LITERATURĂ ŞI INTERCULTURALITATE ______CZU 821.111.09

DORIAN GRAY’S SYNDROME

Dorin GANDRABUR Christian University “Dimitrie Cantemir”, Bucharest, Romania

In the article The Dorian Gray Syndrome the author is analyzing the image of a Dandy and of course the Dorian Gray Syndrome. The author starts with telling us that the protagonists of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray are looking for pleasure in all aspects of life. This results in the protagonists leading bad lifestyles which include drugs, sex and even murder. They try to find the pleasure of beauty as they think that it is the most important thing in life. Throughout the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian's perspective of the world becomes solely aesthetic and he feels the increasing need to surround himself with objects of beauty. Aestheticism states that there is nothing wrong with materialism but problems arise when it replaces spiritualism. A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies. Dandyism is a man’s weapon of seduction, thus the author continues the article by reinforcing masculinity in The Picture of Dorian Gray. He notices that Dorian Gray’s narcissism is the main feature of his masculinity. The need to review his beauty and youth, impress it to audience and proof it is almost surreal as an unimaginable lust for beauty and masculinity due to the fact that he is a great charmer and possesses an impressive charismatic aura. As a conclusion the author ended his article by stating that the Dandy sees that beauty exists in evil and evil produces beauty. This is close to denying the relationship between art and morality, and it involves а radical re-аppreciаtion of the aesthetic and meaning of evil. This is the reason why Victorian people considered it the dark side of the perfect, wealthy, and modest empire. Keywords: Dandy, Dorian Gray Syndrome, masculinity, Victorian, Dorian Gray, narcissism.

Dorian Gray lived a decadent life. Throughout the novel, Dorian's perspective of the world becomes solely aesthetic and he feels the increasing need to surround himself with objects of beauty. Aestheticism states that there is nothing wrong with materialism but problems arise when it replaces spiritualism. Dorian becomes emotionally detached from his experiences and views his life as a spectator. Under the influence of Lord Henry, he believed that he served no purpose but to be beautiful and ended up destroying himself because he only recognized a single aspect of himself. Later in the novel, Dorian tells Henry that the book that he lent to him was poisonous and harmful and this is opposite of Dorian's previously aesthetic views which say that art is sterile and it does not intend to influence people. A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies. The protagonists of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray are looking for pleasure in all aspects of life. This results in the protagonists leading bad lifestyles which include drugs, sex and even murder. They try to find the pleasure of beauty as they think that it is the most important thing in life. This double life was in accord with the Victorian era in which he lived, and also with a philosophy that pleasures are most pleasant when they are private. No sin is as seductive as the secret sin. There is reason to believe that Wilde would ______291

INTERTEXT 3-4, 2015 ______have recoiled at the tendency to wear one’s sexuality upon one’s sleeve-as many do today-instead of making such inner desires the substance of subtle, furtive gratifications. “Illusion”, as he famously quoted, is the first of all pleasures.1 The narcissist point of view, the fact that he indulges himself with immortality and beauty and the sexism that Dorian Gray possessed right after one’s “birth in the flames of hell” formed the Dorian Gray Syndrome as its known today and from now on. A need for reinforcing everlasting masculinity/virility, men need seduction because of the Dorian Gray Syndrome - Is there redemption from it?

