Loss of Subjectivity: Analysis of The Picture of Dorian Gray from the Perspective of Lacan’s Theory of Three Orders
Abstract
On the basis of Jacques Lacan’s theory of three orders, this paper studies Oscar Wilde’s nominated novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray and analyses the change of protagonist Dorian in three stages, which demonstrates the whole process in which he seeks to find his subjectivity in the “Imaginary Order” and “Symbolic Order” but finally lost his subjectivity in the “Real Order”, which significantly implies the failure of subjectivity construction. Furthermore, The study explores that Dorian’s tragic fall is closely related to the influence of the aestheticism and hedonism prevalent in Victorian society, which provides a profound social context for interpreting his alteration. This research not only enriches the psychoanalytic criticism of The Picture of Dorian Gray by applying Jacques Lacan’s three orders theory, breaking through the limitations of traditional literary criticism perspectives, but also offers a new analytical framework for readers to understand the complexity of human subjectivity construction in the entire process.
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