Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891)

Cath’s classic quote: “A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.” – Dorian Gray

[be warned, my friends – spoilers await you]

Ever felt like you’re living a double life? Hiding your ‘true self’ from your peers? Have a devasting secret that threatens to ruin your entire existence? Well, Dorian Gray does. Oscar Wilde’s 1891 gothic philosophical novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is a tragically delightful tale that explores the terrifying power of vanity, beauty and youth, self-repression, sexual desire, and the ‘double self’.

Set against the backdrop of late nineteenth century London, it centres on Dorian Gray, a young, handsome young man who is painted by Basil Hallward, and his progressive moral decay as he essentially makes a deal with the devil that allows him to maintain eternal youth. The novel is much debated for its radical (at the time – this was the Victorian period) references to homosexuality (not confirmed, though this novel is thought to be self-portrait given Wilde’s own homosexuality) and brutal depiction of sins, hedonism and excess (I won’t spoil this one, you’ll have to read it yourself).

The figure of the doppelganger is a classic gothic trope that is cleverly used by Wilde in the novel. A gothic doppelganger typically represents the repressed elements of the self, and in Dorian’s case this refers to the wealth of things mentioned before, but mainly what the Victorian period classifies as sins. Indeed, the third person narrator creeps into Dorian’s mind, and after Basil diverges his obsession with Dorian, says ‘“Poor Basil!”, there is “something tragic” in a “friendship so coloured by romance.” Do with that what you will.

Wilde’s language is complex and descriptive, with long paragraphs of free indirect discourse that run smoothly from one page to the next like an endless daydream (or nightmare). As Dorian sells his soul in a strange transaction, he appears unblemished and beautiful on the outside, with his corrupt inner self displayed blatantly on Hallward’s slowly decaying painting of Dorian. This idea of having a fragmented or conflicted sense of identity, or ‘split self’, was madness in the Victorian period, as the logic was that ‘man’ (sexist, I know), must possess a ‘whole’ self. Wilde hints at these restrictive social ideologies through Lord Henry, a character that forms a close relationship with Dorian. Lord Henry claims, “To be good is to be in harmony with one’s self”. Indeed, throughout the novel Dorian grows more immoral, and more beautiful outwardly, with his “evil and aging face on the canvas” displaying his sins. A beautiful paradox, and a comment on our own inescapable dualities ­­– we all harbour secrets that even we cannot disclose to ourselves.

This novel is an utterly compelling read for anyone wanting to delve into the superficial nature of society, hold a mirror to the innate violence of humanity and our obsession with youth and beauty, and the grapple with accepting who we truly are – as outer beauty, it seems, cannot hide a hideous inner self. Be warned though, my gentle readers, this novel features some bloodshed and gore.

Until the next captivating read,

Farewell and goodbye,

Traditionally and timelessly,

Yours truly,

classicallycath xx (maybe one day I’ll have a shorter farewell, but alas, I am a fan of words)

As always, here are my references for your curious eyes:

Birt, A.J. (2025). ‘The Love that Dare Not Speak Its Name’: Oscar Wilde as a Gay Icon. The Bristorian. https://www.thebristorian.co.uk/lgbthistory/oscar-wilde#:~:text=His%20novels%20and%20poems%20were,Alfred%20Douglas%2C%20Wilde’s%20primary%20lover. 

Manchess, G. (2022). The Portrait of Dorian Gray [Artwork]. Muddy Colors. https://www.muddycolors.com/2022/09/the-portrait-of-dorian-gray/

Wilde, O. (1891). The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ward, Lock & Co.