Dorian Gray - The Picture of Dorian Gray
PLAYER
[journal] carnivalization
[age] 20
[previous characters] tsuridasu, toxicodendrons, aes_cyprium and rrrruling
[character journal] portraire
CHARACTER
[series] The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
[full name] Dorian Gray
[age] 38, appears to be in his late teens/early twenties
[gender] Male
[canon point] The very beginning of chapter 12, before killing Basil
[reference] Le Wiki
[personality]
Many points of Dorian's personality stem directly from his time period, and were pretty common of all men of the time. His etiquette is distinctly that of an aristocratic Victorian man, and that's why it only gets like a paragraph. Dorian is polite and eloquent, and always the gentleman. At least, outwardly. Like many aristocrats in general, Dorian may be polite on the outside, but very cruel and cold on the inside, especially to those of a lesser class. In fact, those of a lesser class are less likely to get the mask at all, and he'll just be a douche. Luckily, on the Plane, it'll be hard to tell because no one wears cravats and other stuff like that anymore.
But, to break that shield of etiquette, it only takes a mention of his infamous portrait. Because of his deviance, he at least won't freak out and try to kill the person that mentions it, but it's still touchy. After all, it is his weakness and the physical evidence of his crimes more than anything else. Dorian is both attached to it and repulsed by it, which is understandable.
His portrait is the physical reminder of the side of Dorian that he tries to keep hidden. The Dark Side. Oh, wait, this isn't Star Wars, my bad. Despite his ever polite outer face, Dorian is a man that goes against Victorian society rather in secret. He takes pleasure in the immoral things in life, like drugs, and the most remembered facet of the novel, his "manipulations" of young men. Without a doubt, this is referring to homosexuality. So yes, Dorian likes boys kissing boys, not kissing you.
The bad side of his personality isn't exactly up front, but can appear at times. His beauty makes him vain, his aristocracy makes him haughty, and the portrait and his own self is cruel, distant, and cold all at once. These are the notable bad traits of Dorian's character, but the first two appear to most. The last three are the very darkest sides of Dorian, and ones that won't be revealed often, if at all, especially with his deviance.
Interestingly, there's a bit of duality in manipulation and Dorian. He's quite the manipulator himself, and has brought many young men to ruin, but he's just as easily manipulated by Henry. Dorian isn't naive anymore, but he can be overcome by passion and desire, which is how Henry manipulates him. In fact, Dorian's personality is almost exclusively Henry's fault, as Basil notes. Henry shaped Dorian's odd desires, ranging from the scandalous ones to more innocent, though obsessive ones, like his love of collecting things. This shows that Dorian has a pretty obsessive personality, though he's quick to discard one passion for the next. When he's seized by a fancy, it will become his life for a few months before he gets bored and moves onto something else.
But this is the best display of Dorian's passion, as varied as it may be throughout the novel. He's very passionate in his life, from his collections to his love life. His first love for Sibyl was very passionate, after all! However, his passion is for a deeper level of beauty, which would be that for true art. He loved Sibyl for her performances, her art, not for her physical beauty. It also ties in with his attraction to art especially, since it stimulates him in some different way. And, as shown with Sibyl, once that art is gone, Dorian has no more interest in that thing.
Dorian's fabulosity makes him appealing to both men and women. As Henry says, there are two draws to Dorian. For one, his extraordinary beauty, and two, his eloquence and intelligence. Dorian is an intelligent young man, but he's also curious. He reads often, and on a variety of subjects, which makes him the ideal 19th century conversationalist. He's witty and well-mannered, but never boring.
[orientation]
This is a source of much academic contention, but it's fairly easy to say that Dorian is bisexual. He certainly has an interest in women, as seen with Sibyl, and selections of the novel like "Women who had wildly adored him, and for his sake had braved all social censure and set convention at defiance[...]" certainly imply that Sibyl was far from his one love. Similarly, there is implication all throughout the book of Dorian's similar interest in men, like Basil's plea of "Why is your friendship so fatal to young men?" It's just worth keeping mind that because of the time period that Wilde was writing in, any sexuality at all was veiled, especially homosexuality. Though if you read the book, it's quite thinly veiled, honestly. Oscar Wilde was a fab dude.
[appearance] Semi-PB'd by Ben Barnes
[wish] To be free of the portrait without loosing its gift of immortality
[requested house] Satouzuke
[misc notes] I play Dorian 100% from the novel, despite the icons being from the movie.
SAMPLES
[prose sample]
Dorian had long since been a fan of the charms of the Orient. There had been a spell, and a quite lengthy one, where he had collected their art, curious and exotic in its design. He knew the Orient in a way that few Englishman could, since he had the money to spend on such art and the opportunity to share it.
Equally, he had been a fan of brothels. Well, he had occasionally frequented them with Harry (which Basil so objected to, but ah, Basil barely knew how to have fun) and found delightful women there. He had even had the pleasure of acquainting himself with an Oriental woman who was as curious in her ways as her country's art.
So it was with wonder at first that he found himself in a entire district of Oriental brothels. He took the wish and the information without worry, for there was something ultimately satisfying about this predicament. Here, he was certainly immortal, was he not? Without that cursed portrait to accompany him, then in these brothels, he was truly free. That, at least, was how he had to think of it. This charming place was a blessing first, a curse second.
Though, he had tired with this business of curses.
He felt quite silly wandering about in nothing but a bathrobe, but to see other men wandering about in such a way, his worries were somewhat soothed. Dorian peeked with curiosity through the bars of the brothels, smiling with all the charm to the women that stared with what he recognized so easily as lust. But he wasn't terribly interested in that.
No, what was interesting was seeing the men on display. Was it his fate to be one of these caged young men as well? He didn't think of this possibility with any apprehension. No, he felt in his breast that the pleasures displayed in these tiny palaces were just a more honest world set before him. The trade of pleasure was necessary, and the Orientals had merely recognized this, as he saw it.
How curious this place was indeed.
[network post]
Well then, with all of the easy business settled, I feel that I should properly address a few matters to this thing. What was it called? A Fans-something.
[The handsome young man uses a match to light a cigarette before fanning the flame on the match out] No matter, I suppose. Rather, I'm much more interested in locating a few things of personal interest. All of this Oriental decor is perfectly charming, but my tastes are much more European. To wear a simple bathrobe seems quite indecent, and I feel the need to be outfitted more appropriately, as it were. So if anyone would be so kind as to share such information as where to find things of a European flavor, that is cigarettes and clothing especially, I would be quite grateful.
Though other than that, I suppose there's only a few other pertinent matters. My name is Dorian Gray, an entertainer, as it would happen, at the Satouzuke household. Though it feels lewd to advertise in such a way, I would welcome any interested patron's company. I can hardly promise any of the contact for which this profession is famous, but conversation is a form of entertainment itself, isn't it?