THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE PLEASURE AND REALITY
PRINCIPLES IN OSCAR WILDE’S THE PICTURE OF
DORIAN GRAY
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
PATRICIA DIAN VIRNANDI
Student Number: 024214111
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE PLEASURE AND REALITY
PRINCIPLES IN OSCAR WILDE’S THE PICTURE OF
DORIAN GRAY
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
PATRICIA DIAN VIRNANDI
Student Number: 024214111
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
“Mother to Son”
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair,
It’s had tacks in it, And splinters.
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor-
Bare-
But all the time I’se been climbin’on
And reachin’ landin’s
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’in the dark
Where ain’t no light
So boy, don’t you turn back
Don’t you fall now,
For I’se still goin’ honey, I’se still climbin
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair
La n g s t o n H u g h e s ,
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertandatangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma : Nama : Patricia Dian Virnandi
Nomor Mahasiswa : 024214111
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul :
The Battle Between The Pleasure And Reality Principles In Oscar
Wilde’s The Picture Of Dorian Gray
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempubliksikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin kepada saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal: 18 Oktober, 2008 Yang menyatakan,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My greatest gratitude first and foremost goes to Jesus Christ. I thank Him for guiding me and keeping my faith. I thank my mom and dad for giving me everything. I dedicated this thesis for them. I thank my dearly annoying brothers and lovely sisters for always walking me through the ‘rain’ and for their unconditional love.
Next my huge gratitude goes to my Advisor and Co-Advisor, Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum. and Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S., M.Hum. whose guidance and support have made this thesis possible to be finished. I can never thank them enough for the wisdom, knowledge and especially patience that they have shown me.
Thirdly, my deepest gratitude goes to those who never give up on me. To friends I called best friends, The Prue Family: Ardi, Hendy, Ferdi, Nana, Kartika, Debby, Jeff, Niko, Fitra, Alfa, and Rudi. I thank them for showing me what happiness means. To my second home, the Language Institute of Sanata Dharma University, to Tante Di, Miss Hippo, Mas Andri, Ucy, Tika, Mas Sandi and to all the CEIC and ILCIC staffs. I thank them for loving me and never giving up on me. I would also like to say my gratitude to friends that I called sisters, Iig, mbak Inten, mbak Ari, mbak Anis and mbak Irien. I thank them for sharing their lives.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ……….………… 1
A. Background of the study ……….……… 1
B. Problem Formulation ……….………. 4
C. Objectives of the Study ……….…….. 5
D. Definition of Terms ………... 5
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ………. 7
A. Review of Related Studies ………..………. 7
a. Theory on Psychoanalysis and Pleasure and Reality Principles .... 18
3. Biography of Oscar Wilde …….….……… 22
C. Theoretical Framework ………….……….….. 26
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………….……….. 28
A. Object of the Study ……….…………. 28
B. Approach to the Study ……….. 29
C. Method of the Study ………..………... 31
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ………..…. 34
A. The Characterization of the Main Characters in the Novel ……… 34
1. Characteristics of Basil Hallward ………... 34
2. Characteristics of Lord Henry Wotton ……… 38
3. Characteristics of Dorian Gray ………... 42
B. The Battle between the Pleasure and Reality Principles ……….. 45
ABSTRACT
PATRICIA DIAN V. The Battle Between the Pleasure and Reality Principles in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Yogyakarta: Departement of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University (2008).
Literary works are means of expressing what people think or feel about their surrounding. This undergraduate thesis focuses on Oscar Wilde’s only novel
The Picture of Dorian Gray. This novel has gained a notorious popularity not only because of its content but also its later function as evidence of the author’s misdeed. Therefore, this novel is worth studying in order to see that the novel truly reflects the author’s misdeed.
This undergraduate thesis analyzes three main problems. The first one is the characteristics of the main characters in the novel. The characteristics then will be analyzed together with the conflicts to see the battle between the pleasure and reality principle in the story. Finally, the battle between the pleasure and reality principle which is seen through the characteristics of the main characters and the conflicts in the story are used to see the reflection of the internal conflicts of the author.
The study of the novel was conducted through library research using related books, and internet resources. In conducting the study, first the characteristics of the main characters were analyzed using theories on characters and characterization. Next, the conflicts in the story were also analyzed using the theories on conflict to see the battle between the pleasure and reality principle. The final step was answering the third problem which is the author’s internal conflicts using the biography of the author.
ABSTRAK
PATRICIA DIAN V. The Battle Between The Pleasure and Reality Principle in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Yogyakarta: Departement of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University (2008).
Karya-karya sastra merupakan sarana seseorang untuk mengekspresikan apa yang dirasakan maupun dilihatnya tentang hal-hal disekitarnya. Skripsi ini menitikberatkan pada satu-satunya novel karya Oscar Wilde yang berjudul The Picture of Dorian Gray. Karya sastra ini memperoleh reputasi yang tidak baik bukan hanya karena ceritanya tetapi juga karena novel ini juga digunakan sebagai bukti perilaku menyimpang sang penulis. Karya seperti ini layak untuk diteliti untuk membuktikan apakah benar novel ini sungguh mencerminkan perilaku menyimpang sang penulis.
Skripsi ini menganalisis tiga masalah utama. Yang pertama adalah karakteristik tiga tokoh utama. Karakteristik-karakteristik tiga tokoh utama tersebut kemudian akan dianalisis bersamaan dengan konflik-konflik yang terjadi dalam cerita untuk melihat perang antara pleasure principle dan reality principle.
Pada akhirnya perang antara pleasure principle dan reality principle yang dilihat dari karakteristik tiga tokoh utama dan konflik-konflik yang terjadi di cerita digunakan untuk melihat konflik internal yang terjadi pada sang pengarang.
