The Picture of Dorian Gray; The Return of the Real

Journal Title: European Journal of Behavioral Sciences - Year 2021, Vol 4, Issue 3

Abstract

I feel that my analysis, which endeavours to articulate the operational Lacanian concepts onto Wilde’s fiction, will achieve a “liberating” of the meaning from the text, an enterprise which can be equated with a transvaluation of the textual psychical values. One of the points I argue in what follows is that the readers of The Picture of Dorian Gray are encouraged by Wilde to transcend the limited perspective of the fictional selves (characters) in the story. To use Lacanian terms, consciousness equals a fictional construct that performs a masquerade of truth because it is attached to signifiers that reside beyond the subject in the Other (and in the unrepresented sphere of the Real). Approaching the text from a Lacanian perspective will make the reader aware of how one constructs an ideal image of one’s ‘self’ and seduces others into recognizing it. The results that such an enterprise yields point to the fact that there is an eccentric relationship between what a person (Dorian Gray, in our case) is and what one desires, a lack-in-being that haunts the human subject. Even if the portrait fills his lack-in-being, by bestowing upon him everlasting beauty, there remains a gap within itself likewise. It lacks life. To conclude, the portrait becomes more Dorian-like in proportion as Dorian himself gets alienated from his self, so that eventually it becomes the real Dorian. When the latter fully realizes that, he tries to reconquer his life, even if the price is his death.

Authors and Affiliations

Daniela Cârstea

Keywords

Related Articles

Anthropological Bases of Formation of Moral and Legal Culture of Future Teachers

In the context of anthropological understanding for mature, self-updating personality the moral and legal culture is an essential element. Personality with the high level of the moral and legal culture is able to integra...

Talasínup: Exploring the Environmental Consciousness and Christian Environmentalism of Youth Ministers in Mabalacat City in Light of Laudato Si' for Post-COVID-19 Environmental Stewardship

This research investigates the influence of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si on the attitudes and behaviors of Catholics regarding environmental stewardship in a post-COVID-19 context. The study employs a combination...

The Prediction of Marital Disaffection based on Developmental Family Function and the Comparison of These Variables in the Couples of Employed Group and Unemployed Group(Housewives) in Ilam City

The purpose of this study was to predict marital disaffection based on developmental family function and compare these variables in couples in employed and unemployed groups in Ilam city. The present study is correlation...

Social Construct of Masculinity Towards Mental Health: A Literature Review

Masculinity is trait that exist in both male and female. However, masculinity values develop into social constructs affecting various aspects of life, one of which is mental health. It is important to understand how indi...

Friendship and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Correlation Between Friendships of Students with ASD High Function (AHF) and Educational Practices in the Context of Inclusion in Primary Education

Friendship contributes to mental well-being, is a protective factor in victimization and a challenge for children and adolescents with High Functioning Autism (HFA). The quantity and quality of their friendships depends...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP743791
  • DOI https://doi.org/10.33422/ejbs.v4i3.713
  • Views 71
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Daniela Cârstea (2021). The Picture of Dorian Gray; The Return of the Real. European Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 4(3), -. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-743791