing worth having”. To the reader, the underlying threat implied in such a statement – since youth will eventually fade – makes it clear that Lord Henry has anything but Dorian’s best interests at heart, but it is the subtle manner in which he damages Dorian’s soul that is the most telling. Basil confronts Dorian later on in the book about the company the latter keeps, telling him that “one has the right to judge a man by the effect he has over his friends”. Dorian responds with “am I his keeper?”; an invocation to the story of Cain and Abel that is easily seen here. Lord Henry’s words are often compared to music; Dorian is just his instrument, and Henry the musician. He never misses a chance to denigrate an innocent thing or comfort Dorian in his sin and explain away his actions; he declares that love and art are both “simply forms of imitation” providing the gateway for Dorian to reject Sibyl; the emphasis on aesthetics and “imitation” makes the appearance of Sibyl’s acting more important than her and Dorian actual love. He dismisses Sibyl’s death as an art form and James’ as annoying; ultimately, he is the true representation of how hedonism can corrupt. By telling Dorian only what Dorian wants to hear, what is pleasing to him, he help him down the road to his own doom.
On the other hand, one could easily see Henry in another light; that of a weak socialite. Even as he loves to stir up controversy he lacks any actual opinions, at one point declaring “I never approve or disapprove of anything now”. The narrator said in the preface “All art is quite useless.” and it appears that this applies to what Lord Henry says as well. For all his grand proclamations Henry never really say anything at all. Whenever a truly important topic comes up, Henry is quick to dismiss it; he mocks marriage, love and is not even interested in Basil’s fate. Wilde may be critiquing the idea of corruption and influence altogether; he once described Lord Henry as “what the world thinks me” and parodying the idea of a work of fiction – the yellow book – having such a huge impact with Dorian’s personality changing significantly upon encountering it. Far from being someone who fights the hypocrisies of Victorian society Henry embodies them entirely; he is misogynistic and empathetic. For example, he ridicules his wife by advising Dorian to “never marry a woman with straw coloured hair because they are so … sentimental”. Henry’s use of words and phrases as insults like “sentimental” and the “Seven Deadly Virtues” makes his backwards morality seem subtle; but there is another layer to his character. By the end, Henry embodies Walter Pater’s verdict that “Vice and crime serve to make people coarse and ugly” and his final stage, that of the cuckold lamenting the lost wife he once mocked show him up not to be particularly immoral, but simply and utterly pathetic, pining for the attention of others. What was once so formidable at the start of the novel has become stripped away to show only selfish weakness.
Henry is very much a meta-textual character; he is the most enjoyable to read and is utterly quotable. In this way Wilde is able to communicate Dorian’s fascination with Henry to the reader by making us emulate it; Henry was only ever about the surface; unlike Dorian who grew vile and interesting as the layers of corruption grew in reality, it is in the illusion that Henry is able to craft to distract from the Machiavellian tempter or meaningless non-entity he really was. In the greater scheme of the book, Henry embodies what Walter Pater said about art; it “offers nothing but to make our moments more memorable as they pass, and simply for those moment’s own sake”.
This is very good, Josh.
Your range of textual evidence to support your arguments is outstanding and you have really thought about the different ways you could answer this questions. Furthermore, your language analysis has improved phenomenally since the start of the year, moving from opinionated reviews to subtle interpretations. Finally, your blend of contextual information is very strong and supports your assertions throughout.
One Target To Rule Them All: AO1 – use of literary terminology. Although we improved in this area and made fantastic progress, what still lacks from your language analysis is the specific terminology of the subject. When zooming in on the effect on the reader, include which techniques are used by Wilde and why you think he deployed them.
Questions:
What did you find challenging when writing your response?
What are the key literary and linguistic techniques used by Wilde throughout the novel? Name examples with quotes to support.
What effect does each technique evoke in the reader?
“Comment on the portrayal of Women in ‘The picture of Dorian Gray’. You should refer to the social and historical context as well as characterisation and purpose”.
Women within Dorian Gray are portrayed in two, quite contrasting ways which was very much the case within Victorian England. On one hand, you have the pretty, simple and poor woman who would do anything for a rich man’s attention and within the novel, this is shown through the character of Sybil. Then, onto the other extreme, you have the powerful if somewhat corrupt character of Lady Narborough who acts as the foil to Sybil within the novel. Strong and powerful women were somewhat hard to come by during the time period that Wilde wrote in, but certainly from my perspective he portrayed both sets of women impeccably well.
During the novel, Wilde links to art as the centrepiece to base the novel around and this was often the case within his portrayal of women, especially Sybil. “It was simply a bad art, she was a complex failure” is a quote from the narrator about Sybil’s acting performance which at first was the key reason why Dorian fell in love with her in the first place. This can be seen in another light in the sense that Wilde believed that men could only fall in love with the characters that women played and not the actual gender themselves, which perhaps links to the external factor of Wilde’s homosexuality case. As Walter Peter states, “Great passions give us a quickened sense of life” and this was to be true for both Dorian and Sybil in their ‘love’ for one another. The fact that Sybil states that she “shudders at the thought of being free” shows just how weak and vulnerable of a woman she is and how her only passion in life is Dorian.
Throughout the novel, Wilde portrays Sybil as an aesthetically pleasing and beautiful character with her innocence and acting being her only faults. “She was the loveliest thing I had ever seen in my life” states Dorian, posting his views only on her beauty and due to the upper class nature that Dorian is portrayed in, it is no surprise that he acknowledges her on looks alone. This kind of aesthetic nature was not only for women, however, as Dorian was said to have an “indefinable attraction that Dorian seemed to be able to exercise whenever he wished”. Aesthetics were vital in Victorian England and Wilde portrays the importance of these characteristics with almost no fault whatsoever.
However, the complete foil to Sybil and her aesthetically-pleasing ways is the persona of Lady Narborough, who perhaps after Lord Henry and Dorian, is the one character in the novel in search for hedonism.
Lady Narborough is very much the opposite of what many people would believe to be the stereotypical Victorian woman. In fact, Wilde portrays her as the female version of Lord Henry, with her power, confidence and strong personality coming over throughout the parts of the novel that she is included in. “How you men can fall in love with that woman” shows her sense of passion within life and also expresses that she is not a young woman as they would often be reprimanded in a Victorian household for not having the life knowledge to speak of such things. On the other hand, like many Victorian women, she does not bring forward a sense of naivety, thus contradicting Michael Gillespie’s opinion of the “apparent naivety of Victorians”.
In conclusion, I feel that the main purpose of Sybil within the novel is to create and show a typical Victorian woman by bringing forward and showing her weakness and vulnerability. Lady Narborough, on the other hand, is brought into the novel to create a sense of modernisation from the Victorian era and to get rid of the idea of a separate sphere country. Aestheticism is also proved to be a key aim within Wilde’s work, with “It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors” summing up the nature of aesthetics before the novel has truly begun.
Good work, Becca.
I like the way you have thought about answering the question from a variety of different characters, making consistently detailed comparisons throughout. Furthermore, I like the blended historical information included to support your argument. Finally, I like your range of quotations from the text, however would have liked these to be embedded into statements.
One Target to Rule Them All: AO2 – zoom in on the effect of the language, form and structure on the reader. Instead of using sentence starters such as ‘This suggests..’, focus on ‘The image of… connotes… and has this effect on the reader…’
Questions:
What was challenging about writing this response?
In this quote, ‘It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors’, what are the key words used and how does it make the reader feel?
Finally, how can ‘All art is quite useless’ be interpreted in different ways?
3. In what ways can we consider ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ to be an ironic book? Refer to verbal irony, situational irony and uncertain irony in your answer.
Immediately, Wilde’s inclusion of the preface presents the reader with the dilemma of his intention. One could accurately say that to be deliberately ironic and controversial was the intention; suggested by the phrase “there is no such thing as an immoral book”. Such a statement is clearly contradicted in the novella as the reader sees “For years, Dorian Gray could not free himself from the influence of this book”; thus leading to his fatal corruption. The author’s purpose of this contradiction is most likely to highlight that a person’s corruption is greatly influenced by another’s interpretation. Every book read is subjective and highly influenced by the author’s own opinion; something that was over-looked by the high-class Victorian society, who believed that the important the person that wrote the book, the better its standard. Michael Gillespie wonders “at the apparent naivete of the Victorians” and it is this that has undoubtedly the generation a target for many gothic authors like Robert Louis Stevenson, author of ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’.
Furthermore, Simon Joyce’s statement that ‘Dorian’s criminal masterpiece, the murder of the painter Basil Hallward, is particularly poor and undertaken for the most pedestrian of motives. Yet it is more accurate to say this chilling example of Dorian’s corruption is perhaps cold end to the one of the most ironic characters in the book. Basil’s statement “I have put too much of myself into it” links directly to the preface when it says “to reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim”. Not only this, but Basil’s continuous “worship” of Dorian is what inevitably leads to his death. It is apparent to the reader that Basil is in love with Dorian, especially when he says “he is all my art to me now” and it is this love of physical beauty which results in his downfall by the same man that had changed his art for the better. It is common belief that love is what changes people for the better; instead in Wilde’s novella it is this that begins the process of Dorian’s corruption. This ironic portrayal of love is furthered by Basil’s death at the hands of his infatuation as well as the end of the voice of good that had tried to reason with Dorian throughout the novella up until this point.
