There are not many short books that can leave a memorable and lasting impression on the reader, but The Picture of Dorian Gray is certainly among one of them. First published in 1890, the book tells the tale of A young man, Dorian Gray, who becomes infatuated with his beauty after a conversation with Lord Henry Wotton, who he met through his friend, Basil Hallward, the true culprit of the tragedy, for he was the one who painted the portrait of Dorian, which became the symbol of corruption within the youth’s own soul. The author, Oscar Wilde, has managed to contrive a unique story, considered indecent for its time due to its plot as well as elaborate metaphorical allusions and character depiction that violated public morality. While it may seem
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As the book opens, two characters are introduced, Basil Hallward, a deeply moral man and an artist who meets Dorian at a party and becomes obsessed with his beauty, which in turn inspires his art; and Lord Henry Wotton, a man of “wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories” (Wilde 56), who possesses dry wit and often becomes a bad influence on those who find themselves unlucky enough to be in his company. Throughout the story the two characters are developed in somewhat subtle, but nevertheless intriguing ways. Lord Henry soon becomes the predominant force active in Dorian’s life, and as the story progresses, it becomes evident that he comes to resemble the devil more and more with each gesture. Whether this perception is directly visible or if the notion was implanted by the imagery given of him just within the first few pages of the novel, whereupon Lord Henry was described to be sitting on a couch gazing at Basil “in amazement through the thin blue wreaths of smoke that curled up in such fanciful whorls from his heavy, opiumtainted cigarette” (Wilde 2). Smoke is rarely associated with pureness or good intentions; in fact, it is often the predecessor of an evil presence, Lord Henry in this case. …show more content…
From this point on Dorian was so infatuated with Lord Henry’s words and thus with his own youth, that he did not hesitate to mindlessly sell his soul to the devil for the sake of beauty upon seeing the skillfully painted portrait of himself, courtesy of Basil Hallward who had been working on the picture throughout Dorian’s ongoing transformation from a naïve boy to a vain and cruel man. (“How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. … If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that—for that—I would give everything! … I would give my soul for that” (Wilde 19)!) According to Thomas C. Foster in the “Introduction: How’d He Do That?” from How to Read Literature Like a Professor, “Bargains with the devil go back a long way in Western culture…the hero is offered something he desperately wants – power or knowledge (in the case of Dorian Gray youth)– and all he has to give up is his soul” (Foster xxiii). This seems to be the opening theme of The Picture of Dorian Gray, yet it appears to be a bit too obvious and conspicuous. To determine for certain one must then consider the rest of the book and the consequences of Dorian’s pact with the devil, for
As the book opens, two characters are introduced, Basil Hallward, a deeply moral man and an artist who meets Dorian at a party and becomes obsessed with his beauty, which in turn inspires his art; and Lord Henry Wotton, a man of “wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories” (Wilde 56), who possesses dry wit and often becomes a bad influence on those who find themselves unlucky enough to be in his company. Throughout the story the two characters are developed in somewhat subtle, but nevertheless intriguing ways. Lord Henry soon becomes the predominant force active in Dorian’s life, and as the story progresses, it becomes evident that he comes to resemble the devil more and more with each gesture. Whether this perception is directly visible or if the notion was implanted by the imagery given of him just within the first few pages of the novel, whereupon Lord Henry was described to be sitting on a couch gazing at Basil “in amazement through the thin blue wreaths of smoke that curled up in such fanciful whorls from his heavy, opiumtainted cigarette” (Wilde 2). Smoke is rarely associated with pureness or good intentions; in fact, it is often the predecessor of an evil presence, Lord Henry in this case. …show more content…
From this point on Dorian was so infatuated with Lord Henry’s words and thus with his own youth, that he did not hesitate to mindlessly sell his soul to the devil for the sake of beauty upon seeing the skillfully painted portrait of himself, courtesy of Basil Hallward who had been working on the picture throughout Dorian’s ongoing transformation from a naïve boy to a vain and cruel man. (“How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. … If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that—for that—I would give everything! … I would give my soul for that” (Wilde 19)!) According to Thomas C. Foster in the “Introduction: How’d He Do That?” from How to Read Literature Like a Professor, “Bargains with the devil go back a long way in Western culture…the hero is offered something he desperately wants – power or knowledge (in the case of Dorian Gray youth)– and all he has to give up is his soul” (Foster xxiii). This seems to be the opening theme of The Picture of Dorian Gray, yet it appears to be a bit too obvious and conspicuous. To determine for certain one must then consider the rest of the book and the consequences of Dorian’s pact with the devil, for