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Considering The Picture of Dorian Gray and Oscar Wilde Through a Queer Theory Lens 

In The Picture of Dorian Gray by esteemed author, Oscar Wilde, the reader dives into the interpersonal relationships between three members of Victorian Era English society in which Wilde explores aestheticism, immorality, and the Christian belief in the soul. Dorian Gray features a fixation on male beauty and a repeated pattern of hostile beliefs and remarks toward women, marriage, and fidelity, all likely due, at least in part, to the author’s homosexual nature and his perception of happiness, pleasure, and morality as a gay man in an era where homosexual desire is considered an immoral deviancy; something to be ashamed of, hidden, changed, and by extension – studied. Queer theory, as defined by Charles Bressler, utilizes methodologies from feminism, gender studies, psychoanalysis, and deconstruction, and categorizes gender as a social construct – one that society should not dictate. Looking at literature through a Queer Theory lens aims to overturn traditional views of sex and sexuality. Oscar Wilde explores the nuances of human sexuality, including his own, under the cover of cis-straight male friendships between main characters Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton, and artist Basil Hallward by masking homoerotic behavior with heteronormative relationships to come to terms with his own morals and societal expectations.

Because the Victorian Era viewed homosexuality with disgust, The Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885 outlawed sexual relations between men, though not between women, and if charged, a person would be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by any term of less than two years with the potential for hard labor. In 1895, Oscar Wilde was punished to the full extent of the law. He was imprisoned between 1895 and 1897 and did two years of hard labor. According to the article “A Theory of Scandal: Victorians, Homosexuality, and the Fall of Oscar Wilde” by Ari Adut, they claim that Britain was the only country to criminalize all male homosexual acts even though it was rare and with reluctancy that anyone was actually prosecuted. It was even more rare when people of high esteem and social influence were prosecuted because of their status and their ability to hide or pay their way out. The police often looked the other way. Oscar Wilde’s behavior was well established in London by the time that he was arrested and prosecuted (214). Adut believes that Wilde was arrested and charged to the fullest extent of the law not because of his high-profile status, nor his years of nearly open homosexual behavior, which his social circle had been entirely privy to and were content to speak about behind closed doors, but because Wilde’s libel trial against a lover’s father brought negative public social reactions and, by proxy, angry third parties who wished to punish Wilde (219). In the article “Silent Homosexuality in Oscar Wilde’s Teleny and The Picture of Dorian Gray and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” by Antonio Sanna, they say,

Homosexuals were produced as a new species to be studied, analyzed, catalogued, and “explained.” They became a judicial subject of law, a problem for morality, and, I would add, a target of law and of public opinion, in that they offered the possibility for the state and the press to establish publicly the commonly accepted standards and limits of sexual behavior, action, and even of desire, that late-Victorian society would tolerate in males (22).

Considering the society in which Dorian Gray is based in, it follows that Wilde was battling with the oppressive morals dictated by the society in which he lived and prospered and the desire to explore who he was intrinsically as a man and as a sexual entity.  

Oscar Wilde was a follower of the aesthetics movement where whatever behavior could grant the most pleasure and happiness into a person’s life was acceptable, immoral or otherwise. Life, ideally, would imitate art, as art should only be beautiful for the sake beauty, not for a social cause (Clapp-Itnyre, Unit 4: Art in the 2nd Half of the Century: 3 Movements). The character Lord Henry Wotton is the epitome of the aesthetics movement – he freely preaches his aesthetic philosophy to anyone who will listen, primarily to Dorian Gray, who accepts everything that Lord Henry says without question. At first glance, the novel seems to be in favor of the aesthetics movement, though if one considers the trajectory of the novel, it might instead be a warning against aesthetic beliefs that pleasure should be attainable at all costs. The cost of this aesthetic preaching, for Dorian Gray only, it seems, is the moral and physical decay of his soul, as seen in the painting, over the remainder of his life. The ending comes with no resolution, just a decayed corpse where there was beauty and vitality in life. In Joseph Carroll’s article “Aestheticism, Homoeroticism, and Christian Guilt in The Picture of Dorian Gray,” it is noted that Oscar Wilde gave a sort of confession in a letter to a friend that reads Dorian Gray “contains much of me in it. Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry, what the world thinks of me: Dorian what I would like to be—in other ages perhaps” (290). Carroll continues to say that Wilde fails to mention that Dorian is beautiful but cruel, Lord Henry is a cynic unable to register the “moral horror” that leads Dorian to murder, and that Basil is captivated by Dorian’s beauty but repulsed at the immoral life he has led (290-291). It is interesting, then, to consider the struggle Wilde must have gone through in the conception of Dorian Gray, as the pieces of himself wage war with each other.