Analisis novel ini dilaksanakan dengan cara studi pustaka menggunakan buku, artikel serta sumber-sumber online yang berkaitan. Dalam proses analisis, mula-mula karakteristik dari tiga tokoh utama yang akan dipelajari dianalisis menggunakan teori karakter dan karakterisasi. Kemudian konflik-konflik dalam cerita juga dianalisis mengggunakan teori konflik untuk melihat perang antara
pleasure principle dan reality principle. Langkah terakhir adalah menganalisis konflik internal sang pengarang dengan melihat biografi sang pengarang.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
People could learn many fascinating things in literature. Literature often reflects aspects of human life, such as moral, history, psychology, society, and many more. Reading literary works enables human to enrich their soul, gives new perspectives in seeing things, and sees deeper than what is seen. Moreover, literature is both beautiful and useful.
Literary works, such as a novel is said to be beautiful in ways that it gives pleasure to the reader. It is said to be useful since it gives contemplation to its readers. People could learn about the complexity of life and problem solving through the characters of certain literary works. Even though those characters are unreal figures, they are able to touch their readers’ heart through the similarities of life experiences. Some of the life experiences in the novel might be rather different than ours; still it could give us a new perspective, a media to have self-awareness.
The great playwright, Oscar Wilde, had written his only and most popular novel The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1890. He opened an opportunity to researchers to study many things from his novel. Desire or sexual drive is the major theme in this novel. Sexual drive is considered as the most powerful instinct within human mind. It is located in the unconscious that mostly tied to the biological desires and obey what Freud called the pleasure principle.
On the other hand, within human mind there is also what is called as the
consciousness. According to Freud, the conscious mind is a survival system that has logic and reason that is forced by the external environment. Freud said that this rational process of the mind obeys the reality principle. “For all his lawlessness there is one venue where the subject of desire featured in The Picture of Dorian Gray has proven himself as the most exemplary citizen” (Butler, 2000: 240)
The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only novel published as the lead story in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine on 20 June 1890. Wilde later revised this edition, made several alterations, and added new chapters, and Ward, Lock, and Company published the new edition in April 1891 (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi qa3708/is 200310/ai n9329138/pg 2)
w.sparrknotes.com/lit/doriangray)
This thesis tries to reveal the complexities of human psyche. It is believed that in human’s psyche there is an inner-psychological conflict, which according to Freud’s term called as the battle between the pleasure and the reality principles. These two principles, the reality and the pleasure principles, represent two opposite natures of human. According to Freud, it is the battle between the pleasure principle (immediate gratification) and the reality principle (delayed gratification) that causes consciousness to emerge in a child.
The novel by Oscar Wilde tells about a man who adores himself too much. To gain eternal beauty and youth he sells his soul to the devil. This novel is a perfect reflection of the battle between the body and soul within a human, the characters and the conflicts in the novel portray the battle between two principles of Freud, the pleasure principle and the reality principle.
According to Freud, the pleasure principle represents human’s wildest desires, such as sexual desires. On the other hand, the reality principle is the filter of the pleasure principle or part of the psyche that recognizes the boundaries or the norms made by the society or the societal standards.
The novel tells Dorian Gray’s developing desire describes a trajectory of de-essentialism, in which his erotic passions appear less and less an expression of inherent attribute, and more and more a function of external influence, less and less like natural hunger that arises from within the subject and more and more like infection” (Butler, 2000: 240)
characters and the conflicts within the story. In other words, the writer tries to relate literature and psychology. Wellek and Waren (1956: 81) in their book
Theory of Literature state that analyzing literary works relating to psychology means studying theory of psychology that may exist within works of literature. In reproduction of literary works, the author gave the biggest influence. The story plays a role as the author’s media to share and express his or her messages, minds, feelings, and also imagination. According to Van De Laar and Schoonder Woerd novels or other literary works are, whether directly or indirectly, the portrayal of the author’s experience of life. Consequently, besides revealing the battle between the two principles brought by Freud, the writer also wants to discuss about the author’s inner conflicts related to Wilde’s novel.
Directly or indirectly, conscious or unconscious, every novelist necessarily presents in his novel a certain way of life and some of the problems of life. He represents incidents, characters, motives and etc. in such a way to reveal more or less directly and clearly the way in which he looks upon the problems of life (1969: 174).
B. Problem Formulation
Regarding the explanation above, the problems can be formulated as follows.
1. How are the main characters characterized in the novel?
2. How is the battle between the pleasure and reality principle depicted in Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray?
C. Objectives of the Study
In the objectives of the study, the writer tries to find out the answers of the formulated problems in the previous part.
The first objective is to see how the main characters are characterized in the story. The second objective is to find out how the battle between the pleasure and reality principles is depicted in Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, seen through the intrinsic elements. Therefore, the third objective is to find out how this battle between the two principles depicted in the novel reflects the author’s inner conflicts.
D. Definition of Terms
To avoid misunderstanding that may occur in this thesis the writer provides the definition of terms.
1. Pleasure principle. According to Freud in Bressler’s book, pleasure
principle craves only pleasure, and it desires instaneous satisfaction of instinctual drives, ignoring moral and sexual boundaries established by society. This principle governs the id in which it contains our secret desires, our darkest wishes, and our most intense fears (Bressler, 1999: 150).
2. Reality principle. According to Freud in Bressler’s book, the reality
instinctual desires of the id, and to allow these desires to be released in nondestructive way (Bressler, 1999: 150).
3. Psychoanalysis. It is a type of psychotherapy developed by Freud, in
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
The Picture of Dorian Gray is Wilde’s only novel that made a sensational appearance in 1890. This novel is one of Wilde’s most popular works. The novel was said to be a successful scandal. Early readers were shocked by its hints at unspeakable sins and the book later was used as evidence against Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895 (http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=0141439572).
Mighall Robert from Powell.com considers this book as one of the last works of classic gothic horror fiction with a strong Faustian theme. It deals with artistic movements and homosexuality, both of which caused some controversy when the book was first published. However, in modern times, the book has been referred to as “one of the modern classic of Western literature.”
Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray makes a Faustian bargain to sell his soul in exchage for eternal youth and beauty. Under the influence of Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life, where he is able to induldge his desires while remaining gentleman in the eyes of the polite society. Only Dorian’s picture bears the traces of his decadence (http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=0141439572).
Ackroyd’s preface in the original Penguin Classic said that this novel leads us to know about the secret life and an analysis of the darker side of late Victorian society. The Picture of Dorian Gray offers a disturbing portrait of an individual coming face to face with the reality of his soul. This novel talks about spiritual corruption in which a young man exchanges his soul for eternal youth to indulge in his desires (Edinburgh, 2003: ix ).
Meanwhile, Camille Cauti, Ph.D. points out that The Picture of Dorian Gray is a fantasy story about a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. According to her, this novel is not only about immortality but also about the life of the upper class people at that time since the main characters are upper class society that shows hypocrisy (http://www.awerty.com/The Picture of Dorian Gray.htm).
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theories on Literature
The first group of theories being used in this thesis is theories on literature. Since the thesis starts analyzing the intrinsic elements of the literary work, therefore it is appropriate to put literary theories at the beginning.
a. Theory on Character and Characterization
Character, according to Abrams (1993: 23) in his book A Glossary of Literary Terms, is the person “presented in a dramatic or narrative work … interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say-the dialogue-and by what they do-the action”. While according to Holman and Harmon (1986: 81) in A Handbook to Literature, a character is a complicated term including the idea of moral constitution of human personality, the moral uprightness, and the presence of creatures in works of art which seem to be human in one way or the other. From these sources it can be concluded that character is a complicated term presented in literary work which has the idea of moral constitution in human’s personality and having moral uprightness which the readers interpret as having the qualities of human in one way or the other.
plot, or dynamic, influenced by actions and experiences and used to reveal the consequences of his or her actions (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 24).
Characterization is the way in which the author reveals or creates the characters in his/her work, making them ‘alive’ for the reader (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 81). In his book Holman and Harmon (1986:81) state that there are three fundamental methods of characterization in fiction. First, the explicit presentation by the author, second, the character’s own presentation in action without any comment from the author, and the last one is the representation from within a character of the impact of certain events towards the character’s inner self, also without any interference from the author.
Meanwhile M.J. Murphy (1972: 161-173) in Understanding Unseens An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students
explained that there are nine ways of how an author makes his character understandable for the reader. Sometimes the steps are not all used by authors to show their characters’ characteristics, however some of them must exist.
a. Personal Description
The author can describe a person’s appearance and clothes in details so that the readers will be able to figure the personality of the character based on his or her appearance.
b. Character as seen by another
c. Speech
The author can give us an insight into the character of one of the characters in the book through what that person says.
d. Past Life
By allowing the reader learn something about a person’s past life the author can give us a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character. This can be done by direct comment by the author, through the person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another person. e. Conversation of others
The author can also give us clues to a person’s character through the conversations of other people and the things they say about him.
f. Reactions
The author can give us a clue in a person’s character by allowing us to know how that person reacts to various situation and events.
g. Direct comment
The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly through the narration (especially in third-person narrator).
h. Thoughts
The author can give us direct knowledge of what we cannot do in real life. He can tell us what different people are thinking from the omniscient narrator. i. Mannerisms
b. Theories on Conflict
Beaty and Hunter (1986: 998) in their book New World of Literature, says that most people try hard to avoid conflict. People choose to live in peace. Nevertheless, no one can escape conflicts for long, even without wars or a large-scale disagreement. Dealing with their statement, we know then that conflicts exist in our lives.
In literary work, characters sometimes develop with the interference of some conflicts that appear in the story. Conflict in literature means a struggle between opposing forces. The protagonist engages in the conflict with the antagonist, which may take the form of a character, society, nature, or an aspect of the protagonist’s personality (http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/literature /bedlit/glossary_ a.htm#top).
While according to Dowling, there are two main kinds of conflict, external and internal conflicts. External conflict is a struggle between a character and an outside force. Characters may face several types of outside forces. The outside force may be another character (man against man). It may be the character and the community. The outside force may also be force of nature (man against nature) (http://www.dowlingcentral.com/MrsD/area/literature/Term/conflict .html).
Henceforth Perrine (1974: 44) states that conflict itself is a clash of action, ideas, desires, or will between two individuals, or among people in the story. Similarly, Stanton (1965: 16) explains that internal conflict is conflict between two desires within a character or between a character and his or her environment. External conflict means conflict coming from outside the characters such as people or other characters and society.
Redman (1964: 363) asserts that a conflict is the struggle between two opposing forces, ideas, or belief. According to him, there are two kinds of conflict. They are inner or internal conflict meaning a struggle within the heart and mind of the protagonist, while the other is external conflict meaning a struggle between the protagonist and an outside force.
Since this research is going to use psychoanalysis study in its approach, the writer includes the definition of conflict seen from psychology. According to Kagan and Havemann in their book Psychology: An Introduction (1972: 373), a conflict is the simultaneous arousal of two or more incompatible motives, resulting in unpleasant emotions. The person in conflict experiences uncertainty, hesitation, and the feeling of being “tron” and distressed –elements that are an integral parts of conflict that make conflicts such an unpleasant part of life and a potential threat to normal behaviour.
Conflicts with internal standards is when a motive urges us toward behaviour that is incompatible with our standards, we have a conflict that often results in intense anxiety. On the other hand, conflicts over external goals occur when two motives for different and incompatible external goals are aroused at the same time. Life is full of conflicts over pairs of goals that cannot both be attained.
Almost similar to Kagan and Havemann, Atkinson, et al. stated that a major source of frustration is conflict between two opposing motives. When two motives are conflicting, the satisfaction of one leads to the frustration of the other. Even when only one motive is involved, conflict may arise if the goal can be approached in several different ways (1981:10).
