picture of dorian gray comparison essay

The Conflict Between Aestheticism and Morality in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray

Patrick Duggan

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Oscar Wilde prefaces his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, with a reflection on art, the artist, and the utility of both. After careful scrutiny, he concludes: “All art is quite useless” (Wilde 4). In this one sentence, Wilde encapsulates the complete principles of the Aesthetic Movement popular in Victorian England. That is to say, real art takes no part in molding the social or moral identities of society, nor should it. Art should be beautiful and pleasure its observer, but to imply further-reaching influence would be a mistake. The explosion of aesthetic philosophy in fin-de-siècle English society, as exemplified by Oscar Wilde, was not confined to merely art, however. Rather, the proponents of this philosophy extended it to life itself. Here, aestheticism advocated whatever behavior was likely to maximize the beauty and happiness in one’s life, in the tradition of hedonism. To the aesthete, the ideal life mimics art; it is beautiful, but quite useless beyond its beauty, concerned only with the individual living it. Influences on others, if existent, are trivial at best. Many have read The Picture of Dorian Gray as a novelized sponsor for just this sort of aesthetic lifestyle. However, this story of the rise and fall of Dorian Gray might instead represent an allegory about morality meant to critique, rather than endorse, the obeying of one’s impulses as thoughtlessly and dutifully as aestheticism dictates.

In the novel, Lord Henry Wotton trumpets the aesthetic philosophy with an elegance and bravado that persuade Dorian to trust in the principles he espouses; the reader is often similarly captivated. It would be a mistake, however, to interpret the novel as a patent recommendation of aestheticism. To the aesthete, there is no distinction between moral and immoral acts, only between those that increase or decrease one’s happiness; yet, Dorian Gray refutes this idea, presenting a strong case for the inherent immorality of purely aesthetic lives. Dorian Gray personifies the aesthetic lifestyle in action, pursuing personal gratification with abandon. Yet, while he enjoys these indulgences, his behavior ultimately kills him and others, and he dies unhappier than ever. Rather than an advocate for pure aestheticism, then, Dorian Gray is a cautionary tale in which Wilde illustrates the dangers of the aesthetic philosophy when not practiced with prudence. Aestheticism, argues Wilde, too often aligns itself with immorality, resulting in a precarious philosophy that must be practiced deliberately.

Dorian Gray is often read as an explicit proclamation of the worthiness of living life in accordance with aesthetic values. This is due in part to the flourishing Aesthetic Movement of Victorian England at the time of the novel’s publication, as well as Oscar Wilde’s association with the movement itself (Becker 660). The Aesthetic Movement, which coincided with the Industrial Revolution at the end of the nineteenth century, emphasized the artistic aspect of a man’s work in producing a variety of goods, from furniture to machines to literature (Becker 660). Oscar Wilde, however, proposed that the principles of the Aesthetic Movement extend beyond the production of mere commodities. In Joseph Pearce’s biography, The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde , Pearce recalls Wilde’s own perspective on the popular movement. Speaking of aestheticism, Wilde is quoted:

It is indeed to become a part of the people’s life . . . I mean a man who works with his hands; and not with his hands merely, but with his head and his heart. The evil that machinery is doing is not merely in the consequence of its work but in the fact that it makes men themselves machines also. Whereas, we wish them to be artists, that is to say men. (qtd. in Pearce 144)

In his exposition of aestheticism, Wilde applies the philosophy in a more universal sense, stressing the positive influences of aestheticism in one’s life beyond mere craftsmanship. Just as the machines that mass-produce materials with the intervention of human thought are labeled “evil,” Wilde similarly condemns men who act as metaphorical machines, programmed to behave in accordance with society’s ideas of propriety rather than allowing themselves to act freely and achieve the greatest amount of happiness. Wilde’s eloquent advocacy of an aesthetic lifestyle is paralleled in his depiction of Lord Henry in Dorian Gray . Lord Henry lectured to the impressionable Dorian, “We are punished for our refusals. Every impulse that we strive to strangle broods in the mind, and poisons us. . . . Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden itself” (Wilde 9). Wilde, through Lord Henry, laments the stifling nature of his contemporary Victorian society and how the supposed morality it boasts necessitates self-denial and rejection of life’s most beautiful aspects. Lord Henry warns that without an enthusiastic embrace of aestheticism, one will perpetually anguish with the desire of precisely what he must deny himself, all for the sake of propriety. This philosophy espoused by Wilde and Lord Henry often leads, not surprisingly, to the conclusion that Dorian Gray is a declaration of Wilde’s, promoting the adoption of purely aesthetic lives without qualification. This, however, is too shallow of an interpretation.