The introductory pages of the novel begin with discourse between Lord Henry and Basil Hallward which contain homoerotic subtext in their discussions revolving around Dorian. Basil tells Lord Henry that he cannot make his work public because he has put too much of himself in it, and though some may not see it, others will. The work in question are his paintings of Dorian Gray, a vibrant and beautiful young man whom Basil feels to be the muse for the best art he has ever created (Wilde 9). While this is not overtly homosexual in nature, it does imply that showing this painting, which he feels has too much of himself, will show those who know what to look for that he is gay, which was illegal and punishable by a prison sentence and the possibility of hard labor. By Wilde’s own admission, Basil is who Wilde believes he is – a  homosexual artist with a secret. Basil describes the first time he laid eyes on Dorian when he says,

When our eyes met, I felt that I was growing pale. A curious sensation of terror  came over me. I knew that I had come face to face with some one 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 (Wilde, 9-10).  

This is more reminiscent of love at first sight, not the intrigue of an artist purely admiring the obvious beauty of another man. This is not the first nor the last time that Basil talks in this manner; he eventually tells Dorian himself when he comes to the conclusion that an artist’s secrets cannot be disclosed through art and he would like to exhibit the painting of Dorian. He says, “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” (Wilde 110). When Dorian is disappointed that Basil did not know about the curse on the painting, Basil says that it was not a compliment, but a confession. Despite Basil’s admission to Dorian, it does not put him off. He tells Basil “But you mustn’t talk about worship. It is foolish. You and I are friends, Basil, and we must always remain so” (Wilde 112). This is an important line because while Dorian acknowledges Basil’s confession, it does not put him off friendship altogether. Considering the Victorian disgust with homosexuality, this could have been a make it or break it moment in their friendship. Instead of putting him off, he tells Basil they must always remain friends. Dorian briefly wonders if he could also be so transfixed by a friend, and he considers his friendship with Lord Henry. He thinks, “Lord Henry had the charm of being very dangerous. But that was all” (Wilde 111). Though it seems that the dynamic does contain homoerotic subtext on behalf of Basil, it does not seem that Dorian returns that feeling toward either Basil or lord Henry, but he does cherish each individual friendship. Dorian may not possess sexual feelings for either male friend, but that does not mean that he does not display behavior that coincides with homosexuality, or at the very least, a disinterest for women as a whole, for example, his relationship with Sibyl Vane.

While Basil’s confession, and his dialogue in general throughout the novel, displays more overt homoerotic subtext, Lord Henry and Dorian display homoerotic subtext that is much more covert in nature. Dorian, in his obsession with Sibyl Vane, loves her for the art she creates, not for her as a woman and as a complete person. In a conversation about the poisonous book that Lord Henry gives to Dorian, Dorian says, “I didn’t say I liked it, Harry. I said it fascinated me. There is a great difference.” to which Lord Henry replies, “Ah, you have discovered that?” (Wilde 122). Lord Henry is perfectly aware that Dorian did not truly love Sibyl Vane, he was only fascinated with the art she was able to create with her acting. When she showed him her real, true, self, he says, “without your art you are nothing” (Wilde 85). Further, Lord Henry also shows more interest in male beauty, with a heavy emphasis on harsh views related to women. Dorian Gray is in the home of Lord Henry awaiting his arrival, and instead of Henry, his wife emerges to greet Dorian. She says, “You must let me introduce myself. I know you quite well by your photographs. I think my husband has got seventeen of them” (Wilde 45). Again, while not overtly homosexual, a person would think it uncommon for one to have seventeen photographs of another person in general, but most especially a male friend. This could be considered an emphasis on male beauty, a more subtle homoerotic subtext. Lord Henry, throughout the novel, repeatedly makes harsh statements against marriage, women, and fidelity. He goes so far as to say, “A man can be happy with any woman, as long as he does not love her” (Wilde 171). A heterosexual man with an interest in women will very likely be happy, at the very least, content- in a heteronormative relationship by extension that a man is sexually interested in women. It is curious that Lord Henry treats marriage with women similarly to friendship, where the two see each other sometimes and have conversation rarely, not as a means to continue the species or to maintain a sexual relationship, but to exist in the same space for their own undisclosed purposes. When Dorian is explaining his love of Sibyl’s artistic genius to Lord Henry, he responds with, “My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals” (Wilde 48). Lord Henry seems to be of the opinion that marriage to women gives nothing to either party. He says, “Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious: both are disappointed” (Wilde 47). Considering the way that Lord Henry does not value women as a whole, nor does he see them as anything more than decoration, it can be assumed that the woman would not receive anything in a marriage with him apart from companionship, but only sometimes. He does not think highly enough of women to be considerate of their feelings in general, nor would he consider their happiness to be of any importance in a marriage. It is also interesting, then, to consider Oscar Wilde’s own marriage. Married in early 1884, and consequently producing two children, Wilde’s sexuality was then a topic of confusion. Some thought his effeminate traits to be an extension of aesthetics. However, he began wearing a green carnation boutonniere – something worn by French gay men, placing his sexuality once again under question. He was also very fond of partying with sex workers as well as being seen vacationing with several men of status (Adut 229). It could be assumed, then, that his marriage to Constance Wilde was not a marriage of happiness, but of necessity, which could have been the motivation behind Lord Henry’s vehemence against women and marriage, as Dorian Gray was published after he was already in a heteronormative marriage. In Carroll’s article, he says,

