The Picture of Dorian Gray

Created on the 13/01/2025

The Picture of Dorian Gray as a book--while short, offered an amazing experience. Extravagant riches, philosophy, obsession, and the plight of beauty.

Dorian Gray is a young socialite who--in the first few chapters is sat down for a portrait created by Basil Hallward. During his sitting, Dorian is introduced to Henry, who speaks to him about the power of beauty, which, sends the young man into a spiral in that he is unable to escape.

I'm viewing this in a Doylist lens rather than Watsonian.
If i miss anything or recount a moment inside the book as wrong, please do notify me I read some chapters when i was very tired and out of it!
Any thoughts or ideas presented here are subject to change. This can be because I watched the movies or simply changed my opinion. Please treat this as a digital garden, rather than a set-in-stone piece of writing.

Let's get one thing clear: Lord Henry gets on my nerves, I'm 100% sure is intentional but I cannot stand him. Not at all. He is that image that says: "You are gay because you like men. I'm gay because I hate women--we are not the same." I hate his gay ass! I am cursed with page to page with his horrid panegyrics on beauty and commendations of even experiencing the hardships of life. He has clearly not done the dishes, ever! The useless bastard!

What I find interesting is that Henry is not actually seen as wrong for his views despite outcry, rather, the act of vocalising popular societal views is seen as rude. For example, Dorian often enacts actions that align with Henry's worldview, which can be seen in his short romance with Sibyl Vane where he gives her neither grace nor humanity after her unfortunate suicide.

The women in the book are portrayed rather flatly compared to their male counterparts, reinforcing Lord Henry's view-set. Though, this can be argued that this is due to the book being narrated by mostly male characters who think like this. Regardless, I believe what I'm saying stands, which is that Henry views rarely get challenged and when they do by Dorian in the last few chapters; in which he acknowledges that hardship is unavoidable and necessary to lead a more fulfilling life. The young socialite goes back to encting actions that contridict that.

This is not to say I think this is an unfortunate side effect of the book at all. It's interesting to think about how women in the 1900s were treated in both in real life and literature by the men around them. I think it adds to the beauty conversation. While misogyny in other novels would have been a downside, it works for me in this one.

Next is Dorian Gray, the prettiest mean boy to grace the streets of London. He's such cunt and it's part of his everlasting charm throughout the book. At age 19, he barely holds a thought in his brain--the insides only occupied with pretty dandelions and a singular bee before he gets his ass blasted with pseudo-intellectual fodder by Lord Henry Wotton himself. At age 38? He has caused the suicide of a young woman (he denies this, but it was lowkey his fault) and killed his ~~situationship~~ friend, Basil Hallward as he did not accept him as he was (he's insecure sometimes), (their interaction in the attic reminds me of Vi's and Jinx's corundum in episode 9, season 1).

Dorian is a very, "corruption by beauty" type of character--which I love! Every single action, every single word that escapes his mouth is guided by his blind adoration for beauty itself. While Henry took fully advantage of Dorian's naivety, at a certain point, Dorian should've known better once he entered his 30's. I believe that he simply felt no needed to combat Henry's worldview--not that he was unable to do so. Even through ages 19-38, he uses constant self-infantilization as he finds it much easier to shift the blame onto the individuals around him (E.g. blaming Basil despite the fact he made the wish on a short whim, ignoring that his harsh breakup speech to Sibyl fully contributed her suicide, etc, etc.) rather than confronting his wrongdoings. Despite me saying all of this, he's more of a vessel than an actual person, a mini Lord Henry one might say, but blond, and lithe. By stopping his natural growth cycle, he halts his mental development--causing him to be trapped in perpetual boyhood. He retains his boyish tendencies and it makes him much more malleable because of it.

Basil Hallward certified loverboy, certified painter. He has done nothing other than make that gay painting, speak his gay musings towards Dorian, and have a gay breakdown before promptly dying. He was idolatrous, through and through even after his relationship with Dorian had dissolved years ago prior to his death. I find it sad that one of the few positive influences in his life died in favor of that EVIL man with his nasty ass beard. RIP Basil, I love you man.

My final opinion? The writing style is superb along with the prose and it brings up very interesting points pertaining to beauty and the culture surrounding it.
And, my final, FINAL opinion is: Dorian would of loved Call me By Your Name xx