The Picture of Dorian Gray

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. 2011. 295p. ISBN 0-674-05792-9. Available at FIC WIL on the library shelves.

A beautiful youth of 20, Dorian Gray sits for Basil Hallward, a famous painter of the time. Basil has kept him a secret from his good friend, Lord Henry Wotton. When the two meet, Dorian is immediately captivated by Lord Wotton’s philosophy that pleasures of all kind are the only reason one should live. Convinced by Lord Wotton that a youth’s beauty is all that matters, Dorian makes the wish that his painting would age instead of him, and, unbeknownst to him, his wish is granted.

Falling in love Sibyl with an actress, Dorian attempts to convince his friends that she is amazing, only to witness her poor performance during a play. She reveals to him that she loves him and sees no point in pretending through plays. More in love with the idea of her than the actual person, Dorian breaks off his engagement and castigates her. She commits suicide, and her brother, James Vane, vows to avenge her but doesn’t know Dorian’s name.

As Dorian comes of age, he falls further in corrupted experiences along with Lord Wotton, affecting the lives of many aristocratic youths as well as the youths of other social classes. His portray, meanwhile, begins to show the signs of aging and of the evil influences of his life, and soon Dorian cannot bear to look at it. Years later, Basil Hallward visits Dorian on his way to Paris, and confronts him about his wanton ways. Dorian, in a fit of rage, kills Basil and disposes of his body. That murder haunts him, however, and when he crosses path with James Vane, Dorian is shaken to the core and worried that it is time for him to provide an account of his life.

The violent death of James Vane during a hunting trip frees Dorian from the guilt he had, but he decides from now on he needs to lead an exemplary life, with the hope that the portrait will once again show him his beautiful self. When it doesn’t, Dorian decides to destroy the portrait, but a yell awakens his household and they find the portrait on the ground next to a disfigured and ugly old man who’s recognized as Dorian by his rings and clothes.

A tale of moral duplicity and corruption, The Picture of Dorian Gray remains controversial today for the themes it addresses and its (at the time) scandalous nature.