Natascha Kracheel

Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg

Lehrstuhl für Englische Literaturwissenschaft

The Decay of Lying: Oscar Wilde’s Prose, Plays and Poetry (WS 2010/2011)

“The fascination of sin”:

Comparing the deaths of Dorian Gray

and Sibyl Vane in Oscar Wilde‘s “The

Picture of Dorian Gray“

Natascha Kracheel

Lehramt Gymnasium Englisch, Geschichte, Sozialkunde

3rd semester

Natascha Kracheel

Table of Contents

1. “The Fascination of Sin” and the Importance of “Drawing a Line”- The message

conveyed by Sibyl’s and Dorian’s deaths, Part I

Introduction 1

2. Comparing the Deaths of Dorian Gray and Sibyl Vane 2

2.1 Unsolved Mysteries 2

2.2 Importance of the Incidents 7

2.2.1 Importance of the Incidents for Dorian Gray 7

2.2.2 Importance of the Incidents for the Plot 8

3. “The Fascination of Sin” and the Importance of “Drawing a Line”- The message

conveyed by Sibyl’s and Dorian’s deaths, Part II

Résumé 9

Works Cited 12

Natascha Kracheel

1. “The Fascination of Sin” and the Importance of “Drawing a Line”- The

message conveyed by Sibyl’s and Dorian’s deaths, Part I

Introduction

Oscar Wilde is famous for his literature but also for his wit and accurate

quotations. He is reported to have said that “morality, like art, means drawing a line

someplace. “ (Moncur)Wilde also draws a line in “The Picture of Dorian Gray“,

causing some literary scholars to assume his intention was to write an “old-

fashioned morality play“ (Oates 420).

This essay’s intention is to compare the deaths of Dorian Gray and Sibyl

Vane and to prove the thesis that a certain morale is promoted by the novel. The

downfall and death of both characters is brought about by the experience of the

“fascination of sin“ (Wilde 106) and the refusal “to draw a line someplace”

(Moncur). Dorian’s and Sibyl’s deaths are not the only ones in the novel but they

share certain characteristics which also serve the promotion of a non-hedonistic

morale.

Apart from the message these events promote in regards to the novel as a

whole, they are alike in many ways and provide a lot of information about the

central themes of “The Picture of Dorian Gray“.

Thus, this essay first compares the deaths in regards to unresolved questions arising

from the events, then goes on to describe the differences and similarities in their importance

for the novel’s plot and for the character of Dorian Gray. Finally, the summary of similarities

and contrasts is meant to support the thesis that both deaths actually promote non-hedonistic

and non-aesthetic values and prove that sin’s fascination is fatal.

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2. Comparing the deaths of Dorian Gray and Sibyl Vane

2.1 Unsolved mysteries

Both, Dorian Gray’s death and Sibyl Vane’s death appear to be suicides. The actress

Sibyl Vane is found dead in her room at the theatre after swallowing prussic acid or white

lead which are both highly toxic substances. Dorian Gray’s death occurs as he stabs the

portrait created by Basil Hallward, since murdering his soul in the form of the portrait leads to

his death simultaneously. Arguments can be made in favour of both characters’ suicide but

also against them, since the descriptions of their ends can be interpreted in various ways. It is

thus the aim of the following paragraph to establish the similarities of both deaths in terms of

the unresolved questions arising in two cases of apparently obvious suicide.

The case of Sibyl’s death seems to be clear: Sibyl has transformed from “an innocent

seventeen-year old” (Baldwin 28) who was very much in love, to a broken individual and

“fallen woman” (30). Her great love for Dorian is not returned and in her pain about the

ending of their relationship she seems to see no other escape than to kill herself. She deems

Dorian’s words as final and decides to swallow either prussic acid or white lead; later she is

found dead in her theatre room.

In the conversations after her death, Sibyl’s passing is always presented as suicide.

Lord Henry has “no doubt it was not an accident“ (Wilde 79) and this thesis is not openly

questioned in any of the conversations taking place in the aftermath. Lord Henry’s account of

Sibyl’s death, however, also raises questions and suggests that either Lord Henry himself or

Dorian Gray are responsible for the actress’s death.

