The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde both simultaneously ruined and saved me from myself.

Review

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a philosophical fiction and gothic horror novel that takes place in Victorian era London. It follows the character of Dorian Gray and the connection he has made with a portrait of himself, created by Basil Hallward. The story explores Gray following his newfound outlook on life and the decisions he makes to preserve his youth. The writing is tense - not overtly flowery, and at the same time not lifeless and direct. Wilde casts an overall sense of discomfort and unease throughout the book via his way of writing: purposefully omitting, but still hinting at important ideas allows the reader to make the connections in their mind themselves. More often than not, you’ll think to yourself: “uh oh” throughout this book, because although Wilde has not yet explained the tragic events that will occur next, you can surmise that something bad may be lurking in the coming pages.

There isn’t significant story depth in this novel. There is only a few shifts in plot points and ideas, however there is no substantial development of a problem, nor an active fulfilling resolve to it. Instead, the story displays Dorian Gray struggling to deal with himself, his actions, and the consequence of his actions. This does not mean that the novel is bleak in any way; it explores the terrible dangers and cruel consequences of influence and identity, and the impact it can have on a young naive person.

The novel explores deep and hard-hitting ideas that feel scary to confront and answer. The Picture of Dorian Gray makes you question your current life ideals, the decisions you make, and the type of character you believe yourself to be. This book connects the most with people who share the same demographic as Dorian Gray - a young male, fresh into adulthood without a clear and concrete set of self-defined beliefs and values; a person who can easily be moulded and persuaded; a person who desires to please society.

This novel is fairly short, however it will stare daggers into your soul for the entire length of it. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a must read for young adults, not for the story, but rather the questions it poses onto the reader and how weirdly the reader can relate to Dorian Gray himself.

Discussion - spoilers ahead

I read this novel during a time of uncertainty and discomfort, with myself and the people around me. I struggled to define and make sense of my ideals, philosophies and values. Nothing stuck and I felt fluid. The theme of influence and identity spoke to me in a way that exposed my inner core, gripped it tight and pulverised all I knew about myself. Why do I see myself aligning with Dorian Gray? Why am I able to relate to him and understand his reasoning and decisions? Is Dorian Gray evil? does that make me evil too? If I had not read this novel, would I continue to grow ugly? I believed that I was one to not be easily influenced by others, but I was wrong. I have never realised there were multiple Lord Henrys throughout my life that shaped who I was until I read this book.

When first introduced, I thought Lord Henry was an admirable character that served as a wise master to student Gray. However after seeing the aftermath of him planting the catalyst of destruction in Dorian, I realise that it can be really that easy to sway a naive person and let them take on a non-intrinsic and dangerous mindset. But then again this sparks the question: is any belief ever intrinsic? If a human was raised with all the basic needs for survival, and if they were not aware of the existence of other people and society, what sort of character would they be? Is personality and intrinsic beliefs nature or nurture? Would they be easily influenced? Is that nature or nurture?

Thankfully, all this was the wake up call I needed, if not for this book, it was possible I could have led an ugly life. The decisions you make and the words you say can have more weight than you think. Sometimes its best to put your ego aside and realise that you’re just not being productive or helpful to anyone at all.