On the Nature of an Impressionable Disposition: A Seminar on "The Picture of Dorian Gray"

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a text as much about irony as it is about ethics and morality, juxtaposed with the nature of art and beauty. Dorian Gray serves as an important and tragic example of living an unexamined life – of the pitfalls of romanticism and, in particular, the unfortunate effects of an impressionable disposition. To be so malleable is to be formed by every countenance one comes across, which, in other words, is to be mastered by everyone else but one’s self.

THE DESIGNERS OF DORIAN’S SOUL

The Immure, The Imprecator, The Impersonator

Basil, Henry, and Sybil are Dorian’s makers, and in more ways than one. Each of them is a master of a particular artistic craft: painting, rhetoric, and acting, respectively. When Dorian first meets each of these people, he is very young. They are the first people he admires, and unfortunately, each of them takes something irreplaceable from him. From Basil and Henry on that fateful day, he learned to see himself, but it is unfortunately a warped image, one born from idealism and cynicism. It is not his true self, but a false visage laced with theoretical ideals. He learned to crown his beauty as his ruler. He adopts a toxic appreciation of self through the painting, an indoctrination to the pretty and poisonous rhetoric of Lord Henry, and a love of the abstract beauty of having a shifting persona. He has no identity of his own – only perceptions he has adopted with no one to check him. 

From this standpoint, it necessarily means that everything he loves will last an infinitely shorter amount of time. For some, a lifetime with a lover is too short. For Dorian, it is only while he is captivated that his interest remains – which could be but a moment while the thing is unknown. As soon as something becomes known, he moves on, bored that it is no longer mystifying.

THE IMPRESSIBLE || DORIAN GRAY

impressible: capable of being impressed

impressed:1a: to affect especially forcibly or deeply : gain the admiration or interest of; b: to produce a vivid impression of

“If only it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that – for that – I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!”

~The Picture of Dorian Gray, 28

Dorian Gray is quite hypocritical and lacks enough self-awareness to accurately see the world and himself. He has not lived long enough to understand the consequences of what relinquishing one’s soul means. There is one obvious way Dorian relinquishes his soul – into the painting – but it is only one third of the problem. He too gives away another portion to Lord Henry, and finally, to Sybil Vane.

Dorian’s evolution, from making the mistake of not being careful of what he wished for, to seeing the first effects of the personification of his sin and age upon the painting, and finally to the startling conclusion of realizing the painting was as alive as he, (and then suddenly as dead…) is an unfortunate cautionary tale about integrity and about living a sinful life.

Even with a physical embodiment to guide him, he treated the painting as though it was not a part of him. To detach from one’s soul is to take away one’s heart. He had everything going for him, but choices make or break a person, and unfortunately, they broke Dorian Gray. To rule oneself is the chief role of every person. To shirk that duty is to do oneself the greatest disservice and ultimately culminates in one’s own doom.

“With a stifled sob, the lad leaped from the couch, and, rushing over to Hallward, tore the knife out of his hand, and flung it to the end of the studio. ‘Don’t, Basil, don’t!’ he cried, ‘It would be murder!’" (29)

He becomes enthralled by his own portrait, nearly instantaneously, and over time, it gets worse to the point of becoming a ghost. In ironic foreshadowing, Dorian displays the briefest moment of self-awareness when his life would have been in danger, but it’s absolutely lost on him once the moment is passed until provided with irrefutable evidence of his wish coming true.

“Surely his wish had not been fulfilled? Such things were impossible. It seemed monstrous to even think of them. And yet, there was the picture before him, with the touch of cruelty in the mouth.” (99)

THE IMMURE || BASIL HALLWARD (ON THE SOUL)

immure:

1a: to enclose within or as if within walls; b: to imprison

2: to build into a wall (especially to entomb in a wall).

“But the world might guess it, and I will not bare my soul to their shallow prying eyes. My heart shall never be put under the microscope. There is too much of myself in the thing, Harry – too much of myself!” (12)

Interestingly, the first thing we hear of the painting is that Basil believes he put too much of himself into the painting. He brought the likeness of Dorian Gray into being – put all his artistry into bringing life to his muse. And then Dorian wished to animate it by selling his soul to remain unchanged while the portrait would age. The ramifications are threefold:

• Basil sold his artistic talent to bring his muse to life.

• Dorian wished the painting to age and change instead of himself, physically.

• Dorian sold his soul to do this. 

What is one’s soul worth? What happens if you don’t have a soul anymore and you bargain it away? If nothing else, would you not become, in a sense, empty? The painting, by Dorian’s own wishes, become both the vessel of his age and the holder and owner of his soul, brought to life by Basil through the bestowing of himself onto the canvas.

“When the cab drew up at the theatre, it seemed to him that he had grown years older.” (87)

This one is a bit of an aside, but could Basil be more aware of the effects of the painting than Dorian? There’s no way to be sure, but it could be him feeling the effects of selling his artistic talent, selling a portion of himself, or feeling what Dorian has done. Or, uninterestingly, he just feels old… (like one does as one naturally ages). It could be just comparing against Dorian’s lack of aging as well, but that seems a far less entertaining notion.

Dorian, due to his flighty nature, his whimsical and insatiated need for the fascinating and intricate, Dorian cannot be checked by Basil, despite the fact that Dorian states multiple times that he knows he should heed Basil. The simple fact of the matter is that Dorian could not stay around anyone who bored him, even if those people were the best for him. The danger could not be ebbed. Both are trapped in the painting, a sort of wall, hence ‘Immure’.