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Lord Henry claims Sibyl´s death has been caused by “some dreadful thing they use at

theatres“ (Wilde 79) but prussic acid and white lead were not restricted to this use in the

Victorian age (Parssinen69) . In the 1800s toxic substances, among them prussic acid, could

be purchased without restrictions. They fulfilled several purposes; they served as pest killers,

cleaning agents and as medicine. Accidental and suicidal poisonings were also promoted by

the easy access to these substances, however, leading to the establishment of several acts and

laws by the government from 1868 onwards (69). During Dorian Gray’s lifetime criminal

poisoning often went unnoticed (78) and the police’s suspicions could not be proven easily

since the purchase of these substances did not yet require the registration of the customer’s

name and address (69).

Therefore, everyone surrounding Sibyl would have known about the dangers of these

substances, especially since government wanted to raise awareness among the population.

Most citizens would have had knowledge where to buy substances like prussic acid, thus, not

only the theatre staff would have had access to toxic substances. Everyone, including Lord

Henry and Dorian Gray could have purchased the prussic acid or white lead that lead to

Sibyl’s death.

Lord Henry first raises suspicions when he mentions, in his account of Sibyl’s death,

that Sibyl “had swallowed something by mistake“ (Wilde 79). This statement is problematic

because he had mentioned before that he had “no doubt“ (79) Sibyl’s death had not been an

accident. His statement could indicate that Lord Henry is making up a story to conceal his

own involvement in Sibyl’s death. If Sibyl wanted to kill herself, as suggested by his earlier

statements, she would not have swallowed the substance “by mistake“ (79). It is also unclear

why Sibyl Vane, an experienced actress, would have swallowed a toxic substance “use[d] at

the theatres“ (79) accidentally, since she is used to these substances and should be aware of

their uses and dangers.

Natascha Kracheel

Lord Henry also bears some character traits that suggest he could be responsible for

Sibyl’s early death. Dorian Gray has served as Lord Henry’s experiment since they met – it

awakens Lord Henry’s desire “to dominate Dorian” (Oates 423). Sibyl´s appearance might

have left Lord Henry afraid his influence over Dorian could come to an end. The reader is

informed on several occasions that Lord Henry would not have approved of a marriage, too.

Shortly after Sibyl’s death he even tells Dorian that “If [he] had married this girl [he] would

have been wretched” (Wilde 80), suggesting that the marriage “would have been an absolute

failure“(80).

Furthermore, Lord Henry leads an aestheticist’s life – dominated by pleasure and

happiness (Eklund 4). Most aestheticists found a way of living this ideal without condemning

their conscience completely but Lord Henry´s extreme opinions and beliefs suggest that his

desires finally might have dominated the Lord completely. The combination of both character

traits, fear of losing power over Dorian Gray and the loss of conscience, suggests a motive:

Lord Henry Wotton could have killed Sibyl Vane because he felt his influence over Dorian

was receding. Simultaneously, however, Sibyl’s “glamour“ (Felski 1101) started to gain more

and more influence over Dorian.

Dorian Gray is another suspect concerning Sibyl’s death. Dorian’s last meeting with

Sibyl takes place a few hours before she dies. Dorian could have waited for Sibyl and

surprised her in her room. Lord Henry also utters a statement that suggests that he is aware of

a motive that would have turned Dorian into a killer– he asks Dorian: “I suppose they don't

know your name at the theatre? [...] Did anyone see you going round to her room? “ (Wilde

79). Lord Henry’s aim could be distracting Dorian from the questions the death raises

concerning Lord Henry himself or he might actually be worried that Dorian is involved in

Sibyl’s death.