Reinforcing masculinity in The Picture of Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray’s narcissism is the main feature of his masculinity. The need to review his beauty and youth, impress it to audience and proof it is almost surreal as a unimaginable lust for beauty and masculinity due to the fact that he is a great charmer and possesses an impressive charismatic aura. Dorian exhibit narcissistic tendencies throughout the novel and it could be argued that his narcissism both stems and is encouraged by Lord Henry. However, while Lord Henry may be the cause of Dorian’s narcissism, his narcissism is far less destructive than Dorian’s. Lord Henry’s narcissism stems from his obsession with youth, beauty, wit, and intelligence, much like Oscar Wilde. It could be argued that Lord Henry is modeled after Wilde himself, as he is both witty and charming, and becomes a sort of mentor to Dorian much like Wilde. In chapter one Lord Henry defines his narcissism through his statement: “I make a great difference between people. I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellect […]. They are all men of some intellectual power, and consequently they all appreciate me. Is that very vain of me? I think it’s rather vain.” 2 Dorian’s narcissism is the ultimate cause of his demise. He is cold-hearted and calculating, and only cares about himself. He is very much modeled after Narcissus, the character in Greek mythology that the term “narcissism” is derived from. Dorian is both young and beautiful, traits that were highly valued by Victorian society, though he doesn’t seem aware of his beauty until after he sees his portrait painted by Basil when the sense of his own beauty came on him like a revelation. He had never felt it before.3 After he becomes aware of his beauty he uses it to his advantage, through the help and encouragement of Lord Henry. While Dorian differs from Narcissus in that he at one point did love Sybil, his love is based off shallow traits; her intellect, beauty, and genius. Dorian’s rejection leads Sybil to commit suicide, similar to Echo who fades into nothingness. In the myth, Nemesis, the goddess of revenge, hears of Narcissus’ cold- hearted rejection of Echo and decides to punish him. His punishment is that he falls in love with his own reflection, that he sees in a pool. Narcissus eventually kills himself because he cannot obtain the object of his desire. Similarly, Dorian is obsessed with his portrait, one could argue that he is in love with the image of himself, as he constantly looks at it and checks on it; as the image begins to deteriorate Dorian begins to despair and attempts to be “good” in order to reverse the deterioration. When his attempts to be good do not alter the portrait he tries to

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LITERATURĂ ŞI INTERCULTURALITATE ______destroy it, ultimately killing himself. Like Narcissus, Dorian’s obsession with the image of himself is the cause of his death, as well as the death of Sybil. As a respectable Baron, Geert von Innstetten desires a mature and educated wife, so he molds Effi Briest the way he expects a wife to be, becoming an object of pride. The moment Innstetten finds out about the exchange of love letters between Crampas and Effi, his masculinity and pride starts deteriorating, therefore he challenges Major von Crampas to a duel, in which he regains his masculinity back, by killing his wife’s lover. To completely reinforce his masculinity and wash his shame away, he casts Effi Briest away from his life and puts all the shame upon her, for committing adultery.

Redemption of Dorian Gray

In “The Portrait of Dorian Gray”, Dorian offers his soul in exchange for a youthful appearance. After admiring the beauty of his features in a portrait Dorian makes a frivolous statement, If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that--for that--I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!4 Dorian’s wish comes true. Dorian's picture grows aged, vile, and corrupt while he continues to appear fresh and innocent down through the years. Dorian became involved in the death of Sybil, a young woman who committed suicide after he cast her aside. Dorian knew that he was responsible for Sybil’s death, as surely as if I had cut her little throat with a knife,5 and his lack of remorse began his downward spiral into hell. Although his soul begins to corrupt, he is surprised to find no difference in his vision or surroundings. The roses are not less lovely for all that. The birds sing just as happily in my garden. Everything appeared to remain as it was; yet, a profound change had taken place in his soul. Over the years Dorian continued to live a life of sin and perversion, including the murder of the artist who painted his portrait, and yet, his outward appearance never changed. The effects of his lifestyle were captured on the portrait, which he had hidden in his boyhood study. The portrait changed over the years, at first imperceptibly, then more and more dramatically, as he continued his life of debauchery and murder. Dorian realized that the changes in the portrait mirrored the changes in his soul. Finally, after many years, the portrait was hideous and grotesque beyond imagination! Dorian realized that the painting was an indictment of his life and sought to destroy it. At the end, Dorian uses the knife he used to murder to destroy the painting and as he plunged the knife into the heart of the portrait, he mortally wounded himself. Dorian is found “withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of visage6 with a knife in his heart, and the portrait is found in its original state. The redemption of Dorian Gray is the desired outcome. Dorian hopes for redemption at the moment of his death and gains inner peace right before he dies with the price of his own life.

Conclusion

The dandy sees that beauty exists in evil and evil produces beauty. This is close to denying the relationship between art and morality, and it involves а radical

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INTERTEXT 3-4, 2015 ______re-appreciation of the aesthetic and meaning of evil. This is the reason why Victorian people considered it the dark side of the perfect, wealthy, and modest empire.

Notes ______

1 Manis, Jim. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. The Electronic Classics Series, Hazleton: PSU Hazleton, 2006, p. 10. 2 ibidem. 3 ibidem, p. 25. 4 ibidem, p. 26. 5 ibidem, p. 89. 6 ibidem, p. 197. Bibliographical References

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