Characteristics of Dorian Gray

When our eyes met, I felt that I was growing pale. A curious sensation of terror came over me. I knew that I had come face to face with someone whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself p. 11. Dorian Gray inherits his physical beauty from his mother, Lady Margareth Devereux. Lady Margareth Devereux is the daughter of Lord Kelso. Lady Margareth is known for her beauty. ‘She was an extraordinary beautiful young girl, and made all the men frantic by running away with penniless young fellow’ p. 38. Dorian inherits not only physical beauty but also inherits a big amount of money too. ‘He should have a pot of money waiting for him if Kelso did the right thing by him. His mother had money too. All the Selby property came to her, through her grandfather’ p. 39. This is also evidence that Dorian Gray does not need to earn a living by laboring. He has extraordinary beauty and lives with his pocket full of money. Previously, at the very beginning of the story Dorian is told as a pure- hearted creature with his naivety, a charming innocent and spoiled boy. In Dorian’s early conversation with Basil, it is shown how Basil talks to him like talking to a child. When Dorian is wining to Basil in order to get what he wants, Basil replies “That entirely depends on how you sit today, Dorian” p. 19. Consequently, Dorian keeps on wining and complaining to Basil. Oh, I’m tired of sitting, and I don’t want a life-sized portrait of myself,’ answered the lad, swinging round on the music-stool, in a willful, petulant manner p. 19. After saying this, he is so ashamed of letting someone else know how spoiled he is because unexpectedly Lord Henry listens to their conversations as shown from a faint blush that colors Dorian’s cheeks. 43 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI Dorian is not only charming and spoiled but he is also somewhat naïve. Lord Henry thinks Dorian is some brainless creature with beauty. Dorian’s youth keeps him away from all the bad influence in the world. Lord Henry’s aunt, Lady Agatha, gives the same opinion about Dorian. She says that he is very earnest and has a beautiful nature p. 17. Dorian is so full of curiosity. It is shown through his own words to Basil, No, Basil, you must tell me,’ insisted Dorian Gray. ‘I think I have a right to know. ‘His feeling of terror had passed away, and curiosity had taken its place. He was determined to find out Basil Hallward’s mystery p.126. Dorian loves music. He loves to play piano. As they entered they saw Dorian Gray. He was seated at the piano, with his back to them, turning over the pages of a volume of Schumann’s Forest Scenes. “You must lend me these Basil,” he cried. “I want to learn them. They are perfectly charming p. 19. Dorian’s extraordinary beauty makes him adore himself too much. He becomes a narcissist who thinks beauty is the most important thing in the world. “He stood gazing at the shadow of his own loveliness, the full reality of description flashed across him” p. 29. He is so afraid of getting old. Being old becomes his biggest fear. How sad it is I shall grow old and horrible and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young- I know, now, that when one loses one’s good looks, whatever he may be, one loses everything p.30. The characteristic of Dorian Gray is the most complex one among the three. His character is a dynamic character because he undergoes lots of changes, influenced by actions and experiences and used to reveal the consequences of his actions Holman-Harmon, 1986: 24. 44 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

B. The Battle between the Pleasure and Reality Principles

The battle between the pleasure and reality principle in this thesis is analyzed through the characters and the conflicts in the story. Rather than seeing the battle between the two principles with the characteristics of all the characters, this thesis selects characteristics that truly show the battle between the pleasure and reality principles. The characters that represent the pleasure and reality principle are analyzed to see the battle between the two principles. The battle is also seen through the conflicts that happen in the story. The conflicts between one character and the others or between the characters with themselves help to see how these principles influence the actions of each character. Conflict in literature means a struggle between opposing forces. Two opposing forces in the novel are the pleasure and reality principles as retrieved in http:www.bedfordmartins.comliteraturebedlitglossary_a.htmtop. Since the pleasure and reality principles work oppositely, they will always at war in controlling the characters’ behavior. In the story the pleasure principle manifests itself in the character of Lord Henry Wotton. His flaw characteristic shows how deeply he indulges the pleasure principle and applies it in his every action. It is shown through Lord Henry’s words to Dorian after Sibyl’s death, “But, don’t waste your tears over Sibyl Vane. She was less real than they are” p. 15. Lord Henry is someone who does not have love in his heart. His goal is similar with the pleasure principle that is to get immediate relief from all pain or suffering. 45 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI Lord Henry thinks that conscience equals to cowardice ‘Conscience and cowardice are really the same things’ p. 11. Conscience equals to reality principle because they have the same function that is to control our mind to differentiate between good and bad. This shows how Lord Henry’s action and mind are mostly controlled by pleasure principle. His thought is against the reality principle. The battle between the pleasure and reality principle is won by the pleasure principle in case of Lord Henry Wotton. The pleasure principle strives nothing but for “gaining pleasure, such as immediate satisfaction, or joy”. But the unrestrained pleasure principle comes into conflict with the natural and human environment as said by Freud in Bressler 1999: 153. The awareness of the natural and human environment comes from the reality principle, its functions are opposite to pleasure principle. Oppositely, the character of Basil is the representation of the reality principle. Basil Hallward is a hard worker, a famous painter and a friend of Lord Henry Wotton and Dorian Gray. Basil Hallward who always obeys the reality principles which is shown through all his good advice to Dorian shows that he is the portrait of reality principle. Freud as cited in Literary Theory Eagleton, 1983: 151-153 said that the need to labor is an example of an act based on the reality principle. Basil Hallward works to earn money, he works as a painter. This characteristic differentiates him from Dorian Gray and Lord Henry Wotton and it also shows that most of Basil’s characteristics are influenced by reality principle. The evidence that Dorian Gray does not need to earn a living by laboring shows that he does not experience the repression of the pleasure principle by the 46 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI