Short Paragraph on Dorian Gray - How Women Are Portrayed

     At first glance, Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, encompassing themes of masculinity and homoeroticism between men, might appear as a novel only centered on males. After all, all the main characters, except Sibyl (if one considers her a main character), are males and each represents a Victorian masculine character - an artist, an aristocrat, and a hedonist. Even romance, a theme through which women normally take important roles in novels, is short-lived in the novel, as Sibyl commits suicide. However, whether deliberate or not, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” does portray women in a specific way - as submissive objects who are weak and naive. This is most clearly illustrated through Henry’s reference to women as “a decorative sex” and “never having anything to say, but say it charmingly”. Though in a different manner, Dorian reinforces this portrayal, as he loves Sibyl not for her character and substance, but only for her aesthetic talent. It is not only the males who view women submissively. Females take part as well. Lady Henry, in her conversation with Dorian, says that she “always hear Henry’s views from his friends”, which portrays her as a submissive and naive wife. Similarly, Sibyl is characterized as a woman who is willing to give up her career and talent just
 for her infatuation with Dorian. Her role in the book reinforces this idea, as Sibyl is more of a vehicle that Wilde uses through which Dorian’s corruption and decay manifest, rather than an independent character with a message of her own. Therefore, following this train of thought, it is perhaps more accurate to assume that the lack of substantive depiction of women is a message of its own. In this sense, the novel effectively sends a notable, although not overt or resounding, message about women.