The Picture of Dorian Gray
By Morgan A. Mucha
Reading The Picture of Dorian Gray recently–for the fourth time–made me truly realize how much of a literary masterpiece it is. Usually with classic narratives, the plot is thrown into the reader’s face in an abrasive way, but with Wilde’s work, it is completely different. The storyline and overall message are carefully woven throughout the words, remaining subtle between the lines. The lessons are incredibly powerful! One of these includes how the longing for physical pleasure can lead to two paths not taken, sin or gratification. The idea of Gray’s portrait mirroring his aging and natural form is haunting. As he remains young, youthful, and handsome, his artistic form appears almost demonic and inhuman.
This creative concept disturbs him greatly–especially mentally– messing with his perception of life and how it should be lived. The only negative critique I have for Wilde’s work is the way he mentions Gray’s past mistakes and horrors in a vague way, never completely touching on them, thus leaving the reader in the fog. It most definitely pulled me in, but I did want more to soothe my curiosity. It felt like discussing that aspect led the reader to a blank brick wall, leading to a literary dead end. I enjoyed the ending to the extreme. I thought it was brilliant that Wilde surrounded the story with the idea of dealing with the devil to stay young and good-looking. Although this isn’t stated outright, based on details and other parts of the story, it is insinuated. Lord Henry’s character corruption of Gray left me with full-body chills. Even though he was supposed to be the “bad guy”, it can be debated that Gray truly was, as he was only focused on his appearance and how he was perceived by others around him in the upscale world. I felt that Wilde reached a peak level of detail and characterization with each figure of the story, making me feel fully immersed. The whole time, I was pondering the storyline and how Gray would react to the lessons served to him on a silver platter. The words flow like a gentle wave, gently sliding off the page. It was extremely digestible, and I found myself reading it chapters at a time. Even though Gray’s character was selfish and conceited, I still found myself being pulled in by his words, actions, and attitude. The Old English portions of the work also touched my heartstrings, as I study the early English variation a lot. Overall, The Picture of Dorian Gray was an emotional rollercoaster that I found myself not wanting to put down. I felt like I was a character in the same realm as the others in the work, and this is what makes a good book! I completely recommend it.
About the Author!
Morgan A. Mucha (she/her) is a first-year Honors student doubling majoring in the History of Art and Architecture and General History. She is also a contributing writer to the Honors blog with her series, “Art A-Bloom”.
“Peer Reviewed” is a series in which Honors students can share their thoughts and interpretations of art, literature, theatre, film, and other forms of popular media. If you have a piece you would like to write for our series, please contact honorsprogram@depaul.edu!
This piece was written in response to our Fall Quarter Book Club. Stay tuned for information about the book we will be reading for Winter Quarter!
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