Victorian Morals or Immorals? by Alexia

Victorian Morals or Immorals? by Alexia - June 2022 Scholarship Essay

Dorian Gray.

He had the face of an angel with opulence radiating off of him, something that was truly admirable during the Victorian era. From the outside, he was perfect. However, as I read the book, I found such a dislike towards his character, despite his enchanting appearance.

No one within the novel truly saw the gradual and cancerous immorality that penetrated his soul, until it was too late. Early on, Gray discovered how society during the Victorian era idolized aesthetics and the exterior of a person. They bought pianos with no intention of ever learning to play. They associated wealth and beauty with morality because why would such a wicked person look so angelic?

Oscar Wilde, the writer of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” beautifully exposes the morals, or rather immorals, of the Victorian era. From this novel, I learned that even when someone looks good, it does not mean they are so. Most importantly though, I learned that if given the chance, redemption of the soul is always possible. During the end of the novel, Dorian Gray is given an ultimatum. He could spend the rest of his life trying to redeem the horrid painting, which reflected his soul, or he could hold on to his perfect appearance while furthering the destruction of the once pure painting. In the end, he chose his body. Dorian chose to idolize his appearance instead of seeking to mend his broken soul, and due to this, he immediately died as there was nothing worth salvaging. Dorian Gray was too far gone.

From such an ending, I understood that spirituality will always trump physicality. The soul will always trump physical appearance. The corrupted will always be responsible for their own demise by making the wrong choices.