Dorian Gray

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2002

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Men are known to be self-centered, and some of them are even evilly influential to others surrounding them. Sometimes one would ruin another¡¦s life for one¡¦s own joy or advantage. In Oscar Wilde¡¦s only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, the protagonist Dorian Gray ruined his beloved friend, Basil Hallward¡¦s soul. Dorian sided with evilness, betrayed his friendship with Basil, and at the end, killed him by his own hand.

Basil had always treated Dorian as a very valuable friend, and even loved him immensely. Dorian fascinated Basil so much, that he found his beauty had become the inspiration of is art.

However, the pure friendship could no longer hold stability, when Lord Henry decided to dominate Dorian¡¦s soul after he had come across with the portrait of the young gentleman. He rejected to exhibit the portrait in public because he has put too much of himself into it.

Basil included Dorian as an important element in his life. He never wanted Dorian to become corrupt, therefore, he did not intend to introduce him to Lord Henry, whom he assumed would have bad influence on Dorian.

Basil did not expect that his warning of Lord Henry¡¦s bad influence would intrigue Dorian, and he would actually find that it was quite interesting chatting with Lord Henry. Dorian started to believe in hedonism and that ¡§youth is the only thing worth having.¡¨ Being talked into hedonism by Lord Henry¡¦s speech, Dorian came up in mind, that how perfect it would be if the portrait was the one who would grow old, and he would remain as young and as beautiful, for that, he would give anything even his soul. After Basil had recognized Dorian¡¦s feeling, he thought the portrait would ruin their friendship, so he was going to destroy his...