A final source of irony within the Wilde’s novella is the theme of nature throughout. References such as “his nature had developed like a flower, had borne blossoms of scarlet flame” or to the garden in which the initial meeting between Dorian and Henry takes place are ironic as the basis of the plot is that Dorian is able to evade change; arguably the most natural life occurrence. This irony serves to emphasise that beauty is not everything; that beauty on the outside leads to damage to what is on the inside. Wilde replicates this through the physical deterioration of the portrait, “the twisted limbs, the gaping mouth, the staring wishless eyes”; thus presenting the reader with a literal image of the effects of corruption.
In conclusion, Wilde uses continuous irony throughout the novella in order to increase reader involvement. By making two opposite statements and continually playing one off against the other, Wilde encourages the reader to make their own opinions of the storyline. The psychoanalytical nature of the story furthers this and makes the novel’s perspective more challenging to grasp; the reader is continuously unsure whether the author advocates or disagrees with the controversy articulated throughout as well as disguising the true motives behind the writing of the novella. Although, without the inclusion of the preface, it is doubtful that Wilde would have been able to produce such conflict within both the story and within the reader themselves.
Spiffing work, Rachel G.
You have answered the question in detail looking and your argument is well-structured and developed. You think carefully about the critical opinions and blend these nicely into your response. Finally, although you do not use a lot of support quotations from the text, those which are used are chosen excellently and prove your point perfectly.
One Target to Rule Them All: AO2 – zoom in on the effect of the language, form and structure on the reader. Instead of using sentence starters such as ‘This suggests..’, focus on ‘The image of… connotes… and has this effect on the reader…’
Questions:
What was challenging about writing this response?
In this quote, ‘the twisted limbs, the gaping mouth, the staring wishless eyes’, what are the key words used and how does it make the reader feel?
Finally, how can ‘I have put too much of myself into it’ be interpreted in different ways?
5. Consider the presentation of dualism within the novel, particularly in the development of the main character. Include some consideration of Victorian morality.
Dualism is a technique Oscar Wilde is very clever about using in his novel ‘The picture of Dorian Gray’ this is because there are multiple characters that can be seen as having a “double life” or a hidden agenda such as; Lord Henry, Basil and the Vane family but especially Dorian Gray.
Dualism is most obviously represented in the character of Dorian Gray, this character starts out with all the innocence in the world this is apparent within the novel as at the beginning on the novel Basil Hallward is very careful about letting Lord Henry Wooten influence his character, “Your influence would be very bad Harry”. He then turns into this horrendous monster that kills one of his dearest friends, and inspirations all because of the influence of the “yellow book”. Dorian represents dualism as he is trapped by this inner psyche whether to do all these malevolent deeds or to be the angel, Dorian is very much a Faustian character and this traps his inner conscience. In the latter chapters of the book Dorian becomes this devil character and is pleased by “the pleasures of a double life”. Wilde also presents dualism by the corruption of the painting for the malevolent deeds he fulfils, it is shown in the portrait such as the “evil lines” that appeared around the mouth of the portrait. Walter Pater comments on how “crime make people coarse and ugly” this is especially applicable to Dorian Gray as when he is committing an evil deed he is causing the painting to become “ugly” but not himself again representing dualism. Similarly Michel Gillespie also comments on this idea of Dorian’s appearance and the portrait being the same thing but also very different and the transformation which causes “the horrific metamorphosis of his portrait”.
Oscar Wilde presents dualism very carefully in the way he describes the ‘turning’ Dorian has from good to evil. This description allows the reader to have this constant battle of whether Dorian was always going to end up evil, fate, or whether it was the manipulation of “Harry” that caused this change. Through this the novel provokes the argument of fate vs manipulation, it is this that allows us to consider the effect other characters play on Dorian. When basil instructs Henry not to “influence Dorian” we get a sense that Henry is a Mephistophelian character that has always set out to try and manipulate Dorian. However, when Dorian tells Basil that “everyone has a heaven and hell inside of them” we seem to think that it was just a chain reaction that led to Dorian’s inner devil to take the strongest hold over his actions. This constant debate within the novel allows us to see the effectiveness the use of dualism can have in allowing us to interpret the novel in different ways.