Sometimes conflict arises between a motive and a person’s internal standards rather than between two external goals. An individual’s sexual desires may conflict with his or her standards of acceptable social behavior. Achievement motives may conflict with individual standards of helpful and cooperative behavior. Conflicts between motives and internal standards often can be more difficult to resolve than conflicts between external goals. Most conflicts involve goals that are simultaneously desirable and undesirable-both positive and negative (Kagan, 1981:10).
c. Theories on the Relation between Literary Work and Its Author
Wordsworth believes that people’s psychological structure is paralleled in the workings of the universe as a whole. He believes that literary works, such as poems could tell the truth. Similar to what Pope said that “in every work regards the writer’s end, since none can compass more than they intend” (Daiches 1981: 261)
Northrop Frye as cited in Reichert (1977: x) said that forms of literature are the forms of life. People make sense of character, a dialogue, a plot, as they make sense of each other and their life, and experiences take the shape of literature and make it meaningful.
To read or interpret or assess a work of literature is to read or interpret or assess it as something as an expression of thought or feeling, as a complicated statement about life, as a subtly persuasive of rhetoric (Reichert, 1977: 134)
Longinus in Daiches (1981:47) says that the true nature of literature is defined by a discussion of its greatness and the definition in moral and intellectual qualities of the author. In other words, to produce the greatness effect to readers the author must possess certain qualities as a man as well as certain skills as a writer. As a man he must have impressiveness of thought and emotion.
also believed that literature is an effort to show the meaning of life, while literary review is the effort to make the literary work understood.
Schooles in his book Structural Fabulation as cited in Dari Peristiwa ke Imajinasi: Wajah Sastra dan Budaya (1983: 3) states that it is impossible to see reality without individual interpretation which may connect with imagination. Similarly it is impossible to have an imagination without any knowledge about reality. Therefore, imagination is always attached to reality and reality cannot be separated from imagination.
It is undisputable that in producing a work, the author gives a big portion of influence. The story plays a role as the author’s media to share and express his or her messages, minds, feelings, and also imagination. According to Van De Laar and Woerd novels or other literary works, whether directly or indirectly, are the portrayal of the author’s experience of life.
Directly or indirectly, conscious or unconscious, every novelist necessarily presents in his novel a certain way of life and some of the problems of life. He represents incidents, characters, motives and etc. in such a way to reveal more or less directly and clearly the way in which he looks upon the problems of life (1969: 174).
According to Wellek and Warren (1956: 75-78), the author is definitely important since he is the creator of literary works. There is a close relation between the author and his or her works that cannot be separated.
There is a close relationship between the work of art and the life of the author, but the work of art is not mere copy of life. A work of art may be only a place to hide his or her weakness and so that in writing a literary work the author depends on his or her mood.
work and the author. An author’s work, including characters, perhaps is “a kind of mask which is surely based on the author’s experience of life” (1971: 8).
d. Theory on the Relation between Psychology and Literature
Literature and Psychology are two subjects that can be a media to explore human’s life. Bornstein (1984:144) in the book Psychology and its Allied Disciplines Humanities volume I states that literature is best at describing the human condition in dramatic form, while psychology has the strength to investigate human’s character or behavior in systematic ways. The statement means that literature depicts human condition in dramatic way while psychology studies human characteristics systematically. Both subjects have one common purpose that is to depict human condition.
According to Jung psychology as a study of process of the mind, can be brought to bear the study of literature in which the human mind is the center of all arts and sciences. Therefore, the study of the mind should be able to explain the psychological structure of work of art and to reveal the factors that make a person artistically creative (Jung, 1966: 86).
enrich the stories, and psychologist can gain their understanding of human behaviour by drawing the deep sensitivity of good authors.
Moreover, Freud said as in Bressler (1999: 153) that any unresolved conflicts given rise to any neurosis are the stuff of literature. A work of literature, he believes, is the external expression of the author’s unconscious mind. Accordingly, the literary work must be treated like a dream, applying psychoanalytic techniques to the text to uncover the author’s hidden motivations or repressed desires.
Wellek and Warren (1956: 91) also discuss that characters in plays and novels are judged to be “psychologically” true. Sometimes, a psychological theory, held either consciously or dimly by an author, seems to fit a figure or situation. Psychological truth is naturalistic standard without universal validity. In some cases, psychological insight seems to enhance artistic values.
2. Theories on Psychology
a. Theory on Psychoanalysis, Pleasure Principle, and Reality Principle
Psychoanalysis is a type of psychotherapy developed by Freud, in which the chief tools are free association, study of dreams and slips of the tongue, and transference. Psychoanalysis attempts to give the patient insight into his unconscious conflicts, which he can then control as they come into their awareness as taken from Kagan’s book Psychology: An Introduction (1972: 595)
psychological disturbances are due to anxiety about hidden conflicts between the unconscious components of one’s personality. These theories suggest that psychoanalyst should be aware of the unconscious impulses, desires, and fears that are causing anxiety. Psychoanalysts believe that if the patients can understand their unconscious motives, they have taken the first step toward gaining control over their behavior and freeing themselves of their problems.
According to Freud, unconscious impulses find expression in dreams, slips of speech, mannerism, and symptoms of mental illness as well as through such socially approved behavior as artistic literary activity. Freud believed that all of our actions have a cause but that the cause are some unconscious motives rather than the rational reason we may give for our behavior. We are driven by the same basic instincts as animals (primarily sex and aggression) and are continually struggling against society that stresses the control of these impulses. Because Freud believed that aggression was a basic instinct, he was pessimistic about the possibility of people ever living together peacefully (Kasschau, 1995: 397-398).
consciousness, including the recall of dreams and early childhood memories, psychoanalysis tries to help the patient to become aware of much that had been unconscious to discover the basic determinants of personality (Atkinson, 1981: 395).
