Dorian Gray, mirrors and the Doppelgänger Syndrome: "Identifying Dorian Gray as an Aesthetic Vampire" F.Th.H. Kleinhoven, A6v5 Winter 2015
Introduction ’The Picture of Dorian Gray’, is the only novel ever written by Oscar Wilde. It is captivating on several levels. I shall try to deplore how Dorian Gray can be defined as a psychoanalytical aesthetic Vampire. Briefly summarised, Wilde’s novel is in short about a young – little aspiring – inheritably rich fellow. His name is Dorian Gray. Dorian is wounded and quite literally scarred by his history at his supposed grandfather’s city mansion. He is procured by his acquaintance Basil Hallward for a ’portrait’ of himself to hang in the Great Hall of his patrimonial home. Basil’s friend (Lord Henry, or simply ’Harry’) talks the clean, virginal, but mostly pure Dorian into craving a life of enjoyments and extravagance. Dorian wishes the painting bear the scars of life instead of he himself – notwithstanding the potential consequences. His wish is granted. Dorian has not aged for over fifty years after he left, but the scars of life are visible from within his spirit.
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Aestheticism
The first sign of plain aestheticism1 as according to psychoanalysis is to be found in the book Dorian is given by Harry. It is the infamous yellow book[let] from Normandy. According to commonplace contemporary rumour, it was a obliquely veiled reference to J.K. Huysmans’ ’À Rebours’2 , which was doubtlessly one of the most important aesthetic novels of the era when decadence and cravings ruled the literary world. Dorian becomes obsessed with this work. Like Dorian 1 *)
Aestheticism is the Artistic Movement which advocates that art is simply about beauty and aesthetic qualities (late 18th century) instead of the religious principles and references it had to represent in earlier ages. Among others, the great Italians were specifically what they did not seek in classical works of art. 2 Anon. (Last update: 2015). ’The Picture of Dorian Gray: "The Yellow Book" - Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory’. Consulted on October 19, 2015, http://www.shmoop.com/picturedorian-gray/yellow-book-symbol.html.
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himself; the protagonist was bequeathed a sizeable fortune. They are both concurrently preoccupied with everything they cán possibly accomplish to get the most ’aesthetic’ experiences out of life. Dorian sees this plot as a reflection of what his own life is lacking, as loudly whispered by Harry. Henceforth, the yellow book represents Harry’s toxic influence on Dorian’s purity. What logically comes pursuant of this radical change in Dorian’s deposition as to life; is a life of colloquial, decadent means. Even in late 19th century England, people were fond of these hedonistic ways. Dorian seeks a life which sustains theatrical drama such as in the operas!3 with scandalous love affairs and spectacles in a kind of ’landscape’. All he seems to care about, are luxuriant, sensual (and too sexual) forms of corporal pleasure.
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Parallels
In order to find a solid ground for identifying Dorian as an aesthetic ’vampire’ or doppelgänger (like Dracula), we should first analyse who exactly Dracula is himself. As Stephen Fry (1998) frankly remarked, such a character is the "visible personification of absolute perfection"... He is only concerned with the persistence of his own youthfulness. Every few nights, after ’dinner’, he goes to rest in his coffin to awake anew – as though resurrected. For Dorian Gray, the aesthetic experiences of quintessence he seeks, are commensurable to the blood Dracula craves4 – characters such as Sibyl Vane and Basil Hallward, who are consumed by Dorian’s rampaging, are even comparable to some of the ’friends’, that find perishing in their rapports with ’Dracula’. It is here that mirrors play a significant role, according to the Upyr legends (the eldest [Belarussian] vampiric myths)5 , Vampires cannot stand mirrors. In ’Dorian Gray’, the references to Upyrism are abundant; Dorian’s inability to beget what Harry wanted for him – which is naturally a life full of exuberant pleasures –, bears a fearful resemblance with Wilde’s own life – and fall (consider section 3). The aestheticism6 reaches far deeper than mere damnation of the utterly beautiful protagonist7 . The mirrors placed throughout the constel3 **)
In Renaissance Italy, operas were theatrical representations of the extravagance and decadence people of the lower classes desired to be able to be a part of. Another instance of Wilde’s keen sense for symbolism. 4 Anderson, M.R. (2008). ’Wilde’s Dorian Gray as Aesthetic Vampire’. Mississippi, POMPA. 5 ***) ’/Upyr/’ is basically the Slavic term for ’Vampire’, was first described as solely a mythical being that feeds on human blood. It was only when the original Dracula myths prevailed that vampires became known for their mythical, superhuman and often supernatural powers. In later folkloric versions they became undead and able to transform into different form-factors – they wreaked havoc and endowed their wrath upon anyone who might come in their way. These Greek and Romanian rehabilitations only managed to purport hysteria throughout those parts of Europe. In the West the Vampire may have grown undead, but for Dorian’s sake the original term of ’Upyr’ is more than júst applicable. 6 Aestheticism can be defined best as the world view which tells us that art is simply about beauty, and the ’fact’ that it should not attribute anything to society or education. 7 Dickson, D.R. (1983). ’ "In a mirror that mirrors the soul": Masks and Mirrors in Dorian Gray’. Texas A & M University. pp.5-15.
