What Is The Loss Of Innocence In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

It is interesting to note that he doesn't ask for it to show his sins, only take on his aging. The painting gets progressively more horrible throughout the story, but it is not just aging it shows, it seems to portray an awful decay. Dorian uses a mirror to compare himself to the painting (one that Lord Henry gave him) and seems to take pleasure in his corruption: "...looking now at the evil and aging face on the canvas, and now at the fair young face that laughed back at him from the polished glass. The very sharpness of the contrast used to quicken his sense of pleasure. He grew more and more enamored of his own beauty, more and more interested in the corruption of his own soul ... wondering sometimes which were the more horrible, the signs of sin or the signs of age" (Wilde 106). The use of the mirror further points out his narcissism. This is also the same mirror that he crushes under his feet the night he tries to "kill" the painting.

Obsession in Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray Wilde’s development and use of a metaphoric painting allow multiple characters to interact with various principles of the aesthetic movement. First, I will evaluate Dorian Gray’s obsession with his portrait and its supernatural tendencies. Then, I will examine Dorian Grey’s mild obsession with Lord Henry’s aesthetic

Oscar Wilde’s The picture of Dorian Grey’s novel is about a young man named Dorian Gray, the subject of a painting by artist Basil Hallward. Basil is impressed by Dorian's beauty and believes his beauty should not be wasted and it is responsible for a new mode in his art. Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil's, and becomes enslaved by Lord Henry's world view. He shows him a new hedonism, and suggests the only things worth following in life are beauty and fulfillment of the senses. When he realizes that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian feels a desire to sell his soul to ensure the portrait that Basil has painted would age instead of him. Dorian's wish

Most people are taught from a young age what is right, and what is wrong. These teachings set up the basis for later discovering one’s personal values. In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, these same principles are applied and challenged by Wilde. Not only does he question morality and human nature, but also the ideas of the Aesthetic movement- which influenced the ideals and behavior of Dorian Gray. Through Dorian’s morally ambiguous character, Wilde asserts that one is not purely good or evil, but a mixture of the two; Wilde establishes this theme when Dorian breaks up with Sibyl Vane, murders Basil Hallward, and stabs his decaying portrait.

In The Picture of Dorian Gray the main character Dorian gray was first an innocent man and role model to artist Basil Howard who represented humanity. Overtime influences, interactions, and beauty got the best of him. In The Picture of Dorian Gray Basil says “He has a simple and a beautiful nature. Your aunt was quite right in what she said of him. Don't spoil him. Don't try to influence him. Your influence would be bad” this shows how even at the very beginning Basil knew how Lord Henry would influence him in a negative way. As we read on we can see how lord Henry teaches him to only care about beauty which causes Dorian to believe beauty is the only thing that matters in life. Lord Henry was the main cause of the corruption of Dorian's soul. In the novel another quote Lord Henry says is Oh, she is better than good – she is beautiful,". This demonstrates how from the very get go he told Dorian that beauty is better than goodness. The poisonous book was another way Dorian was overtaken by the evil. In the novel it says “It was a poisonous book. The heavy odor of incense seemed to cling about its pages and to trouble the brain. The mere cadence of the sentences, the subtle monotony of their music, so full as it was of complex refrains and movements elaborately repeated, produced in the mind of the lad, as he passed from chapter to chapter, a form of reverie, a malady of dreaming, that made him unconscious of the falling day and creeping shadows.” This quote proves how the evil has already taken over him and now the book is taking over his soul. A clear piece of evidence that shows readers how the evil has really won in The Picture of Dorian Gray is the

Much of the criticism regarding The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde has dealt with Dorian Gray’s relation to his own portrait (Raby 392). While some may argue that the portrait represents a reflection of Dorian Gray’s character, this is only a superficial analysis of the novel and Dorian’s character. While Dorian Gray’s true character never changes, it is his own perception of his character (his conscience) that is reflected in the changing face of his portrait. In essence Dorian’s picture becomes a mirror through which the "true Dorian" judges his own metamorphasis as the superficial "Lord Henry Dorian" attempts to embrace Lord Henry’s teachings. Dorian’s

He is even told by Lord Henry he is far too charming to go into philantropy. This remark may be the beginning of the flattery that opened Dorian's mind up to his corruption. Dorian is being moved by Harry's speech about cherishing youth and enjoying it. His mind was being challenged by the thought of his own passions until the point when he proclaimed "stop! You bewilder me. I do not know what to say. There is some answer to you, but I cannot find it. Do not speak. Let me think. Or rather let me try not to think". Dorian allows himself to be corrupted. He begins to fear aging and begins to think that everything will be loss with the loss of his youth and beauty. Dorian goes from no worries to this thought as Harry speaks. He was convinced that this "new Hedonism" was the way. This shows the weakness of his mind in his youth it is also the begginning of his fate. With this flaw of character, Dorian seemed to write his fate unknowingly. When Basil Hallward, the painter, rewarded Dorian with the portrait he replied "If I were to be the one always young, and the picture grow old! For that-for that-Iwould give everything!…Iwould give my soul for that!". This was just a plea at the depth of his sorrow, a remark made totally through whim.

