Identity In The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde
Throughout the nineteenth century setting of London a recurring theme of hedonism and thorough admiration for beauty and individualism reflect Dorian’s inner motives as well as his long sought self purpose. In this sense the most significant moral of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is that the supreme task of the individual is to realize fully, and from within, one’s own identity. Dorian exemplifies the drama of his troubles on the rough journey to find his identity from influences of a conceited hedonistic friend, and in the sacrifices of morals seeking irrevocable pleasures through irrevocable sins.
The impressionable young Dorian proves to be as interesting a thing to analyze in his youthful nature as any other social bemusement …show more content…
As his sense of morality seems to degrade and yet produce no remorse to his love of his own beauty, he has a false sense of satisfaction. Dorian not only proves to, at will, provoke every desire in his body, but also be a slave to those same desires. “There are moments, psychologists tell us, when the passion for sin, or what the world calls sin, so dominates a nature that every fibre of the body, every cell of the brain, seems to be instinct with fearful impulses… Men and women at such moments lose the freedom of their will…Choice is taken from them” (174). Dorian is at the same will of the passion for sin, but unknowingly without a choice to turn from it. Oscar Wilde uses these insights thoroughly in the book to reflect how hedonistic ideals meant to give freedom to the individual rather take the chance of discovery of one self. This discovery occurs through love and discretion through ones morals, both of which Dorian confuses with his passion for beauty and art. As Dorian states to Sibyl when he becomes discontent with love for just her, rather than her artistic acting form, “How little you can know of love, if you say it mars your art! Without your art you are nothing!” (Wilde 98). Wilde shows so clearly in Dorian’s naïve confusion of love and art that he misses what truly matters in humanity, the value of developing an identity through real love and being true to one
The impressionable young Dorian proves to be as interesting a thing to analyze in his youthful nature as any other social bemusement …show more content…
As his sense of morality seems to degrade and yet produce no remorse to his love of his own beauty, he has a false sense of satisfaction. Dorian not only proves to, at will, provoke every desire in his body, but also be a slave to those same desires. “There are moments, psychologists tell us, when the passion for sin, or what the world calls sin, so dominates a nature that every fibre of the body, every cell of the brain, seems to be instinct with fearful impulses… Men and women at such moments lose the freedom of their will…Choice is taken from them” (174). Dorian is at the same will of the passion for sin, but unknowingly without a choice to turn from it. Oscar Wilde uses these insights thoroughly in the book to reflect how hedonistic ideals meant to give freedom to the individual rather take the chance of discovery of one self. This discovery occurs through love and discretion through ones morals, both of which Dorian confuses with his passion for beauty and art. As Dorian states to Sibyl when he becomes discontent with love for just her, rather than her artistic acting form, “How little you can know of love, if you say it mars your art! Without your art you are nothing!” (Wilde 98). Wilde shows so clearly in Dorian’s naïve confusion of love and art that he misses what truly matters in humanity, the value of developing an identity through real love and being true to one