Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel of the Victorian ‘fin de siécle’. Its protagonists are dandies, who follow the principle of a so-called New Hedonism. Under the influence of the elder Lord Henry, Dorian Gray assumes his way of life, thinking and even his attitude to women. Actually the entire novel is shaped by a certain misogynistic culture that reveals itself in different forms. In this paper I am going to illustrate how the male characters, mainly the dandies Lord Henry and Dorian, use their voice to speak up against women, whereas the female ones remain voiceless most of the time.
Apart from its fictional content, the novel is full with concepts that shaped Victorian society. To get a full understanding, I am therefore going to illustrate the novel’s historical context and some of the phenomena of the Victorian ‘90s, for example, New Hedonism, Dandyism etc. I am then going to give a description of the dandies in the novel, Lord Henry Wotton and Dorian Gray, before illustrating their misogynistic attitudes. I will be looking for reasons as well as describing the different types of women that are in the novel, focusing on Sibyl, the most important female character in the novel.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray and the Victorian Age – the novel in its historical context
The Victorian Age – an era with many different faces
Morality, sexuality and gender roles in Victorian society
New phenomena: Dandy and New Woman
3. Dandies and their misogynistic attitudes in The Picture of Dorian Gray
3.1. The dandies in the novel: Lord Henry Wotton and Dorian Gray
The ‘cult of the self’
Restraint and pretence
Provocation and criticism
New Hedonism
3.2. Misogynistic attitudes towards women in the novel
The dandies and the ladies with parrot noses
Sibyl Vane: Woman with a voice
The dandies’ attitude to love and marriage
3.3. Examining reasons for the dandies’ misogynistic attitudes in the novel
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how the male protagonists, specifically the dandies Lord Henry Wotton and Dorian Gray, exhibit and enact misogynistic attitudes within Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, while simultaneously analyzing the historical and social context of the Victorian "fin de siécle."
- The socio-historical climate of the Victorian era and the "fin de siécle."
- The emergence of new cultural phenomena: Dandyism and the New Woman.
- The aesthetic philosophy of New Hedonism and its impact on the protagonists.
- The representation and victimization of women within the novel.
- The interplay between homosocial influence and misogyny.
Excerpt from the Book
Sibyl Vane: Woman with a voice
Voice is an important means of characterisation in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Whereas Dorian has “such a beautiful voice” (18) and Henry’s is low and musical (19), the female voices are described as “shrill” (41). Male eloquence opposes female empty speech throughout the novel, creating a basis for the misogynistic culture, in which women can not speak up for themselves, except for one: Sibyl Vane.
‘I never heard such a voice. It was very low at first, with deep mellow notes, that seemed to fall singly upon one’s ear. Then it became a little louder, and sounded like a flute or distant hautbois. In the garden scene it had all the tremulous ecstasy that one hears just before dawn when nightingales are singing. There were moments, later on, when it had the wild passions of violins.’ (46)
She is not only the sole female character in the novel who is fully developed already by her voice, unlike all the other women. Sibyl contrasts the ideal Victorian women by her profession, as well: She is an actress, a profession that automatically lifts her “above superficial chatter, shallow thought and empty days of what the novel regards as conventional women” (Powell 1997: 185). Unlike any other public space her workplace enables her to ”speak powerfully while men [sit] mute in the darkness” (186).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the focus on the misogynistic culture present in The Picture of Dorian Gray and identifies the central research interest in the dandy figures.
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray and the Victorian Age – the novel in its historical context: This section provides an overview of the Victorian socio-economic shifts and the emergence of the New Woman and the Dandy as cultural figures.
3. Dandies and their misogynistic attitudes in The Picture of Dorian Gray: This core chapter analyzes the elitist philosophy of the dandies, their aesthetic principles, and their consistently negative treatment of women.
4. Conclusion: The author concludes that the dandy protagonists' inability to value women beyond aesthetic objects leads to their tragic isolation and moral decay.
Keywords
Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dandy, New Hedonism, Victorian Age, Misogyny, Fin de siécle, Sibyl Vane, Aestheticism, Gender Roles, Decadence, Homosociality, Victorian society, Literature, Femininity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the misogynistic tendencies displayed by the characters Lord Henry Wotton and Dorian Gray in Oscar Wilde's novel, set against the backdrop of Victorian social norms.
What primary themes are analyzed throughout the text?
The themes include the philosophy of Dandyism, the impact of New Hedonism, Victorian gender constructions, and the marginalization of female characters.
What is the main objective or research question?
The study aims to illustrate how male characters use their social power and "voice" to suppress and marginalize women within the narrative framework of the novel.
Which scientific methodology does the author employ?
The author uses a qualitative literary analysis, drawing on historical context and existing academic theories regarding Victorian gender politics and aestheticism.
What is covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body examines the specific behaviors of the dandies, the historical context of the "Yellow Nineties," and individual case studies of female characters like Sibyl Vane and the Duchess Monmouth.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Dandyism, New Hedonism, Victorian Age, Misogyny, and Fin de siécle.
How does the author interpret the role of Sibyl Vane?
Sibyl is portrayed as a unique figure because she is the only woman in the novel with a distinct "voice," which temporarily grants her independence before she becomes a victim of Dorian’s shifting aesthetic interests.
Why do the dandies display such contempt for marriage?
The dandies view marriage as an experience that requires unselfishness and compromise, both of which threaten their radical individualism and dedication to an aesthetic lifestyle.
- Quote paper
- Jessica Menz (Author), 2004, Dandies and their misogynistic attitudes in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/120387
