Oscar Wilde explores the concept of true beauty in The Picture of Dorian Gray. He uses Dorian as an example of natural, physical beauty with several characters commenting on his ideal looks and spirit. As Dorian grows more and more fond of sinning through drugs, women, the arts, and luxury, his spirit begins distorting in the painting and Dorian's beauty is merely physical rather than all-encompassing. Wilde questions the validity of the beauty of youth and actions without consequence, and the tale implies that our spiritual beauty is what counts. Though youth and physical form are to be enjoyed while they last, we need to age to comprehend consequences and the impact our actions have upon our lives. Without these physical deformities our spiritual beauty will be forever corrupted which is a far worse loss.
As Plato views art as a cheap imitation of the ideal, Oscar Wilde contrasts with Dorian's everlasting level of physical attraction as a facsimile of the true beauty of youth. Where Plato would call the painting the imitation, Wilde sees the painting as the real version of Dorian, showing his many faults and sins, and even goes so far as to have Dorian kill himself when meaning to stab the painting. Wilde also portrays Sybil as being more truth in her many characters than as a human being herself. Dorian can only bring himself to love her as Juliet, as Rosalind, as Artemis, and is disgusted when he sees the human being Sybil truly is. When his muse is destroyed by a poor performance, the real woman behind it also matters not. Wilde takes this one step further with Sybil's suicide, the destruction of Sybil's imitation killing the girl.
Wilde's style is flowery -quite literally with dozens of comparisons to flowers throughout the novel- to the point of distraction. While the wordiness suits the characters of Basil, Dorian, and Lord Henry, it occasionally feels as if the point would be better clarified if Wilde would write his intention simply. However, Wilde uses the language to make Lord Henry's cynical views seem less shocking and allows the reader to feel more connected to his words. Lord Henry's cynicism comes off, at first, as beautiful rebellion rather than a shocking rant against society solely for the sake of argument because of the way Wilde presents it. It is not until later in the novel, when the reader sees the effect on Dorian, that they realize the harmful nature of Lord Henry's words. Overall the style was effective in its purpose, if tiresome in places.
I agree wholeheartedly that Lord Henry's intentions are at first disguised by the manner in which he speaks of them. You want to believe what he says because the words strike a chord in the part of you that wishes to hold on to your youth while you can. Would you agree that Lord Henry's intentions are revealed in a similar manner as the sins in the painting? You say that the painting is the true form of Dorian, not an imitation as Plato would feel, but in some ways isn't the painting still an imitation of the man that Dorian once was? I enjoyed your thoughts on the matter, and applaud you for acknowledging the sometimes tiring, yet beautiful nature of the writing.
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