Opponents of a purely aesthetic lifestyle will certainly cite what they consider an inevitability: one’s desires and impulses, though when acted upon result in a more pleasurable life, will at times be undeniably immoral. It is at these times that the virtues of the wholly aesthetic life become questionable. The ruination of Dorian Gray, the embodiment of unbridled aestheticism, illustrates the immorality of such a lifestyle and gravely demonstrates its consequences. Wilde uses Dorian Gray not as an advertisement for aestheticism, but rather, he uses Dorian’s life to warn against aestheticism’s hostility toward morality when uncontrolled. Wilde himself admits, in a letter to the St. James’s Gazette, that Dorian Gray “is a story with a moral. And the moral is this: All excess, as well as all renunciation, brings its own punishment” (Wilde 248). Aestheticism does well to condemn the renunciation of desires, but it is an excessive obedience to these desires that is subversively dangerous. Therefore, in the practice of Wilde’s aestheticism, forethought and constraint are necessities, yet too often lacking, and without them, one is doomed to suffer the same fate as Dorian Gray.

The character of Dorian Gray and the story of his profound degeneration provide a case study examining the viability of purely aesthetic lives. Dorian lives according to what Lord Henry professes without hesitation, and what Lord Henry inspires Dorian, through persuasive rhetoric, is an attitude indifferent to consequence and altogether amoral. As Wilde writes, Dorian’s newfound position is “never to accept any theory or system that would involve the sacrifice of any mode of passionate experience. Its aim, indeed was to be experience itself, and not the fruits of experience, sweet or bitter as they may be” (Wilde 125). Under Lord Henry’s mentorship, Dorian, once the epitome of wide-eyed youth, behaves with no regard for the ramifications of his actions, diligently pursuing instant gratification without thought of its implications, whether they be “sweet or bitter.”

Dorian’s relationship with the actress Sibyl Vane plainly illustrates this marked change in personality. Dorian pursues Sibyl from first sights, intent on acquiring her before he ever attempts to truly know her. Indeed, Dorian’s love for Sibyl is overtly superficial, as evidenced by Dorian’s own description of his infatuation with Sibyl: “I loved you because you were marvelous, because you had genius and intellect, because you realized the dreams of great poets and gave shape and substance to the shadows of art” (Wilde 101). Dorian is not attracted to Sibyl’s character of personality, but rather her acting talent and enthralling performances; this is what enchants the aesthetically inclined Dorian. When Sibyl leaves the stage, then, she no longer serves a purpose in Dorian’s aesthetic life, and thus, Dorian abandons her unceremoniously. Dorian does not regret informing Sybil that, “Without your art, you are nothing” (Wilde 101). The tragedy of Sybil’s later suicide, brought about by utter despair at her desertion, is lost on Dorian, who instead enjoys the dramatic intrigue of the occasion. For Dorian, whose uncontrolled aestheticism rejects the concept of morality, the immorality of his actions goes unrecognized. In fact, Dorian declares excitedly, “It seems to me to be simply like a wonderful ending to a wonderful play. It has all the terrible beauty of a Greek tragedy, a tragedy in which I took a great part, but by which I have not been wounded” (Wilde 114). Here, the adverse consequences of aestheticism surface in Dorian’s life. In his pursuit of his own pleasures, a distinctly narcissistic attitude emerges, and the incompatibility of morality and unconditional aestheticism becomes all the more apparent.