“I want you to lead such a life as will make the world respect you […] You have a wonderful influence. Let it be for good, not for evil.” (166)

When, finally, Basil confronts Dorian about ethics – to help his friend out of concern for Dorian’s well-being – it is far, far too late. Many cannot bear to truly look at themselves, to reconcile the parts that are sinful with those that want to do good, and when confronted with it, lash out at the one attempting to help. The sad paradox is that Dorian was in the best position to see himself as he truly was, but by the end, his true nature disgusted him to the point he could not confront it and remained in denial. Dorian could not bear to take accountability for any of his actions, and instead blames his problems on everyone else.

To Dorian, Basil and the painting is the origin of his pain. Therefore, as retribution for the pain he endured as a result, he takes it out on his first and only true friend: Basil. In a sad turn of events, where in the beginning, Basil turns the knife to Dorian[‘s painting], Dorian returns the favour and acts with no mercy (173).

 

THE IMPRECATOR || LORD HENRY (ON THE MIND)

imprecate (ˈɪmprɪˌkeɪt)

verb

1. to swear, curse, or blaspheme

2. to invoke or bring down evil, a curse, etc.

3. a curse on

”Words! Mere words! How terrible they were! How clear, how vivid, and cruel! One could not escape from them. And yet what a subtle magic there was in them! They seemed to be able to give a plastic form to formless things…” (20)

Now… I can’t help but see “give plastic form to formless things” as a metaphor for Dorian himself being some formless thing to be shaped and molded to the whim and pleasure of Lord Henry Watton. Perhaps that’s reading too much into the line, but with Dorian’s own assertion that “Lord Henry is never wrong” (214) and “[Henry] has a curious influence over me” (56), I can’t help but see Dorian as a puppet in Henry’s game of life. 

Everything that Henry says is taken at face value to Dorian’s own detriment. Dorian, where Henry is concerned, is incapable of having a single original thought, and trusts in Henry’s assertions so implicitly that even when Henry is blatantly wrong, Dorian subscribes fully to the indoctrination. He gives his mind away absolutely. He cannot conceive that most of what Henry says is theoretical at best, or the fact it’s less that Henry believes what he says and more that he just likes to be right.

Rhetoric, even according to Plato, “is the art of ruling the minds of men”. Lord Henry is an intellectual narcissist, and he preys on Dorian the moment he encounters him, entranced by the gentle and untried nature of the golden-haired boy. He is a master of words, and Dorian becomes enthralled. Everything that Henry says becomes Dorian’s truth, and his mind becomes utterly hijacked. He sold his ability to think as an individual. Henry says things that are as outrageous, and Dorian even calls him ‘The Prince of Paradoxes’ (212).

The final important note of how Henry influenced Dorian is the mysterious, vile book that gripped Dorian (139). We are not told much about it, but what we are told is that it seems to be a replica of Dorian’s own life ‘before he has lived it’.

“Dorian Gray had been poisoned by a book. There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realize his conception of the beautiful.” (160)

This goes back to having to find something new to keep him interested. What he understands bores him, and so his expansion moved into ‘evil’ territory. I daresay, he did not explore the moral all that much, or seek to understand much of the good, thinking that to be good is a simple choice – easily understood.  (*A final ironic side note: he says he shuns indoctrination through the church, that he loves the outrageous ceremony of it, but that he could never permit it, and yet how is it any different than how he allows Henry to dictate so thoroughly?)

 

THE IMPERSONATOR || SYBIL VANE (ON THE HEART)

impersonator:

1. to assume or act the character of : PERSONATE

“‘When I am with her, I regret all that you [Henry] have taught me. I become different from what you have known me to be. I am changed, and the mere touch of Sybil Vane’s hand makes me forget you and all your wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories.’” (84)

Sybil Vane. Sybil Vane was the ‘good” potential in Dorian Gray. Like Basil, she could have done him a world of good. In her, he saw a shapeshifter, something fascinating because of her chameleon qualities. He gravitated to her lack of identity, because in a backwards way, he could relate. It was different than his lack of identity, but there was a kinship of naive nature. 

“‘Then the curtain rises, and you will see the girl to whom I am going to give all my life, and to whom I have given everything that is good in me.’” (89)

Unfortunately, here goes Dorian Gray again, with his lack of understanding of the power of words – again, ironic given how he so reveres them. “To whom I have given everything that is good in me.” Well. Does that not sound like he now sold his morality too? Is it not after she dies that everything goes absolutely downhill for him? If he, prior to the performance, gave her ‘everything good of him’, it could be a reason for why he was so cruel and heartless towards her (he was no longer in possession of it). While she lived, there was still good of him in existence – still something to be redeemed – but he, in all his wisdom, sold his only salvation.

 

In Conclusion

Dorian Gray, of his own volition, sold his soul, sold his mind, sold his heart, and sold his morality and singlehandedly murdered all of it, all through the misguided belief that his beauty was the absolute pinnacle of existence. Due to his impressionable nature, he was unable to discern good from bad, and as a result, made all the wrong choices and suffered greatly for it. Dorian Gray is a cautionary tale to be cognizant of truly learning and looking at oneself.

Only through knowing the self intimately and truly can we be good – can we dispel immoral inclinations in light of the higher vibrational choices before us. It can be hard to pick what is right for us especially if we refuse to look at what is wrong out of vanity. There are no shortcuts when it comes to self-development, and the effects of it seem obvious: to shortcut yourself is to kill yourself, or at least to prevent the best you from ever being born.

(He should have married Sybil Vane and taken her last name with the alteration of “Dorian Vain”.)

[WORKS CITED]

“Immure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immure. Accessed 15 Nov. 2021.

“Impersonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impersonate. Accessed 15             Nov. 2021.

“Imprecate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imprecate. Accessed 15 Nov.               2021.

“Impress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impress. Accessed 15 Nov. 2021.

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Paper Mill Press, 2019.