In Victorian times it was very common for people, particularly men, to have a public and private sphere. This is the idea that people had a public version of themselves that they were happy for everyone to see and the private which only close ones would see. The Victorians very much enjoyed pretending and this is shown in Dorian as he says “I am bored of being myself, for tonight I should like to be someone else”. Henry is another prime example of this within the picture of Dorian Gray as when he is with other important people in society he agrees in the way society functions and how people act whereas when he is with Dorian and Basil he is a completely different person. He still always has his theories and views on life however he doesn’t like how the upper class pretend around people he is brutally honest and that is why characters such as Lady Narborough say that she isn’t “surprised that people think you are wicked”. Dorian towards the end of the novel displays this as he puts on this front that he is confident and happy when attending Lady Narborough’s function but really is feeling incredibly guilty and paranoia is setting in. Michel Gillespie comments on this and says “we may openly wonder at the apparent naivety of the Victorians” this is presented in the novel when Dorian says “Stop Basil. I won’t have it! You must not tell me about things” Dorian here is presenting the public sphere where he is pretending to be innocent but by commanding Basil to not tell him “things” it suggests that there is a part of him that wants to know and he is just putting up this front suggesting that there is something Victorians felt the need to hide in order to be accepted in society. Wilde was convicted of ‘homosexual acts not accounting to buggary’ so he does make hints of homosexual love within the novel in the characters of Basil and Dorian. Basil tells Dorian that “I have worshipped you with far more romance of feeling than a man should ever give to a friend” this can be interpreted as Basil confessing love for Dorian or the fact that the just admires him dearly. Dorian also show homosexual traits as he says “when she came on in her boy’s clothes she was perfectly wonderful”. Using these passages reflects the public and private spheres of Wilde as he was publically never able to show homosexual feelings even if he did have them because during his time it was illegal to be homosexual, by writing this into his novel he was able to show his private sphere to a more public audience without it coming directly from him.
Good vs evil is also heavily presented in Dorian Gray as dualism due to conflicting characters of Basil and Henry, the evil in Dorian and the addiction to opium can also represent that he is addicted to evil as once he starts the malevolent deeds he just can’t stop and this ultimately leads to “the corruption of a soul” as Walter Pater states. Similarly the influence others have on Dorian appears to lead to this evil side of him once again representing dualism. The use of the attic as this place he was shut away by his granddad because of the shame represents the public sphere Dorian’s granddad wanted to present. By having the portrait in the attic it shows how this evil was in his psyche all along and this “double life” was perhaps a side-effect of the “green coloured paste”- “opium”.
In conclusion, Oscar Wilde uses dualism incredibly cleverly in Dorian Gray as it not only represents himself in the novel it also shows the different sides Dorian and the other characters had to them. He has used heavy links to the story of Dr Faustus in representing good and evil and also the psychological reasons why Dorian acted in this way such as manipulation and the effects opium had on him.
Excellent work, Becci.
Firstly, bravo for tackling the most challenging question. You have answered it clearly, demonstrating a sound knowledge and understanding of the text and task. This is evident in the use of accurate and supportive quotations and your ability to offer insightful and articulate interpretations (your written expression is consistently sophisticated and impressive throughout). Finally, your AO3 is very strong, as you have blended critical opinions into your argument to support your assertions.
One Target to Rule Them All: AO4 – to link specific historical and social events to the novel, as apposed to quite general connections. For example, instead of ‘suggesting that there is something Victorians felt the need to hide in order to be accepted in society’, you could focus on his relationship with Lord Alfred Bosie or his work ‘De Profundis.
Questions:
What did you find most challenging about the essay?
Which specific historical and cultural events could you add to your essay, linking them to the quotes you have used?
What key influences in Wilde’s life could you refer to, to support your opinion?
‘The artist is the creator of beautiful things’. Oscar Wilde, Preface to ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.
Consider whether Wilde has created a ‘beautiful thing’ in writing this novel.
Throughout the novel, there are constant references to the importance of beauty and goodness. To be beautiful is to be exceptional in all ways, not only in appearance. This means the individual must always be correct, intellectually and morally, exhibit talent, have a perfect family, and good relationships. It is interesting to note that we see certain qualities of such beauty in the main characters: Dorian’s appearance, Henry’s philosophy, and Basil’s art. However, the novel also shows that everyone has faults – Dorian has an evil soul and a greedy personality, Henry revels in his peers’ misery and sadness, and Basil is lonely, and becomes very attached to Dorian. Therefore, it could be argued that Wilde has not created a ‘beautiful thing’ by writing the novel.
