Oscar Wilde, in his renowned work, depicted sensitive social topics ranging from human manipulation and crime to close relationships between male adults. Often, male friendship is regarded as the strong brotherly bonds between people, while in The Picture of Dorian Gray, we see a more intertwined connection between the three leading characters. These relationships represent what some believe to be corrupt human nature: a desire for dominance and manipulation, obsession, and human worship. In my opinion, the novel not only introduces a controversial for the contemporary society topic of homosexuality but also describes the hardships of traditional social standards on male friendship.
The relationships between Dorian Gray, Lord Henry, and Basil Hallward are all different yet interesting to analyze. While both Lord Henry and Basil Hallward were fascinated by Dorian’s beauty and purity, their feelings toward the main protagonist were not the same. Lord Henry referred to Dorian as his subject for experiments, but Basil regarded his feelings as “idolatry” (Wilde, 1981, p. 11). Another identification of Basil’s romantic-like feelings is his frustration with Dorian’s engagement. On the other hand, as Dorian Gray becomes obsessed with Lord Henry’s worldview, he develops a deep attachment to his friend. The relationships between the three characters are more than just friendship; however, it is difficult to claim they are intimate. The introduction of Sibyl Vane into the novel helped distinguish what the three men felt for each other. Noticing that Basil Hallward is overwhelmed with Dorian’s relationship with Sibyl, I believe the artist’s feelings were sincere and love-driven.
The Picture of Dorian Gray explores topics of male friendship and feelings. Some of them can be perceived as intimate and affectionate. The relationships between Basil Hallward and Dorian Gray and between Dorian Gray and Lord Henry represent the two most common human romantic attractions – the first is physical love, as seen in Basil’s obsession over Dorian’s beauty, and the second is an emotional attachment, as seen in Dorian’s devotion to all of Lord Henry’s beliefs.
Reference
Wilde, O. (1981). The picture of Dorian Gray. (I. Murray, Ed.). Oxford UP.