Reading Response: The Picture of Dorian Gray

I. Discuss the passage of time in the novel and how it influences our impression of characters and events, especially the glossing-over of 18 years in chapter 11.

Oscar Wilde’s book opens up with a great deal of positivity. From the onset, Basil Hallward is a painter who does not reveal so much of himself in his work. However, all these changes when he paints the picture of Dorian Gray, where he exposes his own soul to the world. Dorian Gray also realized that the passage of time would take away his beauty but would have no effect on the portrait. As a result, he desires to take the portrait from where he would trade his soul for the beauty that would not be affected by the passage of time. When Dorian Gray meets Lord Henry, he becomes so fascinated with the new knowledge introduced to him, and he chooses to pursue a path that later destroys his soul. Over the years, Dorian Gray pursued a life of pleasure and lived a life of the art of experience. In the process, he lost his remorse, and he did not care about the consequences of his actions. When Dorian Gray told Sybil Vane that he was no longer in love with her, Dorian Gray did not stop for a minute to consider the possible impact of his words on the poor girl. Even after her death, Dorian Gray was easily manipulated by Lord Henry into thinking that he was not responsible for her death and should not feel guilty. At some point, Basil Hallward loses his fascination with Dorian Gray’s beauty, angering Dorian, and out of anger, he kills him. The passage of time shows the continued destruction of the human soul that happens solely due to the relentless pursuit of pleasure that came with a very high price.

II. Basil Hallward: “Sin is a thing that writes itself across a man’s face. It cannot be concealed. People talk sometimes of secret vices. There are no such things.” (p126)

“Each of us has Heaven and Hell in him, Basil” cried Dorian with a wild gesture of despair. (p131)

The novel by Oscar Wilde is an assertive communication about the malleability of the human character. In the beginning, Dorian Gray is a man going about his life without so much going on. However, his life takes a turn for the worst when he meets Lord Henry. When he takes on the life introduced to him by Lord Henry, Dorian Gray uses the same tactics to get what he wants, and in the process, he ruins the lives of his friends. Dorian’s friendship can only be defined as destructive and even fatal to very young men. In chapter 12, Dorian is blamed for the death of one young man who committed suicide; another was forced to leave his home country because his name was tarnished, a third young man also found a dreadful end to his life, a fourth young man associated with Dorian lost his career, while a fifth young man lost his social standing in society.

The Viking Cat --Barbara Thomson Big and broad-chested strong of...