Oscar Wilde was on the one hand the first man who lived in homosexual relationship in public and on the other hand he represented the theory of new hedonism. Hedonism preaches the pleasures of life and soul and therefore all human senses are extremely brought out. This means that the teaching is: It is better to do what you like than to regret it afterwards not having done it. The main difference between hedonism and new hedonism is in the fact that new hedonism focuses more on pleasures in art than on the mere bodily plasures. New hedonism says that every moment of life should be fulfilled ith art.
Oscar Wilde did not just represent the theory, but also lived after it. This is one of the reasons that he was called immoral and also a bit crazy. In his novel “The picture of Dorian Gray” all his theories of life are contained. So the book is very close to his own life. Oscar Wilde was influenced by Walter Pater, who was his professor at Oxford. Pater said that human life was short and that everyone should sieze the day (or carpe diem) and turn it into a work of art.
Pater said: ”Art comes to you proposing frankly to give nothing but the highest quality to your moments as they pass. Pater’s influence on Wilde was reflected in Lord Henry’s influence on Dorian. Dorian Gray is a gladly seen young man in London’s High society of the late 19th century. Everyone loves him because of his outer appearance, which is young and somehow just beautiful. But he is as beautiful as he is naive. That is the reason why Lord Henry has not much to do to make Dorian dependent on him. Henry is a hedonist and an aesthete (that means that he is just interested in the beautiful things and in art) and he starts to teach Dorian his attitudes to life and youth.
He is a cynical, pleasure-loving aristocrat hose conversation fascinates Dorian. For Henry, Dorian is just a “psychological experiment”. Dorian is immediately impressed by Lord Henry Wotton. At the day they first meet, Dorian starts to live after the views of life Henry teaches him. He advises Dorian to enjoy life to the full, to give way to every temptation, to realize every fantasy, but not to allow any experience to arrest the pursuit of his pleasure. ”Ah! realize your youth while you have it.
Don’t squander the gold of your days, listening to the tedious, trying to improve the hopeless failure, or giving away your life to the ignorant, the common, and the vulgar. These are the sickly aims, the false ideals, of our age. Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing…. A new Hedonism- that is what our century wants. You might be its visible symbol. With your personality there is nothing you could not do. The world belongs to you for a season. ” And then he says: ”Youth!
Youth! There is absolutely nothing in the world but youth! ” In a moment of despair, Dorian says that he would give his soul, if his picture aged and he would remain always young. ‘If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! 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” And through some unknown magical powers it really happens. He wants to stay always young because he believes that he is only loved if he looks good. This shows his vanity and egoism.
At first, he does not really recognize that his picture changes, but after the suicide of Sybil Vane, he sees a real change in the picture. But not even the age of the Dorian on the picture changes moreover the character of the Dorian changes. On the picture, which is also named as the “mirror of his soul”, there isn’t anymore a good looking young man therefore there is an ugly, old man. When he sees the picture, he is shocked so he puts the picture into a room upstairs and locks the door. He does not want anyone to see this change of his character.
He believes that the change of the picture is the fault of the painter, Basil Hallward. Dorian receives a yellow book from Lord Henry and bases his life and actions on it. The painting and the yellow book have a profound effect on Dorian, influencing his course of action for nearly two decades. Dorian occupies this time of his life with music, precious stones, flowers and other things that are there for aesthetic pleasure. Dorian devotes himself to having as many experiences as possible, whether moral or immoral, elegant or sordid.
When Basil wants to see the picture one last time, he is as shocked as Dorian was. The secret of Dorian’s youth is the most important thing in his life. And so after showing Basil the picture he kills him because he is afraid of his good reputation in society. Dorian’s kind of Hedonism is shown through his youth. He thinks that he could have and do everything with his young looks. First he believes in hat Lord Henry teaches him, that his life is his kind of art. But at the end of his life he perceives it just as a pain.
For he believes that the picture is the reason of his pain, he tries to destroy it. And because of the picture being his soul he kills himself. When Lord Henry teaches Dorian the “new Hedonism” it doesn’t mean for Dorian that he should live after this Hedonism but that he is a symbol for this Hedonism. He is the work of art of Lord Henry. Henry never directs Dorian towards cruelty, and it must be said that Dorian is a very cruel character. In fact, when Dorian attempts to “be good” by abandoning the irl in the country, Henry calls that cruelty, and not “good” at all.
Henry points Dorian towards hedonism, certainly, but it was not hedonism that led him to destroy the lives of the men and women around him, much less to kill Basil. We have found the most obvious examples of hedonism in ”The Picture of Dorian Gray”‘. The two most important chapters that discuss hedonism are chapter 2 and chapter 11, but there is more in other chapters as well. In chapter 2, Henry tells Dorian about the philosophy of Hedonism; he opens Dorian’s eyes to a world where the only good thing to do is seek out leasure, not morality, and do whatever feels good. He tells Dorian that this is what the world needs.
He believes that if everyone were to follow pleasure instead of what society tells him is moral, then the world would be happier, richer, and more ideal. Later in the same chapter while speaking about Dorian’s beauty and youth, Henry cautions him not to take them for granted and to use them to live life to the fullest, because one day they will be gone and he will not be able to have the same pleasures that he can have today. Another example of hedonism can be found in chapter 6. Henry is following is own Hedonistic beliefs when he tells Basil that he hopes Dorian will marry Sibyl and six months later find someone else.
He finds studying Dorian immensely pleasurable, and though it is not the moral thing to do – to lead a young person down a path of passion and destruction, it amuses him, and therefore, by his philosophy, it is good. He assures Basil that Dorian’s life will not be spoiled by following Harry’s advice; the only way his life could be spoiled would be to listen to Basil’s advice and remain sheltered all his life. Then in chapter 8, as Dorian realizes that he cannot do what is socially hought of as good, he becomes fascinated with all that he could do that could be pleasurable.
Now that he does not have to worry about growing old, he can have the pleasures of the flesh for as long as he wants; and it will be an added Hedonistic pleasure to watch his soul grow ugly, knowing that the world will never see him as ugly. And finally in chapter 11, Dorian begins to take on Harry’s mannerisms and believe in his philosophies on life, speaking on the importance of a new Hedonism in society. Puritanism has taken over, and the world needs people who go in search of pleasure. He is spurred on by this idea to search out the finest of the pleasures, material objects, and experiences he can find.
Outwardly, this book could be said to be about how we can never really escape our consciences and the consequences of our actions – that we cannot negate or successfully deny our sin (which I agree with). On the other hand, this is only spelt out in the plot rather than in the dialogue, which is heavily dominated by hedonism. Wilde’s views are further made clear in the preface, where he essentially takes the sides of the hedonists – “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book.
Books are well written or badly written, that is all. This despite the fact that there is a book which clearly encourages Dorian Gray to push himself even further. So, indeed, has Dorian Gray come down to us as the symbol for a particular brand of 19th century Hedonism — though not exactly in the sense that Lord Henry might have meant. Of all the protagonists, Dorian’s downfall is the most clearly recognized. A young man who was pure at the beginning of the novel becomes depraved by the influence of Lord Henry. “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is a fantastic tale of hedonism with a moral to be learned and remembered.