The emergence of narcissism in Dorian and its correlation with his newly adopted aesthetic philosophy is integral to Wilde’s novel as it emphasizes the frequent hostility between aestheticism and morality that Wilde cautions against. Dorian Gray exposes the immorality of self-absorption, as Dorian’s portrait becomes more disfigured with each one of Dorian’s selfish acts. This self-absorption, then, appears to be an inevitable consequence of aestheticism. Only a more deliberate practice of aestheticism may harness this egotism and avoid the immorality Dorian embodies. Interestingly, in his essay “Come See About Me: Enchantment of the Double in The Picture of Dorian Gray ,” Christopher Craft recognizes a mirroring of the Greek myth of Narcissus in the life of Dorian Gray. According to mythology, Narcissus, upon catching a glimpse of his reflection in a pool, becomes so enraptured by it that he stood and admired it endlessly, unmoving for the rest of his life. As Craft notes, this self-absorption “is a commitment that, like Dorian’s, graduates fully until death” (Craft 113). Narcissus becomes so infatuated with himself that the rest of world effectively ceases to exist or affect him and, as Craft argues, “it is into precisely this silent delirium that Dorian unwittingly steps” when he allows Lord Henry’s aesthetic philosophy to so dominate him (Craft 113). Dorian enjoys a life of eternal youth, with only his portrait aging in parallel with Dorian’s immorality; so, as Dorian sinks into the depths of narcissism, he maintains his external beauty, and his portrait degenerates instead. Eventually, as in the myth of Narcissus, such egotism has its consequences. When Dorian, disgusted with the decrepit picture of the supposedly “real” him, destroys it in a fit of anger, Dorian too is destroyed. Wilde writes that after Dorian’s death, “it was not till they had examined the rings that they recognized who it was” (Wilde 220). In the end, as a testament to the purely aesthetic life, the only legacy Dorian leaves behind—everything that identifies him as who he was—is his superficial jewelry.

There is an argument, then, made by Wilde for a new aestheticism, approached with more constraint than Dorian employs. This argument is based not only in the moral obligation of the individual, but with the betterment of all of society in mind. Matthew Arnold, in his essay “Culture and Anarchy,” provides reasoning against the ethos of Lord Henry’s aestheticism and an unconditional application of it. Arnold focuses on its detrimental effects on society and the possibility for societal improvement when aesthetic tendencies are properly controlled. There appears to be agreement, then, between Wilde and Arnold; Wilde’ novel provides a failed example of the purely aesthetic life, and when scaled to a larger society, a similar result is understandably expected. As Arnold views his contemporary society, it is arranged hierarchically, dividing the aristocrats, the middle-class, and the working-class, all of which, Arnold laments, are inclined to live hedonistically, pursuing pleasure and only what is comfortable and easy. Dorian Gray embodies just his defect in Arnold’s society. Arnold argues, however, that “there are born a certain number of natures with a curiosity about their best self with a bend for seeing things as they are . . . for simply concerning themselves with reason and the will of God, and doing their best to make these prevail;—for the pursuit, in a word, of perfection” (Arnold 277). Arnold is optimistic that some may pursue beyond the immediately pleasurable and act to perfect themselves both morally and intellectually. This pursuit of perfection, however, is likely an arduous and uncomfortable task, and is therefore incompatible with pure aestheticism. Some concessions must be made for the absolute aesthete, then, for such transcendence occur.

Dorian Gray, for much of Wilde’s novel, fails to embody Arnold’s ideal, as in his hedonistic life he is seen “creeping at dawn out of dreadful houses and slinking in disguise in the foulest dens in London,” despite being once too honorable for such debauchery (Wilde 118). Dorian exemplifies a regression in social intellect from his beginnings rather than the kind of transcendence hoped for by Arnold. Dorian displays no such pursuit of intellectual perfection as he is slowly corrupted and in turn corrupts others, luring them with him into the slums and opium dens of London. Arnold refers to those able to transcend social classes in society as “aliens,” hinting at their rarity to the point of foreignness and to their almost mythical quality (277). The mere existence of these aliens, however, provides hope that the utter hedonists of society may learn to harness their damaging tendencies, and in doing so, better the intellectual and moral state of humankind.