The characters can be judged on their beauty through their appearance, goodness, art and love. Throughout the novel, there is a constant battle between good and evil, and we see Dorian in both of these lights. For example, to begin with, he is pure, attractive and innocent, until he meets Henry, who confuses Dorian with his ideology. After this, Dorian becomes selfish and evil, yet he becomes compassionate towards Sibyl after he has hurt her, and we feel empathy for him when he encounters the news of her death. This constant switch creates mixed emotions in the reader, ranging from anger and hatred (when Dorian states that he is ‘not sorry for anything that has happened’ after Sibyl’s death), to pity and sadness, during rare points in the novel, for example when he decides he will propose to Sibyl, and when he is repulsed by the hunting, ‘he turned away in horror’.
Dorian’s beautiful appearance is a mask to hide his evil self, as he is described by a woman in the opium den, ‘there goes the devil’s bargain’. This exclamation depicts how truly evil Dorian is, the devil is using him as a bargaining tool, which is the most evil any human being can possibly be.
Dorian enjoys ‘the pleasures of a double life’, showing he has no remorse for the evil behaviour he has displayed. The ‘double life’ also represents the beauty vs. evil in his life, such as his portrait and the drug culture.
Dorian also states that ‘each of us have a heaven and hell in him’, however, as a reader, it is clear to see that there is not always a balance, especially with Dorian, similar to Alan Sinfield’s opinion, ‘the murder arises from sentimental self-indulgence’. Dorian’s hell is clearly dominant in his life and behaviour.
Similarly, we see an evil nature in Lord Henry, through his love of other people’s misery and corruption. Julian Hawthorne said that Henry ‘lives to witness the destruction of every other person’ which is evident in the novel in his selfish and hedonistic beliefs and theories: ‘the only thing worth having a theory about is pleasure’.
Henry states ‘I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects’. This illustrates Henry as a very judgemental character in a modern reading, but in a Victorian reading this idea would be commonplace as freedom of thought, independence and sexuality was not open during the Victorian times.
James is an interesting character, as he has a strong battle between good and evil inside him. On one hand he wants to protect his younger sister, yet on the other hand he wants to punish Dorian for his cruelty. It is not clear if Wilde wants the reader to perceive James Vane as a beautiful character or an ugly one.
Both Basil and Sibyl represent the goodness of the novel, Basil through his creation of beautiful things in art, and Sibyl through her acting and love for Dorian.
Basil is kind hearted, and as stated in the preface, ‘the creator of beautiful things’. However, this must be argued, as he is the creator of Dorian’s portrait, which represents the root of all evil, so it must be questioned if art is always beautiful. On the surface, Dorian’s appearance is beautiful, but Basil chooses to question that, and finds the real evil soul of Dorian hidden away. The preface states that ‘those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril’, which could represent Dorian’s beauty on the outside, and Basil’s interference of looking beneath the surface of his beauty at his portrait.
There are many evil aspects of the novel, such as the murder of Basil, the blackmail of Alan Campbell, the visits to the opium dens, and the treatment of women and the lower social classes. These factors make Wilde’s novel an ugly product. However, the treatment of women and lower social classes would only be classified as evil in a modern reading, as in the Victorian times it was usual for them to be treated below others in society.
The evil outweighs the beauty in the novel; the beauty of nature is drawn upon rarely, primarily in Chapter 2, ‘your lilies and your roses’. Dandyism is also only drawn upon rarely, which represents beauty in many different ways. The importance of beauty is referred to very often, but not always positively. It is commonly mentioned as a need to be beautiful, not for the acknowledgement of beautiful things.
In conclusion, the novel is enjoyable and entertaining to read, which makes it beautiful as it is a work of art. However, the demoralisation makes it an ugly, influential product, especially to a Victorian reader, as the gothic novel has been set in a city, rather than an isolated location.
The characters are presented in different ways, which causes the reader to develop mixed emotions and thoughts about the novel, but this allows them to understand the importance of good morals.
Overall, Wilde has not created a ‘beautiful thing’ by writing this novel as it is full of corruption, deviance and ill-behaviour.
8. In what ways does the structure of ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ increase reader tension and engagement?
The structure of The Picture of Dorian Gray increases reader tension and engagement; this is done particularly though the implementation of chapters 15-18. Originally, chapters 15-18 were not included but were added by Wilde in the 1891 edition of the novel. The implementation of these chapters in the novel meant that Dorian didn’t go from killing Basil Hallward to killing himself; chapters 15-18 increased the questions from the reader about how far Dorian was going to go. The reader is able to decide for themselves what they want to happen to Dorian; can he be redeemed or not? It is through this, that reader tension and engagement is increased in The Picture of Dorian Gray. This can be supported by Michael Gillespie who says that these chapters show “Dorian’s unfolding story” therefore suggesting that the best is yet to come.
