The Picture of Dorian Gray is a philosophical novel written by the Irish writer Oscar Wilde. It tells us that hedonism and amoral actions will eventually lead the tempted to decay and death without ever trying to tell it. Oscar Wilde wrote it without any moralistic intention due to his belief in aestheticism, which claims art itself is useless thus without any social implication. Bearing this philosophy of art in mind, this work destines to be a book of open interpretations, a book elevated or deprecated by the view lens adopted by different people, a world full of possibilities, just like every other great novel ever written.
The story revolves around a portrait of Dorian Gray painted by Basil, an artist infatuated with Dorian’s beauty. Through Basil, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton and is deeply impressed by the hedonistic worldview adopted by the aristocrats. After this encounter, the meaning of life is thrown into the dark abyss of void and non-existence; Dorian’s only occupation becomes the pursuit of sensual pleasure and outward beauty. But here comes the problem - beauty will eventually decay. So Dorian decides that he will give up his soul and make a deal with the devil, just like Doctor Faust. Because of this evil contract, the portrait, rather than Dorian, will age and fade. The wish is granted and Dorian pursues a life of amoral experiences while staying young and beautiful. At the same time, his portrait ages and records every sin that Dorian has committed, a discordant collection of crimes and decadence.
Apart from the novel proper, its preface is already a masterpiece by itself. In the preface, Oscar Wilde claims that “to reveal art and conceal artist is art’s aim” and “the highest as the lowest form of criticism is a mode of autobiography”, which profoundly points out the mimetic and reflective nature of literature and literary criticism. In Shakespeare’s plays, it is extremely hard to know what kind of person Shakespeare is; his religious, political, and even philosophical views remain vague for modern readers, shrouded in mystery. Because every character portraited by the bard lives his own life, in the glorious world of imagination; they reflect certain traits of humanity, and ultimately become humanity itself, concealing the artist in the this process. And when we are trying to read a book, we are actually looking into a dynamic mirror which tells more about us than about the book or the author. That is exactly why Wilde connects criticism and autobiography in such an intimate way. This specific view of art and literary criticism is essential to the understanding of the novel, for it liberates us from mindlessly condemning it as a book of decadence and decay merely because it tells a story of hedonism. By choosing to be free, we can delve deeper into its complex themes and probe towards the innermost part of our own soul.
In my opinion, this life in pursuit of sensual pleasure led by Dorian, is actually not a joyful life at all. Because it is totally devoid of meaning and only reveals life’s emptiness and absurdity in the end, when all the fleeting passion finally dies away. Lasting happiness, ironically enough, is not actually something we can consciously chase after, but the by-product of some other human conducts. It is not because the expectation of joy that makes us fall in love but because we decide to love and as a result end up embracing the experience of ecstasy. Our life is a hero’s journey, a lover’s journey, a journey which requires efforts and devotion, not some trivial funny games with the only intention of instant gratification. Just like Nietzsche said, “he who knows a why can bear any how”, human beings naturally crave for meaning, that is what makes us “human becoming” because once guided by the intricate and complex web of meaning, we are destined to embark upon so many fabulous journeys full of perils and presents; we can finally climb up the mountain of eternal joy. This is the happiness of maturity, of becoming truly who we can become in the end.
“All art is quite useless”, Oscar Wilde concludes his preface with this sentence. But is that really so? By reflecting upon the surface and symbol of art at the same time, by looking into the mirror with our deepest heart’s core, we begin to discern the great use of art, which might be unique to everyone’s experience and perhaps can never be made universal, but it will always guide us in the fierce storms and dark nights. “The artist is the creator of beautiful things”, and we, as readers, should be artists as well.