Dorian Gray. The name is one of intrigue even if you know the basic plot and perhaps even more so after every word of the story has sunk into your mind. The name "Dorian Gray" exudes a certain mystery.

The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a tale of vanity, a made wish for eternal youth, the corruption of sin. It is a story of contrasts; the underground lifestyle vs. the stuffy aristocracy, of good vs. evil, of sin vs. purity.

Oscar Wilde has a wonderful and witty style of writing and with this particular story, a dark victorian edge. He wastes no time establishing his characters and gently draws you in to their lives.

The following may contain spoilers:

Dorian Gray is the essence of youth and beauty, and admired by everyone he meets. But he is idolized especiall by Basil the painter. For Basil, Dorian is the perfect subject for his art. Indeed, he becomes his very muse.

It is on the day that Dorian Gray meets Basil's cynical friend, Lord Henry, that Basil paints the accursed portrait. Basil, enveloped in capturing the beauty of his subject is unaware of the beginning of Lord Henry's corruptive influence over Dorian. As their conversation turns to aging, Dorian Gray makes the insane wish for eternal youth and, unknowingly, Basil captures Dorian's very soul in the oils of his brushwork. From then on, the portrait bears the weight of Dorian's sins and age.

When the book was first published it was met with critism and proclaimed immoral by several. But Oscar Wilde said, "I cannot understand how they can treat Dorian Gray as immoral. My difficulty was to keep the inherent moral subordinate to the artistic and dramatic effect, and it seems to me that the moral is too obvious." And I found the message very clear - if not blatantly obvious - and moral for each character's sins and shortcomings become their bane.

Dorian Gray's lesson is simple. He is a narcissist. His dark secret haunts him and even drives him to murder. By not carrying the burden of his sin he is corrupted so much that it drives him mad. Ultimately he kills himself by stabbing his true being - his soul depicted in the painting. Vanity, one of the seven deadly sins, is said to be the worst of all because it can lead to all of the others. It is surely the case for Dorian.

Basil, who worshipped Dorian as a god see the error of his ways only in the last moments of his life. His Adonis becomes an angry Zeus. He is murdered by Dorian. "Thou shalt not have other gods before me" seems to be read between the lines.

Sybil Vane, Dorian's first love, was a stage actress. This was her life and this was her death. She killed herself over Dorian, like a real Juliet. Because of this, her brother swears vengence against Mr. Gray, who seemingly provoked the act. But Sybil's brother is shot in his attempt. The sixth commandment: Thou shalt not kill.

But then their is Lord Henry, the instigator of all the madness. Oscar Wilde does not tell us what becomes of him. Rather, he ends just after Dorian's death. But I tihnk we can make a good guess. Most likely, Henry goes on with his dull life as an aristocrat. Now he has no one to manipulate for his own vicarious thrills. He will surely see or hear of the horrid end of his "pupil" but will he know he is much to blame? If so, perhaps this is punishment enough. If not, his judgment is only delayed.

There are so many questions proposed in this book and so many lessons. The grand finale is stirring and the story lingers. It is so thought provoking that I half want to pick it up again - just days after finishing it - for another read. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a work of art.

References:

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Cliffnotes.com: About The Novel: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/id-144,pageNum-2.html