Oscar Wilde’s clear yearning for queer confession and his subsequent self-censorship in the first chapter of The Picture of Dorian Gray alone is frankly heartbreaking.
I will use the word queer to mean any person who is LGBTQ+ for the sake of brevity but in many cases it will mean bisexual or homosexual.
Oscar Wilde was tried three times and eventually found guilty of ‘gross indecency’, just 5 years after the initial release of The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1890. The book in its original form was used against Wilde as evidence of the ‘debauchery’ which he was accused of, but, ironically, one does not even need to read a single phrase from the titular character to receive a full confession of knowing the suffering of being queer in the 19th Century. This is contained deep within the first chapter of the novel alone; while using art and philosophy as a barrier we see two characters grapple with the idea of homoerotic feeling. Wilde himself prefaces the novel by saying that art is not autobiographical, perhaps doing so as an attempt to mask the parallels between Wilde and his characters.
Queerness in Chapter One of The Picture of Dorian Gray, remains clear even after Wilde self-censored in his second and third iterations of the novel (Penguin, 2010). I often consider this chapter to be one of the most powerful introductions to any Gothic novel, if only for the deep layers of meaning in every single phrase, not used for only purposes of foreshadowing, rather simply because concealment of intention was necessary. The way this chapter is written is so at odds with the rest, and this was not an accident; it is meticulously and painstakingly used to signpost to other queer people what Wilde feels while deeply concealing those feelings from anyone who was not already feeling them.
Many scholars have written about the homoerotic coding as a way of signifying homosexuality, for example the mentioning of Greek gods ‘Adonis‘ and ‘Narcissus‘ Pg.6 and ‘a spirit that is Greek’ Pg.13. (a.k.a. the homoerotic ideas we have of them), however I want to step past these codes we apply to the novel as a whole, and re-frame the way we read this chapter independently. I ask that we move past the idea that this story might have queer ‘undertones’ or ‘elements’ and just say it as we find it. This chapter is an appeal to an audience of queer men; written about several queer men, by a queer man, and is a whole self-contained, heartfelt confessional.
The act of Wilde adding, “We live in an age when men treat art as if it were meant to be a form of autobiography.” (Pg.14) is a clever misdirection, much like the majority of this chapter’s contents. There is a reason why Wilde has been described as ‘flowery’ – he over-embellishes every paragraph to obscure the truth. I lovingly scoured through this chapter with a highlighter and pen in the hope of being able to show you the story of what I see within this chapter as a queer reader, and in doing so, the way it felt to be queer at a time when it was unspeakable.
Queer Story-telling in Chapter One
Chapter One barely tells us who Dorian Gray is; on the surface perhaps this is so that we are intrigued by this enigma of a man, but what is important here is how Basil feels about him, despite being mostly absent for much of the next part of the novel. It is clear that Basil is merely a device, a mirror for Wilde himself to be portrayed on the page. One small and fleeting moment right at the beginning of the novel (which pained me to read), was that of Basil’s realisation that he was succumbing to the freeing daydream that allowed him to feel his queer feelings, only to be driven back to reality with sharp self-censorship.
‘As the painter looked at the gracious and comely form he had so skilfully mirrored in his art, a smile of pleasure passed across his face and seemed about to linger there. But he suddenly started up, and, closing his eyes, placed his fingers upon the lids, as though he sought to imprison within his brain some curious dream from which he feared he might awake.’
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Penguin Classics – Pg.6
It is in these two sentences that we see Basil’s pain of wanting which cannot be allowed to flourish in reality and must be ‘imprisoned’ inside his head: a truly, unutterably forbidden love. We are already invited, on the second page of the novel, to understand what it is like to feel that love, be fearful of it being reflected outwardly in one’s face, and the pain of keeping it firmly within.
Basil also represents Wilde’s feelings on the secrecy of queer relationships/living a ‘double-life’ (Mighall, 2010), expressing that he enjoys the withholding of one’s true nature.
“I have grown to love secrecy. It seems to be the one thing that can make modern life mysterious or marvellous to us. The commonest thing is delightful if only one hides it.”
Basil Hallward- The Picture of Dorian Gray – Penguin Classics – Pg.7
On the same page there is also an active separation from the Church, where Basil says that the three men shall ‘all suffer for what the gods have given us, suffer terribly.’ Pg. 7. In making this clear distinction between the God of Christianity and the ‘gods’ usage (perhaps meaning Greek gods), it separates the deity who made the three queer-coded men (Harry, Basil and Dorian) and the God who made everyone else; Wilde is aware of the ways in which those of his persuasion will suffer.
It is through Dorian’s portrait, and perhaps the ‘magical’ or ‘otherworldly’ love with which it was created, that immortality is gifted and we later see that in fact the soul of Dorian is bound to it, inexplicably. Dorian is described in no uncertain terms to be Basil’s muse and through this role has been immortalised within his painting. However, not once does Wilde use the word ‘muse’ to describe Dorian in the chapter despite it being the definitive word one might use to describe a ‘sitter’ and ‘artist’ relationship. This choice implies that there is a deeper connection between Basil and Dorian which Wilde desperately wants us to understand. Perhaps if Wilde had used ‘muse‘ as a descriptor, he would undo the poetic prose he has used throughout the chapter to ensure the connection remains so hard to truly define.
Tension in the Garden (Basil and Harry)
It is through Lord Henry Wotton (Harry) that Basil’s queerness is subsequently mirrored and stifled, as if Harry in himself represents the active choice to take a wife, something which Wilde chose to do himself, and not follow the path upon which Basil finds himself compelled. Harry explains how he and his wife live separate and secret lives which do not conflict with one another. Where Basil challenges him on this and states that Harry is “really a very good husband” who would “never do a wrong thing.” Pg.8, there is subsequent tension when Harry’s rebuttal follows thus;
“Being natural is simply a pose, and the most irritating pose I know.“
Lord Henry (Harry) Wotton – The Picture of Dorian Gray – Penguin Classics – Pg.8
In presenting marriage as the ‘natural’ state between a man and woman which Harry represents, it speaks to Wilde’s own feelings on stifling one’s queer (‘unnatural’) feelings in favour of the irritation of appearing heterosexual. Wilde had been married for six years at the point of publication.
The first spoken reference to Basil’s love for Dorian is when he tells his friend Harry (Lord Henry Wotton) in a flower garden that he can’t display the portrait he painted of Dorian because it has in some way exposed his truest feelings. (Pg.6) “I have put too much of myself into it.” says Basil. Basil continues into a highly jealous, conflicting and self-conscious inner monologue, intersected with musings by Harry who is portrayed as a straight man (he is married) but who I read as perhaps bisexual, for reasons I will go on to explain later. It is through Basil and Harry’s distance-keeping and theoretical interruptions that the true nature of Basil and Harry’s relationship is also masked.
Here, it is known that Wilde self-censored; where initially the two men enter the flower garden and ‘for a time they did not speak’, this was later removed by Wilde so as to reduce the tension between the two men. (Penguin, 2010) Instead, the tension between Basil and Harry at this point, as they are on the cusp of articulating what it is that Basil feels for Dorian (which Harry is so keen to hear), is reflected in the daisies. During this conversation the daisies are ‘tremulous’ Pg.8, they are ‘plucked’ and ‘examined’ Pg.9. and they are later pulled ‘to bits with [Harry’s] long, nervous fingers. Pg.10
While the physicality of the daisy trembling and being torn apart takes place, Harry asks the truth of Basil; a truth that Basil cannot ever fully give. [Here, I have chosen to write the dialogue as script without the additional description or indirect postulation on morality, to better portray the ways which Basil delays and avoids the providing of any emotional information, until such a point the daisy, and the tension, is destroyed.]
Harry: …Before I go, I insist on your answering a question I put to you some time ago.
Basil: What is that?…
Harry: You know quite well.
Basil: I do not, Harry.
Harry: Well, I will tell you what it is. I want you to explain to me why you won’t exhibit Dorian Gray’s picture. I want the real reason.
Basil: I told you the real reason.
Harry: No, you did not. You said it was because there was too much of yourself in it. Now, that is childish.
Basil: Harry… every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter… it is rather the painter who… reveals himself. The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown the secret of my own soul.
Harry: And what is that?
Basil: I will tell you.
Harry: I am all expectation, Basil.
Basil: Oh, there is really very little to tell, Harry… and I am afraid you will hardly understand it. Perhaps you will hardly believe it.
Harry: I am quite sure I shall understand it… and as for believing things, I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible.The Picture of Dorian Gray – Penguin Classics – Pg.8-9
Harry is sure he can ‘hear Basil Hallward’s heart beating’ and then wonders ‘what is coming’ Pg.9. The tension peaks at this point and there is a moment of silence where both parties observe their surroundings. This pause in the dialogue is homoerotic in nature, perhaps as tense as Wilde dared to make an almost-confession of queerness. Harry is tense and urging in his speech, he wants to hear the reality of Basil’s feelings because in them he might see a glimmer of his own truth.
We feel the temporary release of this tension when Basil feels comfortable enough, or perhaps persuaded, to provide a description of his first encounter with Dorian Gray, which is portrayed with devastating romanticism. Wilde uses phrases such as ‘Fate had in store for me exquisite joys and exquisite sorrows.‘ and ‘It was simply inevitable… He, too, felt we were destined to know each other.’ Pg. 10. Wilde states all of this while simultaneously deflecting from emotional attachment by using the abstract; detaching Basil (and therefore himself by proxy) from these feelings by weaving them into a narrative likening them to artists’ relationships with art, rather than a man’s feelings for another man.
