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Lord Henry 's Manipulation Corrupting Dorian Gray

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Nunn 1
Ashley J. Nunn
Ms. Spencer
English 4 Honors
Period 6
May 7, 2017
Lord Henry 's Manipulation Corrupting Dorian Gray
In the eyes of Lord Henry, "there is no such thing as a good influence, all influence is immoral" (Wilde, 8) meaning that anything being said is neutral; however, that person uses that information is the leading factor of manipulation and corruption. Lord Henry is the prime instigator and had motive for turning Dorian into a destructive monster, opposite his naturally shy and youthful soul. Author, Oscar Wilde, uses Lord Henry in "Picture of Dorian Gray" to show how the constant use of manipulation causes Dorian to not use his own knowledge and thoughts, manipulate and destroy others around him, cause a decline …show more content…

Lord Henry presents to Dorian the effect of living life to the fullest but interchangeably, Lord Henry is afraid of life and the decisions to make for himself (Dawson). Lord Henry 's outlook on life is based on the New Hedonism, the complete opposite of the typical Victorian Society, thus creating another distraction for Dorian and a yearning for a deeper understanding on how to be different from everyone else and enjoy life (Liebman). New Hedonism is a different outlook on life revolving around enjoying life to the fullest with total happiness and satisfaction. In learning this from Lord Henry, Dorian claims that the only true happiness is to live life in someone else 's shoes and just be a spectator (Dawson). Following this new lifestyle from the New Hedonism, according to Lord Henry, Dorian 's attitude severely changes and he soon finds himself stepping into the wild side and observing people and their differences. As Dorian listens to Lord Henry and realizes the importance of his youth and the time that he has, he begins to venture out and manipulate others including friends and strangers. His new outlook on life encourages his act of narcissism and superiority (Duggan). "Dorian Gray personifies the aesthetic lifestyle in action, pursuing personal gratification with abandonment. Yet, while he enjoys these indulgences, his behavior ultimately kills him and others, and he dies Nunn 3
unhappier

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