The Morality of "The Picture of Dorian Gray"

Today in class we discussed some very interesting central themes in The Picture of Dorian Gray buy Oscar Wilde. Among them was the topic of morality, the question of whether or not the book was moral or immoral in itself, and whether or not the book had a message to the reader about morality. As Oscar Wilde himself said, a book is neither moral nor immoral. I'm not sure that is true. I wouldn't call The Picture of Dorian Gray an immoral book, as it does not condone the actions of Dorian or give him a happy ending.


As Riley and I discussed in our presentation today, the book reads somewhat like a fairy tale in that it contains metaphors and magic. The painting is a metaphor for and a physical manifestation of Dorian's soul. It transforms based on Dorian's deeds and started doing so because of a wish that Dorian made early in the book. The story shows that our deeds cumulatively represent who we are--we are what we do. It also sends the message that outward appearance does not equal inward reality, and that doing the right thing for the wrong reason is akin to doing the wrong thing anyway. I think that the book sends a strong moral message that one's actions not only impact others, but leave permanent marks on one's soul.


I found it interesting that the story's premise was so similar to that of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll has Hyde, a second self, to absorb all the evil that Jekyll would otherwise commit. The difference is that Dorian is committing the evil, and the painting is absorbing the effects. The idea of detaching oneself from the evil that one has committed is an interesting and prevalent theme in literature. The guilt of the crimes, while it does not show on his face, torments Dorian until he snaps. I think that the story is saying that guilt can poison a person and that the best way out of that is to simply not commit heinous acts.

Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock

 

The story of Sherlock Holmes was first published in 1887, but the story continues to resurface throughout history and did again in today’s culture. BBC created a TV series called “Sherlock” that was released in 2010. After its release it became an immediate success. During an interview of the cast (linked below), it is revealed that during its third season it is the most popular show on television, it is watched by people all around the world including 20 million people in China. In summary the “brilliantly dark” show has become a cultural phenomenon. The co creator of the show Stephen Loffet said that it was very surprising that the series gained popularity. He said, “Series don’t do this. It’s a common myth that series grow. Hit series start high and drift down, so it’s extraordinary that Sherlock is drifting up.”

This show, with Sherlock being the main character, leads me to assume that today’s culture favors the Byronic hero. The Byronic hero continues to show up in some of today’s most popular television shows such as the arrow, batman, kick ass, and more. The question that this raises for me is: why has this story line in particular become so widely hero so preferred in today culture?  

The classic Byronic hero is arrogant, lives in a state of relative isolation or is a wanderer, broods over misdeeds, is charismatic, self-destructive, and is generally a misunderstood outcast from society. Lady Caroline Lamb uses the phrase “mad, bad, and dangerous to know” to describe Lord Byron, who was a Byronic hero of his own time.

My own personal opinion is that this “new” obsession with Sherlock is due a revived obsession with Byronic hero’s, but rather it just shows that people like Sherlock more than other Byronic heroes. Of course, credit must also be given to the writers and the actors of the show, but people seem to love mystery. Not only does Sherlock’s character provide a sense of mystery, but his profession of detective provides even more of a sense of mystery. This obsession with mystery may be driven by society’s obsession with problem solving and logical deduction.

The revival of Sherlock Holmes suggests to me that the reason this story line in particular become so widely hero so preferred in today culture has to do with their appreciation of dark humor and great writing and acting and the scientific mindset of today’s society.  

https://youtu.be/JPOTGibC3eI