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Essay / Ignoring Women in The Picture of Dorian Gray men. The feminine side is portrayed as negative, helpless and lacking (Kileen 49). Society discouraged women from having power in society and neglecting women was normal in the eyes of most men and women. However, Victorian novels such as The Picture of Dorian Gray illustrate the consequences of disregarding women. In Oscar Wilde's only novel, the lack of importance of the female characters and their neglectful treatment by the men results in the selfishness of the male characters exemplified by the evil acts of Dorian Gray. Dorian Gray inflicts his first and greatest act of evil on Sibyl Vane. , a third-rate actress with whom he falls in love, when he confronts her about the performance. His reaction to Sibyl demonstrates his lack of care for what women have to say and their opinions. Dorian claims that Sibyl is shallow and stupid when it comes to her feelings towards him and the reason for her reckless performance. Dorian's realization finally recognizing his love for her acting rather than her as a person reveals the frequent mistreatment of women in the Victorian era. As a result of his first true infliction of harm upon another person, his soul changes and is reflected in the painting. As Davis recalls, “his rejection of Sibyl is cruel, and it is this cruelty that he first notices in the alarming portrait” (Davis 214). Because he didn't care about how Sibyl felt at that moment, he becomes selfish and will later become evil. Sibyl's treatment leads to her suicide, but rather than Dorian grieving, Lord Henry teaches her ...... middle of paper ...... y others to be a devoted aesthetic due to his concerns towards consumerism and fashion, but not feminist (Mintler 139). Thus, the neglect of women in Dorian Gray is evident and Oscar Wilde was more concerned with aesthetics than the feminist movement, which is reflected in Dorian's means of aesthetic inquiry regarding the care of women. Women of the Victorian era pushed aside by their male counterparts. lead to consequences such as those illustrated by Oscar Wilde. Men who only care about themselves and minimize women's feelings turn into extremely selfish people. From the first act of evil towards Sibyl Vane to the final major act of killing Basil Hallward, Dorian's immoral acts in The Picture of Dorian Gray show the definitive result of disregard for women and, in turn, caused chaos among the male figures of the world. novel.
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