Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray

by

 Geoffrey Schöning

Table of contents

1. Introduction

2. The New Hedonism
2.1. "A fresh impulse of joy" - the theory itself
2.2. The background - the theory as philosophical heritage
2.3. Learning by doing - the theory in practical test

3. A "Dorian-Gray-Society"?
3.1. Live your life - a sensation project
3.2. A very demanding ideal: youthfulness and beauty

4. The truth of tomorrow? - The problem of today!

5. Works consulted

6. Notes

1. Introduction

"I speak the truth of tomorrow" Lord Henry says on being asked to defend his "throne" as Prince Paradox. Although one of his usually witty answers in high society conversation, this indubitably self-confident statement leads to a general question: The "New Hedonism" as presented in Oscar Wilde′s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, does it anticipate developments and structures of our modern society? To find an adequate answer to the question is the task of this research paper. Starting with an analysis of the theory presented by Lord Henry Wotton, there follows an overall view of the philosophy′s intellectual background. Afterwards, the look at Dorian′s life under the influence of the hedonistic model shall give first impressions of its practical effects. These three chapters therefore deal with the "New Hedonism" directly related to the novel itself and to its author Oscar Wilde.

The second part of the paper then centres around the present situation. After introductory clarifications to the term "Erlebnisgesellschaft" and to general social changes, it scrutinises modern society for parallels to the outstanding pillars of the hedonistic programme. These are on the one hand self-realisation and the motive to be always seeking sensations, and on the other hand the cult of youth and beauty mania. Eventually, the findings of that examination end up in a conclusion which shall also serve as an outlook.

Concerning the research done in this special field, it astonishes that there was only one work to be found which explicitly dealt with the relation between the "New Hedonism" in The Picture of Dorian Gray and modern society, namely a chapter of Norbert Kohl′s Oscar Wilde biography. Due to this circumstance, the literature consulted is clearly divided into two sectors: literary science and sociology. For the latter, it was the study "Die Erlebnisgesellschaft" by Gerhard Schulze which was used as a main reference. Thus, syntactic fusion of German and English might be excused.

2. The New Hedonism

As the motivation for Dorian Gray′s newly oriented way of life and his slow but sure fall into the depths of murder and corruption, the hedonistic programme is one of the novel′s crucial aspects. It is "[a] philosophical hotbed from which [the protagonist rises] like a poisonous flower" - prepared by his seductively brilliant master Lord Henry Wotton. On meeting his later object of tutelage in Basil Hallward′s studio by occasion, he already infects Dorian with his "wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories (VI, 91)." By his cleverly structured "panegyric on youth, his terrible warning of its brevity (II, 33)," Wotton opens up new horizons to his attentive scholar: "Suddenly there had come someone across his life who seemed to have disclosed to him life′s mystery (II, 29)." But what are the principles of a philosophy that impressive?

2.1. "A fresh impulse of joy" - the theory itself

"The aim of life is self-development. To realise one′s nature perfectly - that is what each of us is here for. People are afraid of themselves, nowadays. They have forgotten the highest of all duties, the duty that one owes to one′s self (II, 25)." Thus, according to Lord Henry Wotton, the imperative of a full and satisfying life must be to live up all emotions, all desires one fosters freely:
I believe that if one man were to live out his life fully and completely, were to give form to every feeling, expression to every thought, reality to every dream - I believe that the world would gain such a fresh impulse of joy that we would forget all the maladies of mediævalism, and return to the Hellenic ideal - to something finer, richer than the Hellenic ideal it may be (II, 25).

Self-denial therefore results in emotional sickness, the restriction to "the standard of one′s age" is to be considered as the "grossest immorality (VI, 92)." Nothing but self-realisation is of importance - a culte du moi which centres around the subject and the impressions it gets from a particular situation. These impressions or rather experiences are all the more attractive, the more they appeal to the individuality and stimulate the subject. No wonder then that Lord Henry calls upon his pupil: "Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing... (II, 30)."

The peace of mind, however, is not at all endangered, since "[nothing] can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul (II, 28)." This motto, which will ring in Dorian′s ears far beyond the mere conversation, already underlines another pillar of Wotton′s philosophy: Apart from the interior spiritual field, there is the exterior even playing a much more significant role. "The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible (II, 30)." The greatest good in life is bodily beauty, and Lord Henry makes it quite plain:

You have a wonderfully beautiful face, Mr. Gray. Don′t frown. You have. And Beauty is a form of Genius - is higher, indeed, than Genius, as it needs no explanation. It is of the great facts of the world, like sunlight, or spring-time, or the reflection in dark waters of that silver shell we call the moon. It cannot be questioned. It has its divine right of sovereignty. It makes princes of those who have it. (...) People say sometimes that Beauty is only superficial. That may be so. But at least it is not so superficial as Thought is. To me, Beauty is the wonder of wonders (II, 29, 30).

[...]