Wilde, too, recognizes this ability to control the hedonistic temptations associated with aestheticism, as demonstrated by the last stages of Dorian’s life. Mitsuharu Matsuoka, in his essay “Aestheticism and Social Anxiety in The Picture of Dorian Gray ,” notes that, as Dorian’s death approaches, “Dorian ultimately reacts against his lifestyle, choking on his New Hedonism,” at which point “a great sense of doom hangs over Dorian” (Matsuoka 78). Indeed, Dorian appears to realize the consequences of his unbridled aestheticism; however, he is much too far gone to salvage. Dorian reveals his epiphany to Lord Henry: “The soul is a terrible reality. It can be bought, and sold, and bartered away. It can be poisoned or made perfect. There is a soul in each one of us. I know it” (Wilde 211). Unfortunately for Dorian, this realization comes too late to save his soul from its degradation, long-nurtured by a purely aesthetic life, and he is destroyed. The realization itself, however, is indicative of Wilde’s argument woven throughout Dorian Gray . Despite Wilde’s publicly advocating the principles of aestheticism, Dorian’s demise illustrates Wilde’s recognition that aestheticism needs to be properly controlled. While the pursuit of beauty and happiness in life is always Wilde’s ideal, he also implies that the consequences of one’s actions must be thought out and the impact of one’s decisions, beyond oneself, must also be carefully considered before acting on any impulse.

The Aesthetic Movement in fin-de-siècle England, as interpreted by Oscar Wilde, revolved around the ideal that the utility of one’s actions should be to create the maximal amount of beauty and pleasure in one’s life, and nothing more. Wilde’s Dorian Gray appears, at first glance, to promote this philosophy unequivocally. Indeed, a lifestyle based on this aestheticism is espoused in Wilde’s opening preface as well as throughout Lord Henry’s professorial lectures. Upon closer inspection, however, Wilde’s novel is not as wholly embracing of aestheticism as this implies. Wilde realized and depicted in the life of Dorian Gray, a need for a more controlled and deliberate approach to aestheticism, without which morality will inevitably be elusive. The adoption of unrestrained aestheticism, as exhibited by Dorian, results in a lack of remorse, self-absorption, and intellectual regression. For the sake of preserving morality, a concept proven incompatible with pure aestheticism, more deliberation is necessary from the aesthete in deciding upon action. If, in the pursuit of one’s desires and of the beautiful aspects of life, the condition of others’ or of one’s own intellect is jeopardized, the enjoyment garnered must sometimes be sacrificed for the greater good. As Wilde makes clear, it is only through a more restrained philosophy that aestheticism and morality may eventually align.

Works Cited

Arnold, Matthew. “Culture and Anarchy.” The Picture of Dorian Gray . Ed. Andrew Elfenbein. NY: Pearson Longman, 2007. 276–279.

Becker-Leckrone, Megan. “Oscar Wilde (1854–1900): Aesthetic and Criticism.” The Continuum Encyclopedia of Modern Criticism and Theory 20 (2002): 658–665.

Craft, Christopher. “Come See About Me: Enchantment of the Double in The Picture of Dorian Gray .” Representations 91 (2005): 109–136.

Matsuoka, Mitsuharu. “Aestheticism and Social Anxiety in The Picture of Dorian Gray. ” Journal of Aesthetic Education 29 (2003): 77–100.

Pearce, Joseph. The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde . NY: Ignatius Press, 2004.

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray . Ed. Andrew Elfenbein. NY: Pearson Longman, 2007.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

By oscar wilde, the picture of dorian gray study guide.

The Picture of Dorian Gray , Oscar Wilde 's first and only novel, is a faustian story of a man who trades the purity of his soul for undying youth. It was written in 1889 and first published in the literary magazine Lippincott's Monthly in July, 1890 (Drew ix). This was a shorter version, without the preface or chapters 3, 5, or 15-18, which were added for later publication in 1891. These additional chapters, which are now indespensible aspects of the work, introduce the character of James Vane , the vengeful brother of one of the victims of Dorian's many careless affairs. At the time it was published, the novel elicited a sensational amount of negative criticism, with detractors condemning its homosexual undertones and seeming embrace of hedonistic values. The preface was written as a response to the unkind critics of the first edition, blaming them for failing to grasp Wilde's belief that art should be appreciated on purely aesthetic terms, without consideration of morality.

