The Picture of Dorian Gray

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." Oh Lord Henry. maybe that's the opiates talking. Dorian Gray is one of my favorite books, definitely my favorite classic. I played at reading it for years until sophomore year, and have now read ti completely 3 times. Its a very important book to read at my age. At any age really, but teenagers and moral ambiguity go particularly well together. The first time i read it, it was because i knew a little about Oscar Wilde's philosophy of aestheticism, and i kind of wanted to be convinced that morals were unnecessary, and that evil could be used as means to an end. At first, 'Dorian Gray' seems to do just that. Until he meets Lord Henry, Dorian has never been tempted to justify sin.

His portrait has just been painted, and his is the picture (pardon the pun) of innocence. Then lord Henry introduces his theories; that all the good humans do is done out of fear of repercussions, and that the only way to stop temptation is to give into to it. Dorian is impressionable and he, of course, loves the idea that sin can be excused and even necessary. perhaps Oscar Wilde wrote this book as he himself felt Dorian's struggle between Henry and society's contrasting ideals. Either way, He writes Lord Henry to be a very persuasive man. I was persuaded, and I though Dorian may never be punished for his sins. He is, of course, punished. His own soul ends up destroying up, much like in the tell tale heart by Poe, he eventually condemns himself. He resolves to destroy the painting which has aged and become cruel in appearance for him, and he sets it on fire. And in a perfect metaphor of self destruction, the painting is returned to its original beauty and youth while a horribly burned, old and crooked Dorian lies dead beneath it.