Literary Analysis Essay - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

                                        Divinely Devilish

            “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful” (30). Oscar Wilde's book The Picture of Dorian Gray, depicts a handsome young man, who undergoes a staggering transformation. With the use of symbols, Wilde portrays Dorian Gray's personality changes through tangible objects such as Dorian's portrait, Lord Henry, and the school room. All of these objects were once the things he loved the most, but as the story unfolds, they each contribute to his transformation.
            Dorians's god-like beauty and grace are so appealing to his friend Basil Howard, that Basil felt the need to preserve it eternally in art. Although the masterpiece portrait of Dorian was meant to preserve his beauty, ironically, it represents all of his guilt, regrets, corruption, and sinful pleasures. Out of a fit of jealousy, Dorian uttered a wish, “[i]f it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old... I would give my soul for that!” (39). His wish was granted, therefore the painting became a physical embodiment of his soul. As Dorian is continually corrupted by Lord Henry, he notices gruesome alternations in the painting that were not previously there. It is obvious to Dorian that he is damaging his soul, yet he sees this as an excuse to enjoy sinful pleasures because the painting retains the burden of his sins while he remains young and beautiful.
            Once the epitome of beauty, youthfulness and purity, Dorian Gray had never committed a sin. However, his introduction to Lord Henry sparked a revelation in himself, changing him forever. Lord Henry is a human representation of the Devil because his influence corrupts Dorian. On page 246, Lord Henry advises Dorian to live for pleasure, even if it is at the expense of others, when he says “[d]ifference of object foes not alter singleness of passion. It merely intensifies it. We can have in life but one great experience at best, and the secret of life is to reproduce that experience as often as possible.” Lord Henry is the hidden conscious Dorian has not yet discovered, because he helps Dorian realize the magnitude of his beauty; however, he once again corrupts Dorian by making him think that beauty is the greatest aspect of life.
            A sordid, cluttered, and cobwebbed schoolroom is another symbol Wilde uses. During Dorian's childhood, his grandfather built him a study which he usually confined himself in. Acknowledging that, as a child, Dorian rarely (if ever) committed a sin, the schoolroom can be seen to represent his purity and youthfulness. However, the fact that it is now covered in cobwebs and has not been visited in several years suggests that Dorian has strayed from his former values and replaced them with the unclean, devilish teachings of Lord Henry. Dorian also uses the schoolroom to conceal his disgusting portrait from the sight of others. This symbolizes his lack of control and weakness, as his sins and evil temptations have completely overpowered his purity and youthfulness. Just as Dorian uses the schoolroom to hide the portrait, he uses his beauty and youthfulness to disguise his terribly ugly soul.
            Oscar Wilde uses a plethora of symbols in order to relay ideas to the reader. His vivid symbols help the reader to connect with Dorian and fully understand his personality and experience the change he goes through. Dorian learned the difficult way; when one associates themselves with the devil, he/she are bound to corrupt his/her soul.