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Dorian’s character has transformed noticeably throughout the play and Lord

Henry’s involvement in this change is undeniable. Dorian’s psyche is no longer whole but

there is a “chasm in his psyche” (Parssinen 65). Sometimes he despises the portrait and

himself, other times he feels the “pride of individualism” (Wilde 106) and the “fascination of

sin” (106). Dorian’s transformation from a respected member of society to a dangerous

individual is complete. Either due to Lord Henry’s direct manipulation or due to Lord Henry’s

convincing beliefs, Dorian might have transformed and have decided to end Sibyl’s life. For

reasons mentioned before Lord Henry’s intention might have been convincing Dorian that

Sibyl should not be part of his life any longer. Dorian could have reached this aim by ending

the relationship to the actress or he could have ended her life on purpose. The reader has no

means to know the real intentions of Lord Henry or Dorian. The text alludes to Dorian’s

involvement in Sibyl’s death, too. Not only does the text mention Dorian’s familiarity with

toxic substances and drugs as he muses about drug dens (“There were opium-dens, where one

could buy oblivion, dens of horror where the memory of old sins could be destroyed by the

madness of things that were new.“ (143)), but as Dorian returns from the theatre he also

notices something new about his portrait– “the face appear[s] to him to be a little changed.

[...] One would have said that there was a touch of cruelty in the mouth” (74) . At this point

of the novel the reader is aware that sins and changes in Dorian’s character manifest in the

portrait and could thus assume that Dorian is somehow responsible for Sibyl’s death. It is now

obvious that Dorian has sinned but the reader can not know if his involvement in Sibyl’s

death is an active or a passive one.

Even if Dorian or Lord Henry were responsible for Sibyl’s death, however, a murderer

would be hard to determine. If Dorian had killed Sibyl, Lord Henry’s presence in Dorian’s

life would have contributed to the events and Dorian’s transformation in character, so one

could argue that both men would be responsible.

Natascha Kracheel

Sibyl’s death is not the only death in “The Picture of Dorian Gray” that is surrounded

by mysteries and unresolved questions, though. Dorian’s death also appears to be suicide but

again certain passages of the text leave room for speculation.

Dorian does not mention directly that he plans on destroying himself. He merely

speaks about “killing the past” (Wilde 159) and wonders why he has kept the portrait for such

a long time; he makes plans to destroy it. Assuming that Dorian Gray is aware of the fact that

destroying the picture is equal to destroying and killing himself, he would have to accept that

whoever would find him death would also discover his secret. The text makes it obvious

however, that this is not Dorian’s intention. Before the actual event he ponders if “he really

[was] to confess?” (158) and comes to the conclusion that he “never“ (158) intends on doing

this; possibly an indication that Dorian is not aware of the consequences that destroying the

portrait will bring about. Another text passage supporting this thesis is Dorian’s conclusion

that “without [...] hideous warnings“ (159), the portrait, “he would be at peace“ (159). Dorian

is aware of his sins and cannot expect forgiveness in afterlife. Assuming Dorian intends on

killing himself by stabbing the picture, would he not dread life after death instead of assuming

he will “be at peace“ (159)?

Furthermore, the actual death of Dorian Gray is not described directly. The

information about Dorian’s death is provided from the outside of the room. Noises and the

servants‘ perceptions are the only sources providing information for the minutes of Dorian’s

death. Again the text leaves room for speculations.” There was a cry heard, and a crash“

(159). The crash could be caused by either the sound of the painting crashing to the floor or

Dorian’s body as he falls to the ground .Similarly to Lord Henry’s account of Sibyl’s death,

the reader has to rely on outside–information to find out how death was caused.

2.2 Importance of the incidents

Natascha Kracheel

2.2.1 Importance of the incidents for Dorian Gray

Sibyl’s death not only serves the morality-play function but also leads to advancement

in Dorian’s character (cf. Oates 426). Through Sibyl’s death Dorian ultimately becomes aware

of the fact that he is unable to feel grief. Dorian expresses this discovery when he states that

he “[has] not been wounded“ (Wilde 80) by her death. Temporarily he also reaches his aim of

mastering his conscience completely. By mystifying Sibyl’s death, describing it as the

“beauty of a Greek tragedy “ (80) he manages to calm himself and his conscience. Doing this

leads to a further amplification of Dorian’s character changes, he is now even further

“detached“ from “normal human emotions” (Oates 427). Apart from the first emergence of

Dorian’s lack of emotion, Sibyl’s death also leads to the first expression of evil by Dorian

(Eklund19).