Following from chapter 14, where Alan Campbell has cleaned up the evil act Dorian committed involving the murder of Basil Hallward, comes chapter 15. Initially, chapter 15 seems dull and insignificant; Dorian isn’t overly interested in conversing with Lady Narborough and the guests at her party. However, Lord Henry arrives and he becomes more willingly to chat. It is through Dorian’s conversation with Lord Henry which the reader becomes more engaged and tension is increased. This could be because he has this closeness to Lord Henry and given that we are led to believe they are great friends, Dorian doesn’t want to risk Lord Henry finding anything out regarding the death of Basil Hallward. Dorian’s purposely vague answers highlight his irritability and this is clear where he tells Lord Henry “I am irritable and out of temper”. Despite saying this, Dorian hasn’t actually told Lord Henry that he killed Basil Hallward making the conversation between the two more interesting as Dorian saying this could potentially raise questions from Lord Henry who is known to be very curious. The phrase “out of temper” would initially appear to be saying that Dorian is in an irritable mood however one could also interpret this as Dorian not being himself, him being “out of” himself, and thus hiding something, such as the corruption of his soul due to the yellow book given to him by Lord Henry earlier in the novel? This isn’t elaborated in the novel and so still, Lord Henry is oblivious to the evil act Dorian committed previously. This would therefore increase tension and reader engagement because the reader asks themselves if and when Lord Henry is going to find out the truth about Dorian and what will happen when he does?
Furthermore, as the novel progresses, Dorian’s state of mind begins to decline. At one point in chapter 16, Dorian saw Basil’s eyes “looking at him” showing just how paranoid and uneasy Dorian was. It reads in this chapter that Dorian wanted to “escape from himself” which once again increases reader tension and engagement. This increases tension and engagement because it is becoming more apparent than ever to the reader the corruption of Dorian and the dire effects it is slowly having on him. The reader questions once again whether or not Dorian has the potential to commit more evil acts or whether this decline of him now means the end of Dorian altogether. It’s bringing an element of the supernatural into it; Dorian can’t physically see the eyes of Basil Hallward “looking at him” due to him being deceased unless Basil Hallward was appearing to Dorian as a supernatural being? It makes the reader question whether or not Dorian’s state of mind is placing tricks on him or if Oscar Wilde is bringing the fear he’s mentioned literally into London. This therefore creates reader engagement as the reader is able to decide for themselves how they interpret the notion of Basil Hallward’s eyes “looking” at Dorian.
Also in chapter 16, there are numerous references to the Devil which especially increase reader tension and engagement. It is remarked by an old woman in this chapter, “there goes the devil’s bargain” which is an allusion to Faustus. Furthermore, Dorian is compared to the “morning-star of evil” and these references are almost foreshadowing the events in chapter 20 to the reader that Dorian can’t be redeemed and the novel will not end well for him. However, it is through this way that tension is increased because the reader is able to once again question whether or not Dorian is able to conquer the corruption and evilness that follows him.
Continuing through chapters 17 and 18 are Dorian’s changing state of mind. Chapter 18 especially highlights his downfall and this builds the tension, questions raised and reader engagement. At the end of chapter 17, Dorian saw James Vane and he experienced “a thrill of terror” causing him to pass out. Initially, “thrill of terror” looks like Dorian became very distressed and affected by the sight of James Vane despite the reader initially thinking that Dorian was a strong character who didn’t let things affect him. This can be seen where Dorian believes that if you don’t talk about things, they simply have “never happened” and so don’t affect him. However despite this idea, you can look further into the phrase and look at the juxtaposition between the words ‘thrill’ and ‘terror’. If something is a thrill it normally means that it has created excitement and pleasures and so this gives the impression that Dorian is happy that he is so distraught. It almost creates the impression that Dorian wants to become distressed by James Vane and pass out because it gives him attention (through where Lady Narborough and Lord Henry rushed over to him.) Chapter 18 documents Dorian’s reluctance to leave the house due to his fear of James Vane thus changing the readers’ idea that Dorian is a courageous and strong character. As supported by Michael Gillespie, this chapter increases reader tension and engagement because it is showing a new side to Dorian and it effectively documents the experiences he goes through regarding “the changes in his nature”. This changing character of Dorian allows the reader to embark on the journey with him to see how Dorian responds to his changing state of mind thus increasing reader engagement and building the tension throughout to see just how far Dorian is able to change.
To conclude, it’s fair to say that the structure of The Picture of Dorian Gray increases tension and engagement and this is done through the implementation of chapters 15-18. This is presented in chapter 15 with Dorian’s irritability, in chapter 16 with the many references to the devil and in 17 and 18 with the extremely obvious changing character of Dorian.