The central idea behind Wilde's reinterpretation of the Faust myth appeared several years before he began writing the novel, in the form of a spoken tale that the author would tell to friends, especially young admirers. Wilde was well aware of the story's debt to older tales of selling one's soul, youth, beauty, and power, freely admitting that it was a notion "that is old in the history of literature, but to which I have given a new form" (Drew xiv). This "new form" brings the idea of duplicity, of leading a double life, to the forefront of the tale, a theme that is much more dominant in Dorian Gray than it is in Marlowe's Doctor Faustus or Goethe's Faust , which is a typical characteristic of Wilde's work. This theme is explicitly explored, for instance, in the author's most celebrated play, The Importance of Being Earnest .

As Wilde's notoriety grew, mainly as a result of this novel's infamy, his enemies continued to use the homosexual undertones and seemingly immoral hedonistic values of Dorian Gray as an argument against his character. Such criticisms continued throughout his ruinous court appearances in 1895. At the time, any sort of homosexual act was a serious criminal offense in England. The first published version of the book from Lippincott's Monthly contained much more obvious allusions to physical love between Dorian and Lord Henry, and Dorian and Basil. Wilde had made a point of reducing these references in the revision, but the original version of the novel provided much fuel for his opponents' arguments.

After the trials, Wilde was briefly imprisoned, and his literary career never recovered. He moved to the European mainland and lived under an assumed name until his death, in a Paris hotel, in 1900. Wilde cited this novel as being primarily responsible for his ruin, speaking of "the note of Doom that like a purple thread runs through the cold cloth of Dorian Gray " (Drew xxvii). Only decades after Wilde's death would the work truly become respected as a literary masterpiece.

Despite the critical preoccupation with the book's seeming approval of alternative lifestyles, Dorian Gray is a novel that offers much more to both intellectual and artistically sensitive readers. It is primarily concerned with examining the complex relationships between life, art, beauty, and sin, while presenting a compellingly cynical portriat of high society life in Victorian-era London. It examines the role of art in social and personal life while warning against - despite Wilde's claims of artistic amorality - the dangers of unchecked vanity and superficiality.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Picture of Dorian Gray is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why is James worried about his sister's suitor?

James is very jealous, protective of his sister, and suspicious of the situation, since Sibyl doesn't even seem to know her suitor's name.

picture of dorian gray

I think that Basil knows what Henry is capable. He doesn't want Henry's influence to turn Dorian from good to evil.

List all the sensory experiences mentioned in the first two paragraphs.

From the text:

The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses , and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac , or the more delicate perfume of the...

Study Guide for The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray study guide contains a biography of Oscar Wilde, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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Essays for The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

• Morality and Immorality (The Picture of Dorian Gray and A Streetcar Named Desire)
• The Life of Secrecy
• Break On Through To the Other Side
• The Art of Immorality: Character Fate and Morality in Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray
• The Unconscious Image of the Conscious Mind

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The Picture of Dorian Gray e-text contains the full text of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

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The Mortality of Beauty and Youth

The trouble starts when Henry warns Dorian that his extraordinary beauty and youth will fade, and tells him to make the most of it. Dorian’s beauty is such that people are astonished by it and all of his advantages seem to come from it, even if he has got an interesting personality and wealth. With Henry’s words ringing in his ears, Dorian immediately views Basil ’s portrait of him in a new light. Rather than…

Surfaces, Objects and Appearances

Beauty is skin-deep in Dorian ’s circle of friends. He is welcomed and adored because of his beautiful appearance and even when his sins ruin lives, he always has a certain power because of his attractiveness. Dorian is at his peak when he is unaware of his own beauty, but when conscious of it, his life becomes about surface and appearance. His taste for fashion grows; he loves tapestries and jewels, very flat, decorative objects.

Art and the Imitation of Life

The novel opens with a theory of the purpose of art, which Wilde reasons out until he reaches that “all art is quite useless”. Whether or not this is some kind of warning from the narrator, we as readers don’t know, but what follows certainly seems to illustrate his point. It presents art in many forms and the danger of it when it is taken too literally or believed too deeply. It starts with a…

The power of one to affect another is a theme that pervades the novel. At first, Basil is influenced by his model Dorian . On a personal level, he is confused and changed by his romantic feelings, but Dorian’s influence is also more far-reaching, actually seeming to change Basil's ability for painting, and to change the painting itself in an almost supernatural way. Influence here describes an almost chemical change that one can assign to…