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lations represent the reflections of each character’s wretched masks and inherent corruptibility – a world view Wilde had grown to appreciate. Harry’s decadent and arrogant mannerisms represent Dorian’s fear of losing; his fear of not being able to be what he deems hís environs need him to be. This is further exemplified by the countless instances of sexual objectivism (and sensual materialism). The rather plain morale here, is what concededly parred most contemporary readers. The novel arguably lacks the classical Victorian ideals of "sincerity" (Karl Beckson), such as we find in Dickens’ work. Wilde after all takes a radically adverse approach as he seeks to point out Dorian’s role as martyr, and at the exact same time as a ’public’ sinner. Dorian sees in himself the visible reflection of suffering and a desperate requisite for hope for better times. No writer of the Decadent Movements was really ever able to fully achieve their sperations of aestheticism and extravagance. "The parablelike simplicity and the rather painful remorselessness of its concluding chapters have made it possible for readers to underestimate the subtlety of ’The Picture of Dorian Gray’." (J.C. Oates, 1980). Funnily and contrariwise to the previous three paragraphs, ’The Picture of Dorian Gray’ appears to be as transparent as ány medieval allegory – yet it is even so enigmatic, more than the parable of Marlowe’s ’Dr. Faustus’ (ánd Goethe’s ’Faust’ for that matter). Dorian’s dishonoured exile underlined Wilde’s own need for discretion such as to conceal the implications of the book for his own homosexuality (the enactment of Basil with Dorian before he was killed). It was not this however what got Wilde himself imprisoned (Joyce). The book itself is furthermore full of epigrams to elude the generally accepted conclusion!8 There are numerous indications of Christian Guilt, one of Wilde’s epigrams. More recently, academic revolution has put pressure on the classical Christian constructivist view9 of human nature. After all, this view straight contradicts the generally accepted Darwinian ’idéal’ that the human race. Like any other animal species, is genetically programmed for solely one purpose, which is to survive. The social sciences of which Wilde was favourable looked upon this argument quite differently – a ’scientific’ account would not always be able to give a complete explication of human emotion and nature. Here we have it, Dracula appears to be cold-hearted and uncaring, but seemingly does crave an intimate rapport with his victim – he spends time with them before ’concluding their business’10 . Sexual deviance was a complicated query during the late Victorian Ages. As Michel Foucault pointed out, the forbiddenness of this was quite commonly 8 Oates,
J.C. (1980). ’ "The Picture of Dorian Gray": Wilde’s Parable of the Fall’. University of Chicago Press. pp.419-428. 9 ***) Constructivism (from the Latinised Russian: /’konstrúktivizêm/) is the conviction that all complicated structures should be broken apart and used to create new simplistic formations that are above all ’mobile’. This did not only radically influence art forms but also architecture and, suprisingly, Russian legislation after the 1920s. 10 Carroll, J. (2005). ’Aestheticism, Homoeroticism, and Christian Guilt in the Picture of Dorian Gray’. University of Missouri-Saint Louis. pp.286-304.
