Summary:
Examines the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Describes how Dorian Gray, the main character, is corrupted after he is granted the gift of eternity.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, has many incidents in which Dorian Gray has awakenings, discoveries and changes in attitude. For instance, when Dorian spends time with Lord Henry, he is influenced by Lord Henry's Corrupt view of everything in life and the world, causing him to changes his way of thinking and his attitude. However, one key incident is when Dorian realizes the portrait has changed when he came back from the play in which Sibyl Vane acted horrible playing Juliet, he noticed his face looked cruel and scornful in the painting. Another key incident that reflected on his change in attitude was the death of his love Sibyl Vane. These two incidents cause major change in Dorian's personality and his mentality of life.
The first change in Dorian's Portrait, was discovered by him when he came back from the play of Romeo and Juliet. In the Play Sibyl played as Juliet, and she was atrocious, she had no feeling or enthusiasm in being Juliet. Dorian was irate because of her terrible acting skills she displayed at the theater that night, which was his main reason to marry her, because he thought she had outstanding acting skills. Thus, when he came home he discovered his portrait had changed it wasn't Dorian's beautiful face that Basil Hallward, his friend painter, had painted. The portrait was evil and unattractive, at that moment he realized that his wish, had come true. He recalled when he had wished at Basil's Studio that he himself would never lose his youth and beauty and the portrait of himself should change and get old and ugly. After he realizes that he himself wouldn't change he gets corrupt and evil. He becomes a self-centered man, with no care or feelings for anyone but himself. Despite the fact that his outer beauty didn't change, Dorian Gray had lost all inner beauty that he had ever had.
Another key incident that changed Dorian was the death of his love Sibyl Vane. Sibyl committed suicide, because she felt there was no reason to live if she wasn't going to marry her Prince Charming, Dorian Gray. She certainly did love him to death, thus she killed herself after he broke their engagement. This had changed Dorian's attitude for concern of the people he loved, because he had become heartless. His response to her death was that it was a perfect response to what had happened. He sees life as a stage show in which all of humanity are its characters. Dorian has no worries for anyone but himself. Also he came to a point in which he believed that love at first sight is senselessness, because a person can change when they come to reality.
These two key incidents had changed Dorian's way of life and his analysis of everything. Since, his beauty will never change he becomes corrupt and ruins his life. Thus he loses all respect, dignity, and integrity that he had before. And the death of Sibyl Vane, changed him for life, because he had no concern for the women he loved who killed herself for his emotional awakening. Thus he lost everything he had ever had because of his blasphemy.
This is the complete article, containing 532 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