Women and Men

Lord Henry ’s philosophies frequently criticize women and marriage, and the era of Dorian Gray ’s London society, and indeed Oscar Wilde’s, becomes vivid to us in his dialogue. He says that women are a “decorative sex”, and that there are always only a few worth talking to. We see his marriage with Lady Victoria Wotton as a very separate affair, both parties leading distinct lives and meeting the other occasionally. When Victoria leaves him…

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A Comparison of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "Catcher in The Rye"

A banned book results in censorship of a work and prohibits the freedom to read under the circumstance that it is unorthodox. This banning portrays the book as inappropriate to society. There have been many books viewed as this way throughout history. However, it still seems to reach people as time progresses. Each era has different views on censorship and what should be censored. Two disputed novels, The Portrait of Dorian Gray and The Catcher in the Rye were both believed to be unconventional in their differing time periods as it questioned societal thinking. The diverging influences which both retain supplement the evolving eras and prove the differences that each have. The superficiality of society and how it impacts people are present in both Oscar Wilde’s, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and J.D. Salinger’s, The Catcher in the Rye as the prior demonstrates more focus on negative consequences of influences, while the latter focuses on alienation but both are controversial as they are considered as immoral.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde was published in 1890, during this time period there was an insurgence of industrialization that produced benefits and consequences that affected every aspect of life. Within the nineteenth century the “Industrial Revolution began to accelerate and spread” (Buzan and Lawson) throughout the world. Because of this growth in production and manufacturing, “global trade increased twenty-five times over” (Buzan and Lawson) which contributed to more communication between countries and the spread of goods and ideas throughout the world. Along with this trade came “industrialization, mass politics, infrastructural developments, and nationalism” (Buzan and Lawson) that greatly shaped the nineteenth century. As well as late nineteenth century ideologies that shifted “from liberalism to socialism” and the “improvement of the human condition” (Buzan and Lawson) all contributing to the unique literary period the novel was written.

The late Victorian Era in which The Picture of Dorian Gray was written includes key elements of the era and the counterculture that challenged society. This time period was very conservative and proper with a “taste for luxury, ostentation, and outward show” (Stern). Victorian culture also included much of “sexual constraint” (Peckham), therefore the immorality of Victorian Counterculture shocked the public. Counterculture is defined by “an effort to change by negation and inversion the conventionalized instructions” (Peckham). The Picture of Dorian Gray was considered dangerous as it went against Victorian Era norm and included homosexual suggestions and negative influences that proved immoral.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was written in 1951 during a time in which turmoil and unrest had ended and reformation begins. World War II finally came to the end six year prior in which the Allies defeated the Axis powers in what is considered the deadliest war in the history of humanity. The war was a tumultuous time that left the world in pieces and affected many authors and their literary works, as one can imagine. During the mid-twentieth century there were many “civil liberties gains” (Cushman), such as the fight for African American rights and integration of the colored people in schools, transportation, jobs, etc., instead of the prior segregation. The twentieth century also “combat communism and disloyalty” (Cushman) as people pushed for freedom and equality. This time period was full of strides towards better treatment of all peoples and the fight for human beings, no matter their skin color, in addition to the transforming literary world.

The Catcher in the Rye is considered a Bildungsroman in some elements as it follows the story of a young boy finding his purpose in the world but also includes a level of immorality in which society at the time banned the novel for. A bildungsroman can be defined as “a novel that educated by portraying an education” (Gottfried and Miles), however the the novel, the main character runs away from various schools as he does not want an education. This genre also includes “self-questioning, self-awareness, and self-consciousness” (Gottfried and Miles) which is something the main character does often through inner dialogue. As “bildungsroman concentrates on actions, thoughts, and reflections equally” (Gottfried and Miles) it gives insight into a teenage boy’s mind that unfortunately led to the banning of The Catcher in the Rye for some time because it included unsavory language and negative and sexual influences that concerned society.