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prominent in Gothic and modernist novels. This was often done by enactments of character traits repressed by societal discourse; although, this would occur mainly among the lower classes11 . In ’Dorian Gray’ Wilde takes the initiative by subtly implementing characteristics of homoeroticism. In other novels, the Gothic aspect of the ’Supernatural’ is often distorted by its mirrored reality (take ’Frankenstein’ as an example). More concretely, Dorian’s painting withers away with time and does so by its scarredness of life (Wilde’s proper suffrage), bearing the traumatic past – strangely, it appears to be transient as well. The sudden shift in dogma and the realised connection with Catholicism (which is mirrored by Harry’s daughter) must in this context be grasped with an understanding of contemporary British society’s nonacceptance (O’Malley, 2008). Within the primary education of Irish monasteries (Wilde’s childhood), a normal domestic situation was taught precisely as the writing with the left hand: those which were both forlorn. One could imagine that a forced domesticity wrought quite enough anxiety. By way of his novel, Wilde found a way to exhibit his dark sides in a considerably honourable way. Here we find the doppelgänger syndrome: "Wilde simultaneously aestheticizes the Gothic and gothicizes the aesthetic" (Riquelme, 2000). Wilde essentially goes out and publicly recognises the terror that lay within beauty. No one is immune to madness and frenzy (Szasz). One’s darkness and one’s elegance and agility cannot go without each other – they are ever prevalent.12 The Christian view is that every individual have a ’dark side’ which they must battle throughout their existence – here we find the preliminary instance of Wilde’s sense of Christian Guilt. But how to free oneself of this angst? Wilde expresses these conflicted dualities within his work through literary devices such as the chiaroscuro of Basil’s painting combined with a convolution of enigmaticisms and obscurity – essentially a sort of crooked geometry. If we may assert the cartesian argument: Wilde impedes, the visual representations of imperfection but leaves these to the penseur’s mentale. As Harry fears for Dorian, we often do fear beauty is temporary and over before it is realised and used to its full potency. These realist representations of scepticism as to the reliability of our own knowledge and beliefs over our own sanity and intelligibility are often exerted as logically surprising, considering the rest of the plot. The excess of Harry’s life may show us, that this doubled fret is pretty much obsolete; hence the doppelgänger...
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A Quest for One’s Proper Identity
Wilde found out how his own character was right, Dorian had come to Harry for counsel upon his ’queer’ tendencies, and Harry had told him "there [was] no 11 Vanden Bossche, C.R. (2008). ’Review: Catholicism, Sexual Deviance, and Victorian Gothic Culture by Patrick R. O’Malley’. Paris, University of Notre Dame. pp.85-88. 12 Riquelme, J.P. (2000). ’Oscar Wilde’s Aesthetic Gothic. Walter Pater, Dark Enlightenment, and the Picture of Dorian Gray. MFS. pp.609-631.
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escape"13 . That was also the case for the lower middle classes as we pointed out before. During his trials however, Wilde expresses, that he never meant to encourage same-sex eroticism, but he only sought to elude any prudish and censorious depositions. Now let us try and discover how this unifies the theory and traits of Freud’s Doppelgänger Syndrome with Upyrism. Like Goethe’s ’Faust’, as mentioned before, Dorian is a character who seeks veritable carnal connections. Anything that is not suchlike is uninteresting and will bore him sooner rather than later. Dorian too has to cope with this struggle. He however, seems to never be able to quite find someone worthy of his respect or friendship. Now that we have become acquainted with the parable of ’The Picture of Dorian Gray’, we might deplore the meaning of the ’Narcissus’ Myth in this work. Narcissus was the actual "visible personification of absolute perfection" and really, beauty, the blind seer Tiresias came to Narcissus’ mother to notify her that her son would live a long life provided he would nèver recognise himself (Ovid, ’Metamorphoses III’). Narcissus falls amorous of the nymph Echo (hence the looking glasses), who does not answer his love, he is heartbroken, stranded in desperado, he finds himself walking along the shore-lines, and falls in love with his reflection the first time he sees it.14 In other words, Narcissus grows self-conscious. This is what broke Dorian’s innocent soul, as well. He was no longer benevolent of his own beauty – that was what made his personality as for Basil to adore. Dorian became a predatory surviver, his killings were for him in order to move on, again. His secret was threatened by the mirroring masks of his surrounding amities. Therefore, he had to prey on them!