In Freud’s second model, the economic model, he introduces two new concepts that govern the human psyche: the pleasure and reality principles. According to Freud, individual exists in two different dimensions, characterized by different mental processes and principles, the unconscious and the conscious. The conscious and the unconscious are at battle for control of a person’s actions.
The unconscious or a dynamic system that not only contains our biographical memories but also stores our suppressed and unresolved conflicts is ruled by the pleasure principle. The pleasure principle strives nothing but for “gaining pleasure, such as immediate satisfaction, or joy”. Instant relief from all pain and suffering is its goal. The pleasure principle ignores the sexual boundaries and moral to achieve its goal, as cited from Bressler (1999: 150).
The reality principle formed in a system of institutions. The individual, growing up within such system, learns the requirements of the reality principle as those of law and order, and transmits them to the next generation. Parents and educators enforce the reality principle (http://evans-experimentialism. freewebspace.com/marcuse02.htm). The reality principle helps part of the psyche that recognizes the need for societal standards and regulations on pleasure. It regulates the instinctual desires of the unconscious and allows these desires to be released in some non destructive way. It acts as a filter or censor of the mind. It also encourages us to make moral judgment upon societal standards and suppresses the desires and instincts forbidden by society. The reality principle disguises in the form of punishment. It allows us to feel guilty or afraid or ashamed (Bressler, 1999: 150).
In conclusion, as cited in Guerrin (1999: 129-130), the pleasure principle governs the id, which is the reservoir of libido, the primary source of all our aggressions and desires. It is lawless, asocial, and amoral. Its function is to gratify our instincts for pleasure without regard for social conventions, legal ethics, or moral restraints. The id as defined by Freud is identical in many aspects to the Devil as defined by theologians.
The id is solely governed by the pleasure principle; on the other hand the ego is governed by the reality principle. The ego is the rational governing agent in the mind.
dominated by the need to labor; and for Freud that harsh necessity means that we must repress some of our tendencies for pleasure and gratification. If people do not work in order to survive, they might simply lie around all day doing nothing. According to Freud, every human has to undergo this repression that is repression of the pleasure principle by the reality principle. The other act that is based on the pleasure principle is narcissism. Freud said that narcissism is a state in which one’s body or ego as a whole is ‘cathected’, or taken as an object of desire that is forced by libidinal drives.
In conclusion, pleasure principle is Freud’s notion that we are all driven to satisfy our needs. The reduction of drive gives us pleasure. It is anarchic, sadistic, aggressive, self-involved, and remorselessly pleasure-seeking. While reality principle is the awareness that the world has reality of its own, separated from what we wish it to be.
3. Biography of Oscar Wilde
To understand Oscar Wilde fully, the biography of the author is completed with the author’s autobiography De Profundis, to see the psychological condition and the conflicts within the author’s mind.
journalist. His father was Sir William Wilde, an Irish antiquarian, gifted writer, and specialist in diseases of the eye and ear.
Oscar Wilde inherited all his grace and intelligence from his parents, especially his mother. His gifts and grace distinguish him among his contemporaries (Sherard, 1911: 26). ‘Oscar Wilde is known for his amiable personality, glitering wit and audacious showmanship’ (Laver, 1954: 1).
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born at No. I, Merrion Square , in the city of Dublin, on the 16 October 1854. Oscar Wilde adored youth. He stated that he was not born in 1856, but two years earlier. This inaccuracy arouse from his misstatement. He used the term “the usual age” commented on his birth date that made him appears two years younger (Sherard, 1911: 3-4).
At the age of 13, Wilde's tastes in clothes were already dandy's. "The flannel shirts you sent in the hamper are both Willie's mine are one quite scarlet and the other lilac but it is too hot to wear them yet," he wrote in a letter to his mother. Willie, whom he mentioned, was his elder brother (as retrieved from http://www.online-literature.com/wilde). Wilde statement in De Profundis shows this.
Wilde it is said that for months before Wilde was born his mother had earnestly desired that the child should be a girl. She often expressed her conviction that a daughter was going to be born to her. She used to tell friends of the things she was going to do “after my little girl is born”. When Oscar was born, her disappointment was great. She refused to admit that her new child was a boy. She used to treat him, to speak to him as if he was a girl and as long as it was possible to do so, she dressed him like a girl (Sherard, 1911: 5). In De Profundis Wilde stated his regret to his mother
Three months go over and my mother dies. No one knew how deeply I loved and honoured her. Her death was terrible to me; but I, once a lord of language, have no words in which to express my anguish and shame. She and father had bequeathed a name they had made noble and honoured not merely in literature, art, archaeology, and science, but in the public history of my own country, in its evolution as a nation. I had disgraced that name eternally (Wilde, 1905: 18).
Few years afterward, at Oxford Wilde shocked the pious dons with his irreverent attitude towards religion and was jeered at his eccentric clothes. He collected blue china and peacock’s feathers and later his velvet knee-breeches drew much attention. His lifestyle and humorous wit made him soon spokesman for Aestheticism. He worked as art reviewer (1881), lectured in the United States and Canada (1882), and lived in Paris (1883) (as retrieved from http://www.online-literature.com/wilde).
open to rumors. At Oxford he became a close friend of Frank Miles, a painter, and the homosexual aesthete Lord Ronald Gower. Wilde’s marriage ended in 1893. Wilde had met a few years earlier Lord Alfred Douglas, an athlete and a poet, who became both the love of the author's life and his downfall. In 1891 Wilde began his affair with Lord Alfred Douglas who has a nickname Bosie. His years of triumph ended dramatically, when his intimate association with Alfred Douglas led to his trial on charges of homosexuality (then illegal in Britain)."The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it," Wilde once said. Bosie's uncle, Lord Jim, caused a scandal when he filled in the 1891 census describing his wife as a "lunatic" and his stepson as a "shoeblack born in darkest Africa" (Laver, 1954: 21).
