Realism and Aestheticism in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Grey Essay Example

Realism and aestheticism have always been part of every era and thus “The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar”by Ocarr Wilde,  involves aspects of both. Aesthetic realism varies from other approaches to mind in that it considers a person's attitude toward the entire world to be the most important aspect of his or her existence, influencing how that person views everything, including love, work, and other people. By the 19th century, no one believed in the widespread idea that a piece of literature or art could awaken or change a person. Why is it that one of the aims of writing is to reveal societal problems? Because it is an undetectable method of influencing someone's viewpoint which brings a change. That exposure is caused by the storyline, setting, symbolism, and the way characters interact inside a novel. Aestheticism can be seen as a reaction to a time of ongoing change, since  much of its literary approach owed to the rise of socialism around the time of the Victorian era. In "The Picture of Dorian Gray" Oscar Wilde portrays the arts as a reflection of socio economic imperfections in connection to Victorian era’s class based society in which the elite social class maintains the social and economic power over the proletariat class by exploiting and oppressing them. 

Aestheticism was a literary and artistic movement that centered on the significance of beauty in the 18th and 19th centuries. The aesthetic worth of painting, music, literature, and other intellectual activities was prioritized by aestheticism over their utilitarian utility. The most essential characteristic of these masterpieces was their beauty. Aestheticism was an influence brought by Lord Henry over Dorian Gray that caused his character transformation from an innocent bourgeoisie into a typical  cruel character of real bourgeoisie socially and economically. “It taught him to love his own beauty.”(Wilde 188). His attitude towards people around him had changed, because he realized the fact that the very thing that carried a huge significance, the beauty of an art that was highly valued around him, was what he represented and it was not just wealth and rank but his looks for which he was valued. “Life has everything in store for you, Dorian. There is nothing that you, with your extraordinary good looks, will not be able to do''(Wilde 207). That's why he had gained a power by which he could overpower people around him, especially people from the lower class.

 On the other hand, in favor of a careful examination of visible appearances, realism opposed creative idealization. As a result, realism in its broadest meaning has included a wide range of aesthetic currents throughout cultures. Throughout his career as a critic and an artist, Oscar Wild would wrestle with the issues of reality. Every epoch has its unique set of socioeconomic challenges, but one of the responses to these issues is similar. Literature is one of the means by which social and economic difficulties in society may be exposed. As it is portrayed in “The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar '' a person was only respected if he exhibited bourgeois features, and Dorian Gray exhibited all of these characteristics. “Your rank and wealth, Harry; my brains, such as they are—my art, whatever it may be worth; Dorian Gray’s good looks''(33). The wealth intersects with the art and beauty. Wealth was a significant element of security and civilization. “His great wealth was a certain element of security. Society, civilized society at least, is never very ready to believe anything to the detriment of those who are both rich and fascinating. It feels instinctively that manners are of more importance than morals, and, in its opinion, the highest respectability is of much less value than the possession of a good chef” (Wilde 262). In other words, this civilization is said to be "civilized" since appearances govern perception. The foundations for how people are regarded and treated in society continue to be laid by exterior acts and manners. When one encounters someone with whom they are unfamiliar, they are immediately assessed simply on the basis of how they act, speak, and even eat. Being civilized and externally proper is to be advanced; so, the general notion of humanity for centuries has been that being well mannered and externally appropriate is to be advanced. From a Marxist standpoint, such a phrase demonstrates how the superstructure of having a wealthy look has created a society in which character and individuality are meaningless. It is only an individual's appearance and position that may define his or her level of security. It plainly reflects societal inequality, not just economically, but also in other ways. According to the ideology, individuals who appear to be wealthy cannot do anything wrong, and it is only the impoverished and poor class who behave badly.

Furthermore,the aristocracy held incredible influence in the 19th century, which was bolstered by new aristocrats who owed their fortunes to business, industry, and the professions. The aristocracy also controlled the social life of England. Bourgeois always were assigned to high level jobs including the jobs that controlled the political life of the country. “His father had been our ambassador at Madrid when Isabella was young, and Primaf unthought of, but had retired from the Diplomatic Service in a capricious moment of annoyance on not being offered the embassy at Paris, a post to which he considered that he was fully entitled by reason of his birth, his indolence, the good English of his dispatches, and his inordinate passion for pleasure”(Wilde 99) Bourgeois believed they deserved whatever they had,  they deserved their reputation,the status, the wealth and their position since they were born in an aristocratic family and they were aristocrats. The lower classes could not be assigned to high-ranking positions since they did not deserve it. They didn't deserve it because they came from a poor background or because they weren't noblemen. That was the superstructure that was dominating the society at that time.  

In addition, Wilde thought that art had inherent value, that it is beautiful and thus valuable, and that it does not need to serve any other purpose. Dorian Gray’s portrait was a great piece of artwork, it captured the beauty Dorian possessed, but in reality the portrait was the most terrible and ugliest thing ever created, since it was the reflection of Dorian’s corrupted soul. A bourgeois who possessed everything that one could wish for such as wealth, rank, beauty and reputation had the ugliest soul. Wild reflected the inner side of not just Dorian Gray, but the class he represented. Bourgeoisie who corrupted, oppressed and misguided people. In such a society, inequality between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat was a major concern.

Overall, in Victorian England, where common thought held that art was not only a function of morality but also a way of imposing it, Wild’s approach was revolutionary. Wilde also warned readers in the Preface against looking for significance "beyond the surface" of art. Nevertheless, the nineteenth century's anxiety over finding a technique to validate human misery universally culminated in fiction. It has always known that it was designed to be the voice of the oppressed folks.