Verdict Based on various different notions from Bram Stoker’s ’Dracula’, we were able to successfully prove how Wilde has implemented his views on psychology in his novel. The conclusion is that Dorian, after he meets Sybil Vane and after he has been beguiled by Harry’s philosophical spirals, becomes obsessed with his physique and his need to get the most out of life. To essentially live fore the sensual experiences he may get. Interestingly, from within this Faustian perspective we may assert Dorian’s imperfections, which are reflected in this factual picture of his. One should realise, after all, that Dorian quite facilely experiences every other event as we do15 – he needs the extra exuberance to silence his queer needs. He cares not for the bodies he might leave along the way – but if we think about it, that is not really important for his goal anyway. Dorian is thenceforth essentially an aesthetic vampire. As an Upyric one, he fears all mirrors that might menace his appearance. The masks (or roles) of the people surrounding him signify his fear of uncertainty and being discovered – 13 Arata, S. (1996). ’Fictions of Loss in the Victorian Fin de Siècle: Identity and Empire’. Cambridge University Press. pp.35, 57 & 71. 14 Anon. (unknown). ’Narcissus: Greek Mythology’. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Consulted on October 19, 2015, http://www.britannica.com/topic/Narcissus-Greek-mythology. 15 García, M. (2015). ’Cinematic Quests for Identity: The Hero’s Encounter with the Beast’. Rowman & Littlefield. pp.52-59 & 64.
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being ’known’. The people around him formed only a temporal circle of intimi. He was unable to let anyone fully touch him, not even Harry’s daughter. This is the Freudian doppelgänger syndrome. The basis for Freud’s psychoanalysis. Dorian Gray ís as such an aesthetic Vampire, or Upyr. The queries that should simply follow be: ’Are we not all in search of the best possible experience in life’ ? Do we not all crave absolute perfection and perpetual youthfulness? Do we not all require quintessential and unconditional love and mostly ardency?
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Bibliography • Anderson, M.R. (2008). ’Wilde’s Dorian Gray as Aesthetic Vampire’. Mississippi, POMPA; • Anon. (unknown). ’Narcissus: Greek Mythology’. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Consulted on October 19, 2015, http://www.britannica.com/topic/NarcissusGreek-mythology; • Anon. (Last update: 2015). ’The Picture of Dorian Gray: "The Yellow Book" - Symbol- ism, Imagery, Allegory’. Consulted on October 19, 2015, http://www.shmoop.com/picture- dorian-gray/yellow-book-symbol.html; • Arata, S. (1996). ’Fictions of Loss in the Victorian Fin de Siècle: Identity and Empire’. Cambridge University Press. pp.35, 57 & 71; • Carroll, J. (2005). ’Aestheticism, Homoeroticism, and Christian Guilt in the Picture of Dorian Gray’. University of Missouri-Saint Louis. pp.286304; • Dickson, D.R. (1983). ’ "In a mirror that mirrors the soul": Masks and Mirrors in Dorian Gray’. Texas A & M University. pp.5-15; • García, M. (2015). ’Cinematic Quests for Identity: The Hero’s Encounter with the Beast’. Rowman & Littlefield. pp.52-59 & 64; • Oates, J.C. (1980). ’ "The Picture of Dorian Gray": Wilde’s Parable of the Fall’. Uni- versity of Chicago Press. pp.419-428; • Riquelme, J.P. (2000). ’Oscar Wilde’s Aesthetic Gothic. Walter Pater, Dark Enlighten- ment, and the Picture of Dorian Gray. MFS. pp.609-631; • Vanden Bossche, C.R. (2008). ’Review: Catholicism, Sexual Deviance, and Victorian Gothic Culture by Patrick R. O’Malley’. Paris, University of Notre Dame. pp.85-88.
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