The Picture of Dorian Gray Sketch

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Roodbergen

Derek Roodbergen

Professor Christine Haskill

English 2070

4 December 2010

The Picture of Dorian Gray Sketch

        Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray tells the story of corruption and how it can easily spread.  It focuses strongly on art and decadence and it definitely alludes to degeneration and decay throughout.  Characters, especially Dorian Gray, often focus on beauty as the leading quality in the world.  He also forms a double life, much like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, in the sense that has a more civilized public life with a malicious, corrupt secret life full of sin.  One of the major gothic topics displayed in this text portrays civilization’s lapse into corruption and barbarism while seeming still civilized on the surface.  

        The story begins with Basil Hallward, a somewhat successful artist, painting a portrait of Dorian Gray.  Basil completely worships the beautiful, pure, young Dorian Gray, and in fact even admits it to his close friend, Lord Henry.  Basil paints such a vivid picture of Dorian that he convinces himself that he has put some of his own soul into the piece.  This alludes to the somewhat supernatural qualities of the painting.  Basil explicitly explains that he doesn’t want Henry spoiling Dorian Gray, but nonetheless fails to prevent the two from meeting.  Lord Henry immediately starts exerting his infectious influence on Dorian Gray.  Dorian is astonished at how beautiful he looks in the portrait, but instantly starts to panic with his newfound Lord Henry outlook: “‘Lord Henry Wotton is perfectly right.  Youth is the only thing worth having.  When I find that I am growing old, I shall kill myself’” (26).  After meeting Henry, Dorian sees the portrait as a mockery and immediately wishes for it to age and decay in his stead.  This incident marks the beginning of Dorian Gray’s downward spiral into corruption and malice.  Another intriguing detail to note about this quote relates to its foreshadowing content.  Dorian mentions killing himself, which he ultimately does at the conclusion of the plot.  He attains everlasting youth and beauty and still ends up slaying himself, only to return to a decayed hideous form.  

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        Dorian Gray’s first major act of tyranny pertains to his first love, Sibyl Vane.  Sibyl Vane dazzles her audience and captivates Dorian Gray with her marvelously whimsical performances on the stage.  Dorian becomes infatuated with her acting as an art, rather than her as an actual person.  Sibyl, much like Dorian prior to corruption, is innocent and naïve towards real life and real emotions.  She lives her life through the stage and feels more alive as her characters than she does in the real world.  “‘Dorian, Dorian,’ she cried, ‘before I knew you, acting was the one reality of my ...

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