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lazyTopic: Analysis
“To cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul!’ How the words rang in his ears! His soul, certainly, was sick to death. Was it true that the senses could cure it? Innocent blood had been spilled. What could atone for that? Ah! For that there was no atonement; but though forgiveness was impossible, forgetfulness was possible still, and he was determined to forget, to stamp the thing out, to crush it as one would crush the adder that had stung one." Page 183
The theme of The Picture of Dorian Gray is the doppelganger of the other within, because the main character, Dorian Gray, faces an internal conflict with himself throughout the novel. His life is like a tug-of-war. Dorian battles between what he wants and who he truly is expected to be. He hides who he really is through his divine beauty and charming personality.
Dorian has a constant conflict of the past, present, and future. He battles what he did in the past. Dorian’s sins consist of the murder of Basil, knowing the secrets of Alan Campbell, leading Sibyl Vane to her suicide, and selling his soul in exchange for eternal youth. He worries about what people think of him in the present. Every time Dorian goes into public, he worries that others are judging him. He fears what he will become in the future. As a result of his sins, the physical changes of the picture are a constant reminder of the guilt he feels.
Indirectly, Lord Henry also leads to the demise of Dorian Gray. When the two first meet, through Basil, Lord Henry is completely entranced with his being. They get to talking, and Lord Henry tells Dorian that he should live life unafraid of natural desires and impulses. That way, you can savor every moment rather than worry. Seek the beauty in art. “Cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul.” Dorian Gray does seek beauty, but in himself. He destroys lives and corrupts his own soul, in the process, through Basil’s portrait. Also, Lord Henry gives Dorian a book – one in which he reads every day, with different covers fitting his mood. Dorian also acknowledges that this accredited to his evil doppelganger.
At the end of the story, Dorian still does not see the error of his ways. “For that there was no atonement; but though forgiveness was impossible, forgetfulness was possible still, and he was determined to forget, to stamp the thing out, to crush it as one would crush the adder that had stung one.” Dorian feels the guilt but does not want to recognize it and take responsibility for what he has done. So, as a result, Dorian Gray s doppelganger eventually takes complete control of him. His selfishness brought about his own demise. When he destroyed the picture of himself, he in turn, destroyed himself as well.
- Nicole Ferrara & Melissa McCarthy
- Nicole Ferrara & Melissa McCarthy
Posted by thepictureofdoriangray
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