Sibyl’s death marks the starting point for the emergence of several fatal changes in

Dorian’s character. Sibyl’s first appearance was the beginning of Dorian’s “burgeoning

independence” (Baldwin 26). Sibyl’s death not only marks a shift in Dorian’s emotions but

also brings about a shift in the power structures of the character’s relationships. Dorian no

longer seeks to gain independence from Lord Henry because he has already begun to

determine his own fate by ending the relationship to Sibyl. Sibyl’s death makes his decision

final, there’s no way back for Dorian. His character has transformed completely– he does not

need Lord Henry’s advice as guidance any longer. This is not a turning point, however, but

the advancement of a development that started when Lord Henry first met Dorian. Possibly it

is also Lord Henry’s original intention.

Another development of Dorian is advanced by both deaths. As Dorian kills himself

this is ultimate proof that his aim to achieve “mastery over feeling“ (Felski 138) cannot be

achieved permanently. As he tries to master and dominate his emotions the way he had

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learned it after Sibyl’s death he has to realize that what he did not want to happen, namely

being dominated by his emotions (cf. Wilde 85), is what he becomes. Ultimately, his

emotions and his sorrow become so unbearable that he seeks escape in suicide. This is yet

another similarity uniting Sibyl and Dorian in death: neither Sibyl nor Dorian are masters of

their emotions and thus choose the option of suicide.

Other than Sibyl, Dorian is found dead by his servants. While Sibyl’s loved ones

discover her death, Dorian is isolated in death; no loved ones are there to grieve. Dorian’s life

before his last day had been dominated by outward appearances and good reputation. In death

Dorian is alone; his life comes to a tragic ending. Sibyl’s end is more dignified. As an actress

she sought the spotlight and succeeded, even in death- her story is covered by the media. Not

her flaws are reported, but the tragic circumstances of her death. Dorian’s reputation, on the

other hand, probably takes a turn for the worse after the discovery of his body and the tell-all

portrait.

2.2.2 Importance of the incidences for the plot

As mentioned before, Sibyl’s death is in many ways a first step towards Dorian’s end.

Dorian’s “pleasure-seeking lifestyle“ (Eklund 1) manifests in both events and makes it clear

that the “practical reality“ (1) of this lifestyle ultimately leads to a downfall. Sibyl’s death

should therefore not be seen as a turning-point of the plot but as advancement of the plot and

the intended message of the novel in general. Sibyl’s death is the first indication that an

extreme aesthetic lifestyle, living solely for pleasure and happiness, is not a lifestyle that

should be promoted and lived. By indulging in this lifestyle (11) Dorian first causes Sibyl’s

downfall, then he goes on living this way and brings about his own fall. One could argue that

Dorian’s murder of the portrait, his suicide, “[restores] the human soul to its rightful place”

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(Felski 397). Sibyl’s soul is supposedly already in this “rightful place” (397) since she had

been a mostly “innocent girl” (Baldwin 28) before she met Dorian. By ascribing both

characters a certain place in the greater scheme of things, the events serve the function of a

morality play with an ethically justifiably ending; Dorian is punished (Oates 421).

Dorian and Sibyl both exist after their deaths. Dorian is still present in the form of his

portrait and Sibyl’s story is covered by the media (Psomiades 186). This facilitates the

assumption that both events are not meant to be seen as turning-points in the story of Dorian

Gray but are part of an ongoing process. Dorian’s and Sibyl’s death are therefore not isolated

events but part of a chain of events. Dorian’s death is the logical consequence of Sibyl’s tragic

ending.

3. “The Fascination of Sin” and the Importance of “Drawing a Line”- The

message conveyed by Sibyl’s and Dorian’s deaths, Part II

Résumé

Concluding, one can say that both deaths, on the surface both presented as suicides,

are actually caused by overwhelming emotions. These emotions, though they differ in their

nature, result in pain and both characters, Sibyl and Dorian, seek to escape this pain by

committing suicide. Problematic for the readers’ understanding of both deaths is the need to

rely on information provided by a third party. The reader does not receive a first-hand account

of the events. In Sibyl’s case the events are retold by Lord Henry Wotton who is not an

objective reporter of the events in any case and in Dorian’s case the narrator and the servants

provide information.

