Forsake Thy Art, Forsake Thyself : A Lacanian Reading of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray

Abstract: This essay argues, with the help of Lacanian psychoanalysis, that Dorian Gray, the protagonist in Oscar Wilde’s novel, fails to abide by the rules governed by the culture of society. It is argued that Lacan’s theories about the mirror stage develop Dorian’s character and his realizations of his true self as part of the culture which shapes him. The mirror is represented by the four characters Basil Hallward, Lord Henry Wotton, Sibyl Vane, and Sibyl’s brother James. Basil, Henry, and Sibyl are all representations of different aspects of the mirror explained by Lacan’s theories, and these three characters help Dorian realize his true identity and self.