Unfortunately, we do not see the pay-off from this tension-build. Harry diverts the conversation towards queries about the hostess, her actions and her thoughts on Dorian Gray. During the following pages 11-12, we receive further philosophical discussions with a peppering of potential nods to queerness, as Harry and Basil idly chat about what they mean to one another. [Once again here, prose is written as dialogue to highlight what has been truly said amidst the distracting philosophising and attention to irrelevant detail.]
Basil: Neither of us [Basil and Dorian] could help laughing and we became friends at once.
Harry: Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for friendship…
Basil: You don’t understand what friendship is, Harry… you’re indifferent to everyone.
Harry: I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects…
Basil: … according to your category I must be merely an acquaintance.
Harry: My dear old Basil, you are much more than an acquaintance.
Basil: And much less than a friend. A brother of sorts, I suppose.
Harry: Oh, brothers! I don’t care for brothers.
This conversation almost reads like a jest, like they are both perfectly aware of the queer kinship they have but once again refuse to, or cannot, put it into words, rather choosing to list all alternative ways in which the two could be connected.
We are immediately cooled once more from this queer tension with talk of class, art vs the artist, the ideas of right and wrong, and more. Any philosophising within this chapter is immediately contradicted by the Basil saying some version of ‘I don’t agree with a single word you’ve said… and you don’t either.‘ (Pg.12.) rendering it narratively useless and likely intentional misdirection by Wilde. If we remove all of these deliberately distracting conversational cul-de-sacs we can get to the crux of the matter: determining what Basil feels for Dorian Gray. Once more we see the two men wrestle with the truth of Basil’s feelings, with Basil continuously making declarations of love while simultaneously detaching himself from passionate feelings, stating that it is a simply artistic intrigue. The following are all quotes from Basil in the next few pages (12-14) juxtaposed chronologically alongside each other to show the ways in which queer people might navigate conversations about intense feelings that can never be explicitly confirmed.
“I couldn’t be happy if I didn’t see [Dorian] every day.”
“His personality has suggested to me an entirely new manner in art…”
“Harry, if you only knew what Dorian Gray is to me!”
“[The painting of a landscape] is one of the best things I’ve ever done… Because while I was painting it, Dorian sat beside me.”
“Dorian Gray is to me simply a motive in art.”
“I have put into [Dorian’s portrait] some expression of all this curious extraordinary romance [Original 1890 version, later amended to ‘artistic idolatry‘], of which, of course, I have never cared to speak to him about.”
“We live in an age when men treat art as if it were meant to be a form of autobiography.”
“…I have given away my whole soul to some one who treats it as if it were a flower to put in his coat…”
There are so many more instances of this back-and-forth, direction and misdirection, and they are all subdued by a marvellously conjured ruse whereby we believe that these two men are entirely detached from their conversation, with Harry theorising and Basil simply expressing artistically. The reason I pull out quite so many quotes in tandem is that they are the truth of the piece, that which is obscured, whether deliberately or not, from public view and written as an appeal for understanding from those who might see themselves in Basil’s (and Wilde’s) self-awareness and censorship.
Next, Harry speaks of Basil’s ‘romance’ towards Dorian, trying to reassure that Basil will ‘tire first’; in a somewhat dismissive and altogether knowing way, Harry says:
“Some day you will look at your friend and he will seem to you to be a little out of drawing, or you won’t like his tone of colour, or something…. What you have told me is quite a romance, a romance of art one might call it, and the worst of having a romance of any kind is that it leaves one so ‘unromantic’.’
Harry – The Picture of Dorian Gray – Penguin Classics – Pg.15.
Here, Harry is trying to use his friend’s euphemisms and reassure him that Basil will in fact get past this unspoken love because one day, Dorian will just no longer inspire him artistically. This is followed with an aside from Harry where he takes joy in ‘how delightful other people’s emotions were’, while enjoying a cigarette from a ‘dainty silver case’. (Pg 15). Until this point, Harry seems so very invested in hearing Basil’s truth so this reads to me like another misdirection, adding an air of passivity to Harry’s intrigue.
The chapter ends on page 16/17 with a jealous Basil wanting Harry not to meet Dorian because of how dear he is to him. He believes Harry will ‘influence‘ Dorian, and Basil emphasises one final time how much Dorian means to him, without saying it explicitly. When pressed for the reasons why Basil doesn’t want to share his friend, Basil says, “Don’t take away from me the one person who has given my art whatever charm it possesses…” or to quote the uncensored, passionate original version, “Don’t take away the one person that makes life absolutely lovely to me…” The chapter then ends with Harry (and the audience of the 19th Century) answering with a smile; “What nonsense you talk!”
References
Wilde, O. (2010). The picture of Dorian Gray. London: Penguin Books.
queer crossroads 
Leave a comment