Depending on the point of view the reader might take, Dorian’s death as well as

Sibyl’s death can be seen as “accidental” (cf. Wilde 79) events or as planned suicide.

Natascha Kracheel

However, both events are undoubtedly surrounded by mysterious circumstances, some

questions are left unresolved.

Another feature both deaths share is the manifestation of Dorian’s character

developments. In the aftermath of Sibyl’s death his evil character traits and emotionless

attitude towards tragic events are observed for the first time but they manifest throughout the

following chapters, ultimately resulting in Dorian’s death.

Moreover, both characters’ deaths can be regarded as the result of aestheticism gone

wrong. The influence of Lord Wotton’s extreme lifestyle of absolute pleasure and indulgence

corrupt Dorian and finally make Sibyl and Dorian “victims of aestheticism” (Sanders 484).

What is different about the deaths that have been subject of this essay’s examinations

though is the reader’s feeling of justice regarding the individual cause of death. While

Dorian’s death has been described as restoring his soul “to the rightful place” (Felski 397) and

may be seen as a rightful punishment for Dorian, Sibyl’s death seems more unjust. After all

Sibyl dies young and tragically even though she has not committed sins as horrible as those

committed by Dorian.

Furthermore, as suggested by the title of this essay and the thesis in the introduction,

Sibyl’s and Dorian’s deaths are both proof for the “fascination of sin” (Wilde 106). The

“fascination of sin” (106) is the reason for both events. Dorian’s fascination results in sinful

actions and in his cruelty towards Sibyl. Said cruelty then leads to Sibyl’s death and as the

novel advances, Dorian’s realization of the sin’s fatality makes him commit suicide.

Ultimately, both deaths are evidence that “sin cannot be concealed” (111).

As explained before, Sibyl’s death leads to Dorian’s death. Rather than turning-points

in the novel’s progress, they are part of a chain of events. The message that all events are

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trying to establish is the rejection of a hedonistic lifestyle and aestheticism taken to extreme.

Dorian’s sins, committed under the influence of the aestheticist Lord Wotton, are

consequentially punished in the form of Dorian’s death. Obviously “the fascination of sin”

(Wilde 106) is turned into destruction and tragedy, making the novel an “old-fashioned

morality play” (Oates 421).

Natascha Kracheel

Works Cited

Baldwin, Stanley P. Cliffs Notes on Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Hoboken. Wiley. 2000.Cliffs Notes.

Eklund, Rosanna. “The Evil in Dorian Gray: A Psychoanalytic Study of the Protagonist in The Picture of Dorian Gray”. 09 March 2011. <dooku.miun.se/engelska/englishC/.../eklund%20rosanna_final%20essay.pdf>

Felski, Rita. “The Counterdiscourse of the Feminine in Three Texts by Wilde, Huysmans, and Sacher-Masoch”. PMLA, Vol. 106, No. 5 (Oct., 1991), pp. 1094-1105. 9 March 2011.<http://www.jstor.org/stable/462682> .

Lawler L. Donald and Charles E. Knott. “The Context of Invention: Suggested Origins of "Dorian Gray" ”. Modern Philology, Vol. 73, No. 4, Part 1 (May, 1976), pp. 389-398. 398.9 March 2011. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/435740>.

Moncur, Michael. “Oscar Wilde”. The Quotations Page. n.d. 13 March 2011.<http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Oscar_Wilde/>.

Oates, Joyce Carol. “"The Picture of Dorian Gray". Wilde's Parable of the Fall”. Critical Inquiry, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Winter, 1980), pp. 419-428. 9 March 2011. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1343135 . >

Parssinen, Terry M. Secret Passions, Secret Remedies. Narcotic Drugs in British Society, 1820-1930. Manchester. Manchester UP. 1983.

Psomiades, Kathy Alexis. Beauty`s Body. Femininity and Representation in British Aestheticism. Stanford. Stanford UP. 1997.

Sanders, Andrew. The Short Oxford History of English Literature. 3rd ed. Oxford.Oxford UP. 2004. Print.

Wilde, Oscar. “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. Ed. Merlin Holland. Collins Complete Works of Oscar Wilde.5th ed. London. Harper Collins, 2003. Collins Classics.