I deliberately went to the depths in the search for new sensation. What the paradox was to me in the sphere of thought, perversity became to me in the sphere of passion. Desire, at the end, was a malady, or a madness, or both. I grew careless of the lives of others. I took pleasure where it pleased me, and passed on. That something hidden away in my nature, like a treasure in a field is Humility (Wilde, 1905: 25-27).
It has been denied that Wilde was born as a complete homosexual. His marriage and the birth of two sons is sufficient evidence that he is not a complete homosexual. He is more appropriate to be considered as bi-sexual. He himself is not aware of this state, not until he was in Oxford (Laver, 1954: 21).
century is such a great affection of an elder for a younger man as there was between David and Jonathan”.
During the trial and while he served his sentence, Bosie stood by Wilde, although the author felt himself betrayed. Later they met in Naples. Wilde’s wife took their children to Switzerland and adopted the name ‘Holland’. Wilde died of cerebral meningitis on November 30, 1900, penniless, in a cheap Paris hotel at the age of 46 (http://www.online-literature.com/wilde). Wilde’s conflict was best stated in his autobiography.
I must say to myself that I ruined myself, and that nobody great or small can be ruined except by his own hand. I am quite ready to say so. Morality does not help me. I am one of those who are made for exceptions, not for laws. I see that there is nothing wrong in what one does, I see that there is something wrong in what one becomes. Religion does not help me. The faith that others give to what is unseen, I give to what one can touch, and look at (Wilde, 1905: 23, 33).
C. Theoretical Framework
In analyzing this thesis, first of all, the three main characters in the novel are studied by using the theories of characters and characterization. Once this is done the answer of the first problem formulation is obtained. Second, the characters and the conflicts in the novel are examined thoroughly using the theories of pleasure and reality principles, and theories of conflict. Consequently, the battle between the pleasure and reality principles in the novel can be seen in which it is the answer to the second problem formulation.
conflict it is necessary to see the theories of conflict as well. Finally, the answer of the third problem formulation will be achieved by using the psychoanalysis theories.
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The object of this study is Oscar Wilde’s only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. The version being used in this thesis is the popular illustrated classics version published by Rohan Book in 2003. The story was first published by J.M. Stoddart on Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine on July 1890. The story is considered notorious on its first appearance. The next year Wilde greatly revised and expanded the text, adding melodramatic subplot and preface that defended his aesthetic philosophy.
1890 in beautiful places in London, such as Basil Hallward’s studio and the opium dens of East End.
B. Approach of the Study
To answer the problem formulation in this study, the writer applies psychological approach. This thesis deals with characters, author and his state of mind, therefore psychological approach is appropriate since character is one of the subjects of Psychology. It involves patterns of behavior, thoughts, and feelings. Therefore, this criticism is the most suitable to be used in this thesis since the analysis concerns about the pleasure and reality principles seen in the characters and the story of the novel.
The basis of psychological approach is the idea of the existence of human unconscious impulses, desires, and feelings about which a person is unaware but influencing emotions and behavior. Critics use this approach to explore the motivations of characters and the symbolic meanings of events in literary works. It is also used to describe and analyze the reader’s personal responses to a text (http://www.bedfordmartins.com/literature/glossary_htm#top).
According to Rohrberger and Woods (1971: 13), psychological approach is an approach to literature which “involves the effort to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent patterns” and which refers to different body of knowledge that is Psychology. In applying this approach, psychological theories are generally used as interpretive tools, similar to what Lewis Leary (1976: 57) said in his book
A psychological approach is an approach that applies principles of modern psychology to characters or situations within literary work or to the person who wrote the work.
Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theories as cited in Kennedy (1999: 1947) have changed our understanding about human behavior by exploring human’s thoughts such as wish fulfillment, sexuality, the unconscious and repression. According to him language in literature is able to reflect unconscious fears and desires. He admitted himself had learned psychology mostly from studying literature. He believed that author of literary work “had such profound insight into human nature that his characters display the depth and complexity of real people.
personality with all its idiosyncrasies, internal and external conflicts, and most importantly, neuroses. In turn, such devised theory, they believed, could illuminate an author’s individual works, giving rise to latent content in the author’s texts. By gaining an in-depth understanding of the author, these critics assumed they would be better able to interpret an author’s cannon. In later studies, the psychoanalytic critics focused on character analysis, studying the various aspects of characters’ mind found in author’s cannon. Individual characters within a text now became the focus, believing that the author had in mind a particular personality for his or her characters. A character’s motivations and actions, then, became more complex than simply the author’s ideas.
According to Freud, playwright had such profound insight into human nature that his characters display the depth and complexity of real people. Freud and disciples believed that great literature truthfully reflects life. Psychological criticism employs three approaches. First, it investigates the creative process of the artist. Second is the psychological study of particular artist. Most modern literary biographies employ psychology to understand their subject’s motivation and behavior. The third is the analysis of fictional characters. Freud’s study shows psychological approach tries to bring modern insights about human behavior into the study of fictional people is act (Kennedy, 1999: 1947).
C. Method of the Study
playwright, Oscar Wilde The Picture of Dorian Gray which was published on 2003 was used as the primary data. Second, the secondary data were books that were used to provide theories, such as Bressler’s Literary Criticism, Abrams’ A Glossary of Literary Terms, Murphy’s Understanding Unseen, etc. Some critical reviews and theories obtained from some Internet sites were also used.
Firstly, the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde was read focusing on the content. Afterward, the novel was re-read to understand it more and to analyze it. The story is very important because the form of this literary work is a novel and therefore it holds the biggest role in conveying the author’s idea or state of mind.
Next the writer formulated three questions. These three questions represented the problems that needed to be solved. The first question dealt with the characters in the novel. The second question dealt with the depiction of the battle between the pleasure and reality principles within the novel. The third had to do with the question of how this battle of two principles reflects the author’s inner conflict.
