Picture of Dorian Gray Tragically

Picture of Dorian Gray

Tragically Enamored:

The Art of Repressed Sexuality in the Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde's novel the Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) subtlety celebrates the strong bond between three men and in doing so brings to our attention the quiet passion each feels for the other. These strong feelings of being enamored with one's best friend are even sometimes desperately attempted to be disguised or ignored by the wearer of the emotions. Wilde's use of traditional English rhetorical devices in his prose, especially his use of metaphor and symbolism, highlight the repressed feelings of homosexuality and intense feelings towards one's same-sex friend. Accordingly, this paper theorizes that it is precisely this repressed homosexuality that leads to a two young men's tragic downward spiral in nineteenth English society.

Before beginning the literary analysis of repressed homosexuality represented the Picture of Dorian Gray, it is important to look to past literary criticism and theories to better understand the setting for Wilde's novel. One of the best sources for this comes from critic Eve Sedgwick. Sedgwick writes that "homosexual panic' is the most private, psychologised form in which many twentieth-century men experience their vulnerability to the social pressure of homophobic blackmail" (Between Men, 89). Sedgwick theorizes that in the nineteenth century, societal rules governing male friendship dictated that while masculine privilege was sustained by male friendship, nineteenth century British society also required that men marry and produce offspring ("The Beast in the Closet," 151). Accordingly, Sedgwick notes the intensity and sufficiency of male bonding needed to be strictly regulated by what she calls "male homosexual panic" or homophobia (151).

Without a doubt, this homosexual panic is apparent in the Picture of Dorian Gray. Although Wilde never specifically mentions or writes of homosexuality, it is the intense male relationships that are the core of the novel. From the very beginning of Wilde's work, the "stronger than normal" (given heterosexual standards) feelings of the painter Basil Hallward towards Dorian Gray, the young man he loves to have sit for his paintings, are clear. Wilde also incorporates repressed homosexual feelings between Basil's friend Lord Henry and Dorian.

Evidence of Basil's initial efforts to hide and repress his homosexual feelings towards Dorian are apparent as well. Basil declares to Lord Henry that "'[t]he reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul' " (47). Clearly, Basil knows that the way in which he painted Dorian might reveal the intense feelings the painter feels towards Dorian, feelings which Basil strongly wishes to keep secret. Further, the fact that Basil refers to these feelings as "the secret of [his] own soul" strongly suggests that Dorian has completely capture his heart. When Lord Henry presses Basil for more explanation, Basil continues to describe the first time he met Dorian. " 'Suddenly I found myself face-to-face with the young man whose personality had so strangely stirred me. We were quite close, almost touching. Our eyes met again' " (49). The way in which Basil describes the physical encounter evokes a romantic encounter, the way in which readers are so used to two love-stricken lovers react towards being near each other for the first time.

Basil also confides to Lord Henry that" 'I knew that I had come face-to-face with someone whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself' " (48). This description strongly demonstrates the dramatic emotions Basil feels towards Dorian. However, not once during Basil's conversation with Lord Henry does Basil label or even attempt to describe his feelings towards Dorian as homosexual. But the language Wilde uses to have Basil voice his emotions can no doubt be viewed as being "stronger than typical male friendship." Accordingly, it is in this way that Wilde subtlety suggests feelings of a repressed homosexuality between Basil and Dorian.

The initial description of Basil's emotions is again revisited when Basil bravely declares his strong feelings to Dorian later in the novel.

Dorian, from the moment I met you, your personality had the most extraordinary influence over me. I was dominated, soul, brain, and power by you….I worshipped you. I grew jealous of every one to whom you spoke. I wanted to have you all to myself. I was only happy when I was with you….Of course I never let you know anything about this. It would have been impossible. You would not have understood it. I hardly understood it myself. (148).

Again, although Wilde is not straightforward in his language, the subtle innuendos of Basil's feelings towards Dorian have become slightly less hidden. Basil clearly confesses his strong feelings towards Dorian; he "worshipped" and was "dominated" by Dorian. While it is true that the bond of friendship can be very strong, it does seems neither realistic nor likely that such strong feelings that Basil has towards Dorian stops only at friendship.

Further, Basil mentions his self-repression of his feelings by noting that he never could have told Dorian how he felt. Basil continues "I grew afraid that others would know of my idolatry [for you]" (149). This is perhaps the clearest that Wilde's language gets to describing Basil's repressed homosexual feelings towards Dorian. However, nothing comes of Basil's passionate declaration to Dorian. In fact, one might argue that Basil's confession of feelings to Dorian was a factor in Dorian killing Basil many years later. Accordingly, these examples serve to further highlight the nature of nineteenth century repressed homosexuality in England and its literature.

The second relationship that needs to be explored from the Picture of Dorian Gray is between Lord Henry and Dorian. Lord Henry is introduced to Dorian through their mutual friend Basil, who as already noted, was quite affected by his own intense friendship with Dorian. Lord Henry stays for a portrait session where Dorian sits to be painted by Basil. During the course of the session, Lord Henry effectively charms the young Dorian with his wit and untraditional perspectives on life as a young man in nineteenth century England. The effect of Lord Henry's personality on Dorian is stunning.

For nearly ten minutes he stood there, motionless, with parted lips, and eyes strangely bright. He was dimly conscious that entirely fresh influences were at work within him. Yet they seemed to have come really from himself. The few words that Basil's friend had said to him -- words spoken by chance, no doubt, and with willful paradox in them -- had touched some secret chord that had never been touched before, but that he felt was now vibrating and throbbing to curious pulses. (59).

The language Wilde uses to express Dorian's intense affected person, while not specifying Dorian's potential homosexual feelings towards Lord Henry, demonstrates the intense influence Lord Henry has over the young man. Furthermore, one might also argue that there is hidden innuendo and sexuality in this example. That is, Wilde writes that Lord Henry had "touched some secret chord" within Dorian that "had never been touched before, but...[that] was now vibrating and throbbing to curious pulses." One could view this "secret chord" that was now "vibrating and throbbing" as having subtle phallic and sexual connotations. In this way, Wilde's language works to convey the repressed homosexual feelings between Dorian and Lord Henry.

Initially, Dorian (like Basil) tries to repress his feelings towards Lord Henry and deny the effect Lord Henry has had on him. "There was a look of fear in his eyes, such as people have when they are suddenly awakened. His finely chiseled nostrils quivered, and some hidden nerve shook the scarlet of his lips and left them trembling" (61). The language Wilde uses to describe Dorian's "fear" of his feelings towards Lord Henry is clear and concise. That is, Wilde's prose plainly acknowledges Dorian's initial fear of the effect Lord Henry has on him, a fear that causes Dorian to "tremble." This fear and nervousness no doubt highlights the "homosexual panic" that critic Sedgwick described.

The way in which Wilde describes Lord Henry's reaction to Dorian is interestingly evocative as well. "With his subtle smile, Lord Henry watched [Dorian]….He felt intensely interested….He had merely shot an arrow into the air. Had it hit the mark? How fascinating the lad was!" (60). Lord Henry knows that he has had a strong effect over Dorian, and relishes the feeling. In this way, Lord Henry is quite different from Basil and Dorian in expressing his feelings; that is, Lord Henry makes no effort to deny the happiness he gets from young Dorian. However, Lord Henry also makes no attempts to make further progress on a sexual or physical level with Dorian throughout the novel, thus suggesting his own feelings are also repressed like Dorian and Basil.