The superficial society is portrayed in both novels as the main characters focus on appearance and problems they face with humanity. Dorian Gray in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde states that “when I find that I am growing old I shall kill myself” (Wilde 29) because when he grows old he will no longer be beautiful and beauty is held in high regard during this time. Society centers on appearance as beauty is considered art and art is beautiful. They view Dorian Gray as beautiful so society doesn’t question his corruption and negative influences. These compliments to his appearance is encouraging to “his own beauty” and “the corruption of his own soul” (Wilde 131) therefore as Dorian Gray focuses more on his appearances, his own soul deteriorates. Every corrupt deed he performs appears in his grotesque portrait while his own beautiful appearance remains untouched further suggesting the superficiality of society.

Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger also views society as superficial as he calls everyone a “phony” throughout the length of the novel. Holden exposes his roommate saying that “he always looked good when he was finished fixing himself up, but was a secret slob” (Salinger 15). He accuses his roommate for focusing too much on his appearance while calling him out for being a hypocrite and phony which Holden deeply despises. Holden also states that his boys’ school is “full of phonies” in which all they do is study to make money and join the football team while drinking and having sex everyday and always in their “dirty little goddam cliques” (Salinger 70). He hates society for focusing on superficial things and reveals their phoniness in his inner dialogue. Both Dorian Gray and Holden Caulfield recognize the superficiality of society, while Dorian seems to go along with it as he is accepted because of his beautiful appearance, Holden despises that very fact and accuses all of being a phony.

The Picture of Dorian Gray focuses more on the negative consequences that influence brings about and how Dorian falls prey to them. In the beginning of the novel there is foreshadowing as Basil warns Lord Henry not to influence Dorian Gray because his “influence would be bad” (Wilde 16) but Lord Henry argues that “all influence is immoral” (Wilde 19) thus starting a reaction that leads to the downfall of Dorian Gray. Throughout the novel Dorian progresses into corruption as each bad deed he does is revealed in his portrait. The ugliness of his soul is demonstrated in secret while his outward appearance remains beautiful.

Dorian Gray speaks to Lord Henry, saying “it was a poisonous book” (Wilde 129) that Lord Henry had given him in which influences Dorian to act immorally and influence others to do the same and “abandon himself to their subtle influences” (Wilde 135) that led to his own destruction. The corrupting influences leads Dorian Gray to live an immoral life and their superficial society encourages him as they compliment his captivating appearance and disregard any sense of his corruption.

On the other hand, The Catcher in the Rye focuses more on the alienation that Holden Caulfield surrounds himself as he fears change and uses it as a a form of self protection. Throughout the novel, Holden is continuously changing schools, which contributes to his feelings of alienation as he strays for societal norm. At one point, Holden visits a museum in which he compares his feelings to as “everything always stayed right where it was” (Salinger 65) and reveals his fear of change and him wanting everything to just stay as it were. Holden also shares a piece of advice to not “tell nobody anything” because “if you do, you start missing everybody” (Salinger 115). This demonstrates the reason behind Holden’s alienation and using it as protection.

One of Holden’s teachers tell him that “many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now” (Salinger 102), as he tries to convince Holden that education is important because he won’t be alone. This proves that Holden’s actions have been suggested as immoral as he does not want to attend school and hates all those for being phonies and uses excessive curse words that society views inappropriate.

The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Catcher in the Rye present immoral ideas of their respective time period as the former twisted art and ethics into darkness that disturbed society while the latter uses excessive curse words and suggestions that shocked the public. The Picture of Dorian Gray was written in a period in which beauty and aestheticism was greatly appreciated and art considered to be everything that was moral and should be followed. Therefore when Wilde made the assertion that “all art is quite useless” (Wilde 2) it went against the values of society and dejected art. Wilde also stated in his novel that “an artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing of his own life into them” (Wilde 13) which was another unpopular opinion that went against the morals and ideals of the era. Through this, he also asserted the superficiality of society and art furthering the immorality of his novel, especially among the higher class. Along with poisonous and suggestive influences, The Picture of Dorian Gray was considered immoral in the eyes of aristocrats and labeled as a dangerous book.

The Catcher in the Rye is similar as it is considered to be a banned book that was confiscated from many schools for its immoral aspects. The novel contains many instances of smoking, alcohol, sex, and profanity therefore deeming it inappropriate for young audiences. Holden’s language is considered vulgar and his influences as corrupt. Holden says “I’m quite a heavy smoker” (Salinger 3) in the beginning of the novel which is unacceptable as he is only 16 years old. Holden also starts a fight with his roommate and thinks to himself that he might “split his goddam throat open” (Salinger 24) which demonstrates his violence and use of God’s name in vain excessively throughout the whole novel. Holden even seems to be obsessed with sex and speaks about it repeatedly as he even asks someone “how’s your sex life?” (Salinger 77).