Thirdly, relating parts into whole. This step tried to make the information from step one and two become one. Therefore, in this step the information that can answer the problem was gathered to analyze the novel. In this step this novel was analyzed based on the theories and references that were able to help in answering the problems.
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
The pleasure and reality principles are two principles that govern human’s behavior. These principles are opposite one and another. In Wilde’s novel, the depiction of the pleasure and reality principles is seen through two ways. First through the characterization of the three major characters, they are Lord Henry Wotton, Basil Hallward and Dorian Gray. The second is seen through the conflicts happen in the story, conflicts between one character and other characters, or one character with the society in the novel. Conclusively, the battle between the pleasure and reality principles which is shown through the characterization and the conflicts in the story reflects the author’s internal conflicts.
A. The Characterization of the Main Characters in the Novel
There are three main characters in the novel that are being analyzed. They are Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton and Basil Hallward.
1. Characteristics of Basil Hallward
As the painter looked at the gracious and comely form he had so skillfully mirrored in his heart, a smile of pleasure passed across his face and seemed about to linger there (p. 5).
As a painter Basil has a great adoration for Dorian for he is a very interesting object of art. To him, Dorian’s picture is the greatest achievement in his life, his masterpiece, and his best work of art. As said by Murphy, character’s characteristics can be seen from the character’s speech.
There is nothing that Art cannot express, and I know that work I have done, since I met Dorian Gray, is a good work, is the best work of my life (p.14).
Lord Henry Wotton who considers Dorian’s picture as the best achievement for Basil supports this statement. “It is your best work, Basil, the best thing you have ever done, “said Lord Henry, languidly. You must certainly send it next year to the Grosvenor “(p.7).
This is also shown in what he said to Lord Henry about Dorian, “Don’t take away from me the one person who gives to my art whatever charms it may possesses; my life as an artist depends on him.”(p. 18)
This statement shows how deeply connected Basil is to his work. To him his work is his world and then finally his object transfers into part of his world also. Basil used to think of himself as someone independent. He is someone who is indifferent to others. His main interest is art. This belief has changed since he met Dorian. He adores Dorian too much. Dorian is one of his most precious object of art and his good friend.
He is also a coward. Basil Hallward is a mix personality of someone with a pure heart and a coward.
Something told me that I was on the verge of a terrible crisis in my life I had feeling that Fate had in store for me exquisite joys and exquisite sorrows. I grew afraid, and turned to quit the room. It was not conscience that made me do so it was sort of cowardice. I take no credit for myself for trying to escape (p. 11).
He is also a hard worker. This is shown through his mannerism when he puts all his work in his art, “but I really can’t exhibit it I have put too much of myself in it” (p. 7).
Basil is someone who upholds highly the moral standard therefore he is quite the opposite of Lord Henry Wotton. His views of life are almost completely contradictory to Lord Henry Wotton. He thinks Lord Henry Wotton will give bad influences to Dorian, “Don’t spoil him. Don’t try to influence him. Your influence would be bad” (p.18). Basil’s characterization can be seen from his way of thinking. He is a very open minded person. According to him the less blessing one’s receives is the better. Having something more than others will alter one’s personality. He delivers these words for Dorian, Lord Henry Wotton and himself.
Basil believes that having a greater blessing physically or intellectually is not always positively beneficial for someone. Having a greater fortune means having a greater challenge to overcome temptations. Not being able to defeat the world’s temptations will change one’s personality. Dorian’s good looks will deliver him directly to the temptation. These temptations are things such as desire, immediate satisfaction, and pleasure. From this point of view the conclusion that can be drawn is that Basil is someone who thinks carefully, and always tries to see things from different perspectives.
Basil is very sensitive; he is shocked when Dorian forbids him to see his own masterpiece. His reaction to Dorian’s refusal is blown over proportion, Hallward is thunderstruck. He looks at Dorian Gray in absolute amazement. He is trembling all over (p. 125).
His sensitivity and his emotional feeling toward Dorian Gray are caused by his great adoration and love for him. He is so afraid of losing their friendship. He is a loyal friend, he is willing to hide his best piece of art from public as Dorian asked him, ‘Your friendship is dearer to me than any fame of reputation’ (p.126).
Basil’s great adoration for Dorian is told in 3 pages long in the novel, from page 126-128. Here, Basil confesses his true feeling to Dorian, ‘…As I told Harry, once, you are made to be worshipped” (p. 128).
Therefore, Basil is a flat character because his idea of life, his point of view is static throughout the story. He lives according to society’s laws and obeys them without further question. He adheres the social tradition, he always tries to be a good man and that what he is, lives the life without trespasses the border of restrictions made by the society.
Basil is someone who upholds the moral standard, very patient, a loyal friend, and kind. Basil is someone who obeys law and all the restrictions or rules in society and as seen from the theory that the reality principle formed itself in a system of institution, such as those of law and order as retrieved from http://evans-experimentialism.freewebspace. com/ marcuse02.htm, it can be concluded that Basil Hallward is the representation of the reality principle.
2. Characteristics of Lord Henry Wotton
The character of Lord Henry Wotton in the story is defined as a static character because according to Holman and Harmon, a static character is a character that experiences only slight changes in the plot without any complexities. Despite the complexity of his characteristics, Lord Henry Wotton does not undergo many changes in the plot of the story.
He is known as a lazy person. In the novel the statements saying that he is someone who always comes late is repeated over and over to emphasize his characteristics in the story.
Late as usual, Harry, cried his aunt, shaking her head at him.
Lord Henry had not yet come in. He was always late on principle, his principle being that punctuality is the thief of time.
