The Picture of Dorian Gray #3

In this section of Wilde's novel, many of the characters, particularly those in the Vane family, reflect the aestheticism in which Wilde strongly believed throughout his life. For example, when Jim Vane enters his house during Sibyl's conversation with her mother, Sibyl "felt a little disappointed that [Jim] had not joined the group. It would have increased the theatrical picturesqueness of the situation" (46). Sibyl remarks that she wishes the situation to resemble a play; she wishes that an ordinary scene in her life can be beautiful enough to be worthy of display before an audience. Her disappointment that her everyday life is not this beautiful is evidence of her own aesthetic philosophy similar to Wilde's, that life should always resemble art. Similarly, when Jim is on his way out the door to embark on a voyage by sea, his mother is moved by the "exaggerated folly of the threat [to kill Dorian if he mistreats Sibyl], the passionate gesture that accompanied it, [and] the mad melodramatic words" because the combination "made life seem more vivid to her" (52). Because the whole situation is hyperbolic and overly emotional, Mrs. Vane is actually more emotionally moved than she would be if she and her children were speaking at a more normal emotional level. Mrs. Vane has a similar worldview to her daughter in that she also believes that her life is better lives when it resembles dramatic theatre.

The view of Sibyl's brother Jim contrasts strongly with that of his mother and sister. When he says his goodbyes to Sibyl before his long journey, he makes a point of doing so away from his mother because "She would surely make a scene, and he detested scenes of every kind" (51). The word "scene" takes on a double meaning, meaning both a hyperbolic display of emotion and a situation in a play. Jim hates the exaggerated emotion that his mother tends to display, and at the same time, Wilde hints at Jim's symbolic dislike of theatre. This hidden meaning suggests that Jim rejects the aesthetic philosophy of the rest of his family.