Dorian Gray's life is dictated by his physical appeal. His beauty lies within his youth. Dorian's perception of beauty allows him to love. He is

The Picture of Dorian Gray, a novel laced with sin, treachery, and raging battles of inner conflict, is Oscar Wilde’s sole novel. Considered immoral and scandalous upon publication, the book centers around a young man named Dorian Gray, who does not age or reflect the darkness of his heart outwardly, and instead a portrait of him bears the damage his destructive life wreaks on his soul. However, the meaning of the story extends past the simple fact that Dorian lives a life of immorality—he walks the path that takes him there with his two friends, Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotten. The two attempt to guide and influence Dorian throughout the novel in their own ways, and are a vital piece of Dorian’s tale. Basil and Henry act as character foils as well as a symbolic angel and devil for Dorian Gray’s character, and also contribute themes of choosing one’s own fate.

was not only meant for the imagination, but for the moral mind as well. In

When Dorian Gray first meets Lord Henry at the studio of artist Basil Hallward, he is fascinated with Lord Henry’s wit and the radical social doctrines that he advocates. Dorian is easily molded and falls for the argument he hears. According to Lord Henry the goal of new hedonism, “to realize

Throughout the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde tells a tale about a young man named Dorian whose entire life changes after he meets Basil Hallward, who paints a portrait of Gray that ultimately leads to Gray’s demise. At the same time, Dorian also meets Lord Henry, who eventually plays a bad influence over Dorian. The portrait shows the man Dorian has become

In the beginning of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian is viewed highly by Basil and is claimed to be his sole inspiration. By this little description we read of Dorian, the reader can already see how Dorian at the beginning of the book has a strong presence. However Basil describes Dorian as having a “simple and beautiful nature”(pg-12) and tells Lord Henry, “Don’t spoil him. Don’t try to influence him. Your influence would be bad.” (pg-12). Lord Henry is the first person to start to influence and change Dorian into being deceitful. The second factor that changes Dorian is the painting. In chapter two, Basil finishes the Painting and presents it to Dorian. Instead of being filled with joy, Dorian realizes that he will grow old and the Painting will stay young. Later in the story the Portrait changes to show a sneer around Dorians mouth. The reason for this is because Dorian broke Sybil’s heart. After learning about Sybil’s suicide, Dorian accepts that the Painting will show ageing while he appears to have not aged. This forces Dorian to lock away his painting and this also shows Dorian being deceitful with his looks.

He was young and beautiful during the time period that Glenn Clifton describes that youth glorification was at its peak of envy and the elderly were viewed as unnecessary (286) and just as described, Lord Henry reveled in the youth of Dorian Gray, in his mind according to Glenn Clifton, great looks and youth were synonymous with living well (285). Dorian Gray loved his looks so much, he loved the attention that he received about something that was inert, he was born with this wonderful talent that could not be duplicated only admired and envied and talked about, his obsession with his beauty reflects the tensions in the Late Victorian conceptions of aging (Clifton 283). He had lived his entire life being at the center of attention, and when Lord Henry planted the seed of knowledge that as soon as Dorian’s looks begin to waver so would his admirers. He was so swept up by the lavish lifestyle of fame and influence that was so rampant around England during that time, although it is exaggerated in the novel, Timothy Peltason writes that Oscar Wilde’s interpretation of British society and their faults are written humorously and slyly (123). Dorian Gray had become so entitled that he does not want to age, he wants to keep his beauty, he wants the portrait that was made in his likeness to age instead of himself, he does not want to bear the ugliness of the aging process (Wilde 29). At first it works, when he pushed Sibyl Vane to suicide, when he lies and the people around him age, he remains beautiful and glorified by everyone around him, they would never suspect someone as pure and innocent looking as Dorian Gray of committing any sin of any kind, everything was working in his favor. Little did they know, that the portrait continued to get more and more hideous, the skin grew sagging and his eyes became cruel, but in the beginning nobody was the wiser, Dorian Gray’s looks deceive people, due to his innocent looks,

According to critics, Lord Henry Wotton most closely represents Wilde's character. Critics see Wilde's appreciation for all kinds of art as a form of Hedonism. "The body sins once, and has done with its sin, for action is a mode of purification." Hedonism is what Lord Henry believes in; the belief that all that matters is seeking pleasure in life. Lord Henry is also seen as a bad influence and a very seductive person. Wilde writing this book is seen as a way of convincing the public to become hedonists and therefore critics compare him to Lord Henry.