1. In a letter to a friend in 1894, Wilde wrote: ‘Basil Hallward is what I think I am; Lord Henry what the world thinks me; Dorian what I would like to be – in other ages perhaps.’
Analyse these statements in the light of what you know about Wilde and the novel.
When Basil, Lord Henry, and Dorian Gray share a scene together for the first time in the book, there can be two quotations which begin to further explain their characters to the reader: “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it”, Lord Henry tells Dorian, whereas Basil explains to him that “[Lord Henry] has a very bad influence over all his friends, with the sole exception of myself”. Immediately, one can see that Lord Henry is a vessel through which hedonistic values can be explored. However, Basil’s portrayal is a little more complex – understandable, given that this is Wilde’s art (with the explicit aim to “conceal the artist”).
One can split the quotation into two perspectives, the first of which being the Victorian world. Wilde is aware that they think of him as Lord Henry, a “bad influence”; “youth is the one thing worth having”, he states, triggering a steady drip feed of a worship (of sorts) of youth. Eventually, this leads to Dorian’s rapid descent into becoming a slave to his own portrait. Yaman believes Henry to be a character who is “constantly trying to encourage Dorian to engage in acts of ever greater decadence”, and perhaps this is how the Victorian world did view Wilde. The Daily Chronicle, in its review of The Picture of Dorian Gray, described the book as “leprous literature”. And is this corruption not seen in the novel, when “[Dorian’s] eye fell on the yellow book that Lord Henry had sent him”?
Wilde’s view of himself can also be seen in the second half of this quote. Basil as an “exception” is proved repeatedly in the text – he is exempt from Lord Henry’s corruption; he is an artist, rather than the muse; he has faith in Dorian’s morality right until the end. He refuses to admit his attachment to his model at the start, and to exhibit the painting, because of “some expression of all this curious artistic idolatry”. Although a long time friend to Lord Henry, he is untouched by his destructive hedonistic encouragement, and Basil denies himself the confession of attraction. At Lady Narborough’s party, Dorian declares that he has “not been in love for a whole week”, implying easy attraction and enjoyment in the fleeting love – Basil does not give himself a chance to experience this, preferring it to remain unsaid. This creates a contrast with Lord Henry’s character, as instead of “yielding to his temptation”, he follows (and encourages Dorian to follow) a path of morality. “It is never too late, Dorian,” Basil says, as the last hopes of believing Dorian can be saved are extinguished in the reader.
And perhaps Wilde never wanted to be saved; as a character that he would like to be, Dorian begins as trapped between the choice of good principle and hedonism, yet follows the hedonistic path. Both of my initial chosen quotations are addressed to Dorian – both characters try to sway him, and it leads to his downfall. “In other ages, perhaps”, Wilde would be able to choose his favoured path, given the Victorian interest in public and private spheres, and the scandals that followed inappropriate behaviour at time. However, “the love that dare not speak its name” was to be Wilde’s downfall – perhaps he should not have yielded to the temptation, with the acknowledgement that “other ages” would be more tolerant of his choices. Dorian Gray commits murder, corrupts young women, takes drugs, and frequents the Red Light District, but, as Ross writes, “to the Victorian sensibility his most unspeakable deed would have been his corruption of a series of young men”. This, unfortunately, is where the wish to exist as the character is enhanced, as the lines between fiction and harsh reality are defined fully… Dorian Gray possesses a youth which goes monstrously awry. However, he is able to choose to spiral into ruin. Oscar Wilde’s own ruin, sadly, was inevitable in his time.
10. ‘The artist is the creator of beautiful things.’ Oscar Wilde, preface to ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.
Consider whether Wilde has created a ‘beautiful thing’ in writing the novel.
When exploring ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, the word ‘beautiful’ has the reader immediately think of Dorian himself; described for the first time as ‘wonderfully handsome’ with ‘scarlet lips…blue eyes…crisp gold hair’ and ‘a simple and beautiful nature’. Dorian embodies everything beautiful about the greats, with ‘gold’ connoting precious and priceless – and becomes a living piece of artwork, especially to Basil Hallwood, who ‘worships him’; Basil’s finding of beauty in Dorian enables him to create a beautiful thing – Dorian’s portrait, echoing the preface. However, the portrait could itself be said to bring about Dorian’s demise, with him being ‘a little jealous of the picture for being a whole month younger than [he is]’; the beauty of the picture is ultimately why Dorian makes the Faustian bargain. Dorian being ‘a little jealous’ could also be the start of his journey to becoming corrupt and ‘ugly’, with jealousy being regarded an ‘ugly’ quality.