Lord Henry Wotton is a person who gives too much attention to what he is wearing. A person who is rich by inheritance and does not need to work to earn a living “I thought you dandies never got up till two, and were not visible till five”(p. 36), he does not need to wake up early in the morning to work, and does anything that he wants to spend his time
He does not believe that people should live by moral standard, according to society’s rule. He does not believe in God. He always breaks the social convention in viewing things. He wants to live according to his own rule. He does not believe in love. To him being in love is equal to deceiving yourself. “When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving oneself, and always ends by deceiving others” (p.58). Lord Henry’s cynical words to Dorian stating his point of view about the society shows this.
The terror of society, which is the basis of morals, the terror of God, which is the secret of religion. These are two things that govern us. And yet-(p.22).
He is a very insensitive and mean person. He shows no consideration to Dorian’s grief on the death of his love, Sibyl Vane, who commits suicide. Lord Henry’s terrible deed is shown through his 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).
all, Dorian. Men marry because they are tired and women, because they are curious; both are disappointed” (p.53). He is considered as unfaithful; seen from his reactions and speech, according to him “faithfulness is to the emotional life what consistency is to the life of intellect-simply a confession of failure” (p. 55). He never regards loyalty as something important. To him it is a disgrace, a failure. Due to his words and mannerism toward women, it is concluded that he regards women as secondary creature. It can be seen from the way of how he always degrades women. No wonder his wife finally leaves him.
My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals (p. 53).
Lord Henry Wotton is a manipulative person. He influences people with his ideology. He sees the world differently from others. He is a rebellious man. He is self-involved, seen from the way he tries to influence Dorian in which he finally succeeds. He puts everything he has in his head into Dorian’s mind. He considers Dorian as a living work of art. Being different from Basil who paints on canvas, Lord Henry paints his picture in Dorian’s soul, “Because to influence a person is to give him one’s own soul (p.22). It is also shown through Dorian Gray’s response toward Lord Henry’s words. Dorian is so easily trapped in Lord Henry’s ideology of life. Lord Henry knows exactly what to say to influence people, especially Dorian.
Not only that Lord Henry is manipulative, he also influences Dorian with his terrible words. He says many bad things to others. His words describing things in the world seem so awful and horrible. “Yes Harry [Lord Henry Wotton], I know what you are going to say. Something dreadful about marriage. Don’t say it. Don’t ever say things of that kind to me again” (p. 108)
Lord Henry thinks people nowadays do not have any courage, the courage to face the world, to face themselves. He thinks that people are afraid of themselves because they try to deny their real passions and desires in life. He considers that people suffer because they refuse what they really want that is to do sins, to fulfill their desires. For Lord Henry gaining pleasure is the main goal to achieve in life.
The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful (p. 23).
Lord Henry Wotton is not only a person who seeks purely pleasure but he is also asocial. His point of view of sharing trifles with others in life shows how deeply ignorant he is about others. He is somewhat indifferent by nature. To him life should only be abundance of joy and satisfaction.
One should sympathize with the color, the beauty, the joy of life. The less said about life’s sores the better (p. 45).
his reaction to Basil’s refusal in exhibiting his portrait, “It is silly of you [Basil] for there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about”(p.7)
Though Lord Henry is a perfect example of the living pleasure principle, there is indeed a struggle in his mind between the two contradictory principles. He says that he does not believe either in social convention or in God. He says amoral, asocial and lawless things, but in fact he is married to a woman which means he follows the social construction despite his unfaithfulness.
3. Characteristics of Dorian Gray
At the beginning of the story Dorian Gray is told as a marvelous creature beyond normal beauty and adored by everyone, almost in mystical or superstitious form.
In the center of the room, clamped to an upright easel, stood the full-length portrait of a young man of extraordinary personal beauty (p. 5).
Talking about Dorian’s physical appearance is full of exaggerations. The characters in the novel admire this outstanding appearance which probably almost unlikely in real world. The way people talk about Dorian’s appearance is almost likely referring to a human who possesses the semi-god beauty.
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).
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).
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.com/literature/bedlit/glossary_a.htm#top. Since the pleasure and reality principles work oppositely, they will always at war in controlling the characters’ behavior.
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.
reality principle. 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). According to Freud as cited in
Literary Theory (Eagleton, 1983: 151-153), the need to labor is an example of an act based on the reality principle, therefore in this case Lord Henry experiences the same situation where he is unable to repress his tendencies and gratification. Since he does not need to work to survive, he ends up doing nothing all day and does whatever he wants. Lord Henry cannot or does not undergo the repression of the pleasure principle by the reality principle similar with Dorian Gray.
As stated by Freud, that the pleasure principle strives nothing but for gaining pleasure, such as immediate satisfaction or joy, therefore, Dorian’s view of life is an example of the pleasure principle. His love to his own beauty has altered him into a hideous person. He becomes more and more evil every day. His goals of life have also altered his main purpose to seek for pleasure. “He grew more and more enamored of his own beauty, more and more interested in the corruption of his own soul” (p. 142).
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).
Dorian Gray is not only extremely handsome but he is also extremely rich, consequently he becomes a narcissist who thinks that preserving beauty is the most important thing in the world. People’s adoration toward him also leads him to be a narcissist. “He stood gazing at the shadow of his own loveliness, the full reality of description flashed across him” (p. 29).
Narcism is an act based on the pleasure principle as quoted from Eagleton (1983: 151-154) ‘it is a state in which one’s body or ego as a whole is ‘cathected’, or taken as an object of desire that is forced by libidinal drives’. This internal conflict within himself lead him to a new chapter of his life, a darker chapter where he starts doing his sins. This part of Dorian’s life is considered as Dorian’s agreement to the Devil. The Evil grants these words. Knowing that he has the timeless beauty, he leads himself to be a charming creature with hideous soul.
Upon the walls of the lonely locked room where he had spent his so much of his boyhood, he had hung with his own hands the terrible portrait, whose changing features showed him the real degradation of his life-(p. 154).