Dorian Gray has an overt heterosexual plot, and there is no homosexuality in the story—it could have hardly been published otherwise—but the putatively heterosexual liaison with Sybil is of a purely aesthetic character, and the atmosphere of the story is saturated with homoerotic feeling and style (295).

He continues to say that there are four elements that establish sexuality, though they are not in themselves homoerotic, but the combination of them is evocative of homosexuality. The four contributors are images of luxurious sexuality, preoccupation with male beauty, effeminate mannerisms, and perpetual snide remarks against women and long-term relationships (295). Essentially, the way the novel is read combined with the mixture of these four elements gives the novel an overt air of homoerotic subtext.

If the novel is a culmination of Oscar Wilde’s warring morals and beliefs, the death of Basil Hallward should be considered more closely under the scope of Victorian Era beliefs on the immorality of homosexuality and Wilde’s own moral struggle with his sexuality. Shortly after Basil’s confession of adoration for Dorian, Dorian shows Basil the painting locked away in a dusty room so that he might see for himself the atrocities it contains. Basil tells Dorian that it is not too late to repent for all the evil he has done, for all the immoral ways he has lived, for all the pleasures he has sought, and Dorian stabs him to death. If Dorian is who Wilde wishes he was, and Basil is who he thinks he is, then it is likely that the death of Basil is Wilde’s way of getting rid of the desire. Basil chose Dorian because of his beauty, but also because of the way his beauty influences the way Basil sees life. Basil’s art is better for knowing Dorian, and yet Dorian is infinitely worse for knowing Basil. Without Basil’s desire, his adoration, this painting of Dorian would not exist, and by extension, neither would Dorian’s evil. The complexity of Oscar Wilde’s psyche is both intriguing and perplexing, in that the depth of these warring beliefs constitutes to the ideals of topics like good and evil. Is Dorian evil because Basil loved him? Is Basil dead because Dorian detested his adoration? If this is the case, what conclusions did Wilde draw from this scenario?

In this novel, Oscar Wilde allows readers to follow his journey of self-discovery split between three male characters who display homoerotic subtext in their interpersonal relationships under the guise of cis-straight men of upper Victorian Era Society. During this time, homosexuality was seen as a sexual deviancy, with laws dictating that any male partaking in any sexual act could be punishable by up to two years in prison with the potential for hard labor. Wilde grapples with his belief in the soul as well as aesthetics and moral correctness, as determined by late Victorian society. Wilde uses characters Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton, and Basil Hallward to explore his perception of life as a gay man, which includes the search for pleasure with no thought for morality and harshness against women in terms of marriage and relationships.

Works Cited 

Adut, Ari. “A Theory of Scandal: Victorians, Homosexuality, and the Fall of Oscar Wilde.” American Journal of Sociology, vol. 111, no. 1, 2005, pp. 213–48, https://doi.org/10.1086/428816. Accessed 23 Apr. 2022.

Carroll, Joseph. “Aestheticism, Homoeroticism, and Christian Guilt in The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Philosophy and Literature, vol. 29 no. 2, 2005, p. 286-304. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/phl.2005.0018.

Clapp-Itnyre, Alisa. Unit 4: Art in the 2nd Half of the Century: 3 Movements. Discussion. Indiana University East.  Accessed 23 Apr. 2022. https://iu.instructure.com/courses/2043795/pages/read-unit-4-art-in-the-2nd-half-of-the-century-3-movements?module_item_id=26182913.

Sanna, Antonio. “Silent Homosexuality in Oscar Wilde’s Teleny and The Picture of Dorian Gray and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Law and Literature, vol. 24, no. 1, 2012, pp. 21–39, https://doi.org/10.1525/lal.2012.24.1.21. Accessed 23 Apr. 2022.

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Penguin Classics, 2000.