Michael Gillespie states that as the book continues, ‘the narrative gradually shifts its attention from Dorian Gray’s striking physical appearance…to the methodical, horrific metamorphosis of his portrait’; Dorian’s unchanging beauty begins to be contrasted with the growing grotesqueness of the portrait, or Dorian’s soul. Dorian constantly compares himself to the painting, resting his ‘white hands’ against the painting’s ‘coarse, bloated’ ones, a symbol of Dorian’s stolen purity against his true soul, which is ‘bloated’ like a dead man’s hands. The painting’s loss of beauty also comes into play in Chapter XIII, when Basil is shown what his beautiful piece of art has become; he tells Dorian ‘what a thing I must have worshipped! It has the eyes of a devil’, and Dorian acknowledges ‘it is the face of my soul’ – Basil, the artist, has realised he has created a thing that is no longer beautiful, but the use of ‘must have worshipped’ suggests he now knows it was never beautiful, and that Dorian was not either, not inside.
In terms of the novella itself, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ could be said to be a tale of morality, but then Wilde himself says in the preface that ‘there is no such thing as a moral or immoral book’ – so what has he created? In a time where, as Gillespie says, ‘the way to deal with unpleasant things was to suppress any mention of them’, Wilde’s novella would hardly be received to the Victorian reader as ‘a beautiful thing’. However, with Henry’s yellow book being a source of influence, the reader could take the preface statement as an ironic one – but if a book can influence, should we then discount the statement ‘the artist is the creator of beautiful things’ as ironic too? Wilde’s preface and entire novella is structured to make the reader question everything, but to conclude, if ‘the artist is the creator of beautiful things’, Basil could be seen as either not an artist, or it could be taken that Dorian was never beautiful in the first place, not in his soul. As for Wilde and the novel itself, the tale of a corrupted man coming to his end is not traditionally ‘beautiful’, but perhaps it is the reader at fault, for Wilde also states ‘those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming’ – this could apply to Dorian, who finds ugliness in the beauty of the painting through his bargain – but the novel itself is art, which is ‘beautiful’, and maybe we are at fault for only focussing on the ugliness of it, for ‘those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril’.
4. Comment on the portrayal of women in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’. You should refer to the social and historical context as well as characterisation and character purpose.
The novel as a whole is rather lacking in female characters, and yet I do not think we as readers mind, Dorian is described in an overwhelming feminine way- his rose-white boyhood and initial naïveté cast him as an effeminate character from the jumpstart.
However there are actual women in the novel- first and arguably most importantly, there is Sybil Vane, the embodiment of aesthetic appeal; a Shakespearean heroine living in-the-flesh. The young and the beautiful women in this novel, like in Shakespearean tragedies, are tragic and wretched in their beauties. Just as Sybil’s death is conceived by Dorian a beautiful ending to a non-life, the death of a later romance, Hetty, is nonchalantly discussed between Dorian and Lord Henry, who asks, “How do you know that Hetty isn’t floating at the present moment in some star-lit mill pond, with lovely waterlillies round her, like Ophelia?” These women are portrayed like pretty pictures; they are lovely but discardable, and their appeal is sensual but not at all sexual.
For though Dorian appears to be passionately in love with Sybil, it is the characters she plays that inspire him, and he considers her less as a lover and more as a saint- at one point he tells Lord Henry not to criticize her, for “Sybil Vane is sacred!” Perhaps Wilde means for Dorian to lack sexual feeling for the actress in order to emphasize the homoerotic tone of the novel. Either way, the feminine figure is in this example an item that is weak, pathetic, and pretty much in the same way a flower is- lovely in bloom, but always on the brink of a withering death.
This is opposed, however, by the character of the Duchess in the ending of the novel, who is the first individual; male and female alike, in which Lord Henry meets his match. The chapter between the Duchess and Lord Henry is a stream of quickened witticisms and paradoxes; it is clever and delightful, and it is the speediest part of the novel in terms of pace. What does Wilde mean by including both Sybil Vane, the weakest and most helpless of women, and the Duchess, a silver-tongued coquette? It could be argued that the Duchess can be likened to Wilde’s own wife, Constance Lloyd, a well read, spoken and independent minded woman for whom he had the upmost of respect. It appears to me that women in the upper sphere of society are seen by Wilde as more influential and of a stronger character than the poor, who in Victorian England were condemned by the rich who didn’t want to ease the class divide; Sybil Vane is naive, she dotes on her ‘Prince Charming,’ she is weak and this ultimately leads to her death.
Wilde portrays two types of women polar opposites, those who are strong and upper class contrasting with the weak, naive women with no social influence.