All these immoral references led to the banning of this book from many schools in the country. Though both these novels were written in varying time periods they are both considered immoral and unacceptable to society. They were both very controversial for many reasons and reveals the similarities the literary pieces share and the differences of influences and interpretations between time.

The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Catcher in the Rye are considered immoral in different ways and were both shunned by society but now considered great literary works that are integrated into school curriculum. In an article, History and Morality, the author addresses that evil is “a necessary life force” and that there is a “necessity of sinning in order to realize the full depths of the human soul” (Mazlish). The Picture of Dorian Gray presents importance as it portrays the inner struggles of a man and his appearance and provides a cautionary tale that there is more underneath the surface.

The novel also depicts the power that art possesses as there is depth to what may seem shallow. The Catcher in the Rye is important to American literature as well as it provides a character that teenagers can relate to and brings to mind new ideas of youth after the war. It also focuses on the development of Holden Caulfield’s character as he is learning to accept the fact that he is growing up.

Many teenagers can relate to the rebellious story that Holden Caulfield tells which was not common during the mid-twentieth century. Furthermore, Oscar Wilde even prefaces The Picture of Dorian Gray, stating that “there is no such thing as a moral or immoral book” (Wilde 1). Therefore one cannot judge a work of literature on the basis that it is moral or not because of the subjectivity of that definition. Wilde also states that “diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital” (Wilde 2). At that time society was shocked by the corruptness the novels contained. As time progresses it reveals that these novels hold great importance in the literary world as they are now considered great works that transcend time.

Morality involves discerning between what is right and wrong. As history progresses, however, the ideas of ethics and morality varies. The world is ever changing and so are opinions and ideals. The line between right and wrong is skewed based on perspective. Good and bad is subjective and reliant on the time period in which it is assessed. For example, the Victorian Era is greatly conservative with concentration on appearance and social class.

The Picture of Dorian Gray challenged these views as it included many corrupting influences and alternative perspectives to art as Dorian Gray is considered beautiful but his portrait is revealing of his ugly soul. On the other hand, the twentieth century gave rise to more freedoms and equality to all peoples and less focus on social rankings.

However, The Catcher in the Rye produced much profanity, alcohol abuse, and sexual influences considered most unsuitable to teenagers. Now in the present day, these two novels are literary works taught throughout the world. Though both were deemed dangerous at the time it was written, it now serves as a teaching tool that demonstrates evolution of society and literature. Therefore as time changes, so does societal ideals.

Works Cited

• Buzan, Barry, and George Lawson. ‘The Global Transformation: The Nineteenth Century and the Making of Modern International Relations.’ International Studies Quarterly, vol. 57, no. 3, Sept. 2013, pp. 620-34. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24017929.
• Cushman, Robert E. ‘American Civil Liberties in Mid-Twentieth Century.’ The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 275, May 1951, pp. 1-8. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1028186.
• Gottfried, Marianne H., and David H. Miles. ‘Defining Bildungsroman as a Genre.’ PMLA, vol. 91, no. 1, Jan. 1976, pp. 122-23. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/461404.
• Mazlish, Bruce. ‘History and Morality.’ The Journal of Philosophy, Inc., vol. 55, no. 6, 13 Mar. 1958, pp. 230-40. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2022420.
• Peckham, Morse. ‘Victorian Counterculture.’ Victorian Studies, vol. 18, no. 3, Mar. 1975, pp. 257-76. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3826644.
• Rose, Arnold M. ‘The Problem of a Mass Society.’ The Antioch Review, vol. 10, no. 3, 1950, pp. 378-94. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4609433.
• Salinger, Jerome D. The Catcher in the Rye. Penguin Books, 1994.
• Stern, Rebecca F. ‘Gothic Light: Vision and Visibility in the Victorian Novel.’ South Central Review, vol. 11, no. 4, 1994, pp. 26-39. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3190112.
• Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York, Barnes & Noble Books, 2003.

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