Crime in The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, at start as a reader I assume it is about homosexuality but the novel actually focuses on different elements such as crime, politics and society. However the most important element appears to be the influence that people or objects have on a persons soul or inner conscious that makes them choose a particular path.

We have many people who influence our lives; it can be in a small way that we dont notice or something that completely changes us. Such is the case in this novel in the form of Lord Henry Wotton who plays a big role in the influence of the main character, Dorian Gray. From the first meeting till the last, we never see the same Dorian as explained by Basil Hallward after they met.

To summarise it is the tragedies of the people who were close to the charming Dorian Gray, including the unknown mistake of Basil Hallward to make a beautiful portrait of him and introduce him to Lord Henry. It reminds me of the phrase, Looks can be deceptive. Oscar Wildes novel gives us a really brilliant image of the high class society present that time as well as the ugly low class areas. It shows us how the rich enjoyed themselves in art, music and their lavish lifestyles. The whole story is about the transformation of Dorian from a young innocent boy to a blackmailing criminal.

Basil was impressed and influenced by Dorians looks since the first time he saw him. Lord Henry was also impressed on seeing an earlier painting and was eager to meet him. On the same day, Lord Henry was introduced to Dorian on Basils condition that he doesnt be a bad influence on him and they eventually turned out to be best friends as well as a very bad influence.

It was at that meeting when he was awakened by Lord Henry at the fact that youth was to be enjoyed to the fullest, by obtaining pleasures rather than the normal society requirements since youth goes away after a very short time. At this point in time, Basil has finished another portrait and Dorian entered the room after the long discussion with Lord Henry,

Basil while showing an earlier portrait of Dorian Gray said it was his best work and he would never put it for display because he was afraid that if somebody who would see the painting, in which he has put himself, they probably will realise his deep secret which would be humiliating and not acceptable in the society. His secret has to be kept inside his soul and only with the people who he is close to. He does not want anybody to find out his attraction towards Dorian.

Basil, knew that Lord Henry would be a bad influence on Dorian, and that would ruin his life so he did not what them to meet. However they met and Lord Henry took the task of being an influence on him. Dorian saw his portrait and he wished that somehow he does not lose his youth and the picture bears the burden of aging. He would do anything for that including giving his soul. This is where we see the first signs of Lord Henrys influence as Dorian does not want the painting and he feels it will be an insult to him when he grows old he will think of his youth, and how beautiful he looked.

Lord Henrys words brought out the inner self of Dorian Gray. All these feelings and desires were hidden inside his own soul. His actual self was starting to emerge. It is due to this influence of Lord Henry, that Dorian started going out exploring and seeing new places, which made him meet Sibyl Vane a very low class actress. He had already assumed Lord Henry to be his mentor and master and could tell him everything even if he committed a murder.

Sibyl Vane was also as innocent as Dorian Gray himself. She is young, beautiful and talented quite opposite to her name. With the interference of Dorian, she realises that she does not have to live this poor life in the process loosing her acting ability. This causes Dorian to hate her, eventually leaving; leading her to commit suicide. This hatred towards Sibyl is one of the influences caused by Lord Henry, probably due to him being Jealous about the fact that Dorian might marry her, as he is the one who partly got the feeling of love than the hatred inside Dorian. Lord Henry played around with Dorian as a puppet making him do what he wanted him to do, as an experiment.

After leaving Sibyl, Dorian saw his portrait had changed which served as a reminder to him what his soul was becoming and that he had done wrong. He is unable to bear the fact that his soul is ugly now. He feels the urge to marry Sibyl and do the right thing, but is unable to go back as she is dead. It seems like the portrait already knew he wont be able to hence is ugly now and wont change even if he does good. I also get the feeling, that he wanted to do the right thing as he cannot see his own reflection going bad against his innocent face,

While Dorian is sitting depressed, Lord Henry visits him and gives him a lecture about love and youth again, whatever plan he had to be good was ruined. As a reader I assumed at this point that Dorian would do whatever Lord Henry says as he is so much influenced by him. Since his portrait is going to take the burden of his sins, Dorian would take this as an opportunity to enjoy his youth and do whatever he wants without having to worry about the consequence. After all, thats what Lord Henry would do. He will still look the charming and innocent Dorian Gray as every one perceives him to be. He will ignore his inner voice, do what is considered immoral and just lay back and watch his portrait, that he has given his soul to grow old and suffer while his outside deceives it.

Dorian now as Basil, new that his soul was given to the portrait, just as it hides Basils secret it will be hiding Dorians soul from the society. Both have realised this in their own different ways, hence they do not want anybody to see it. They both have given too much to that picture, for anybody to see it. Dorian remembers, that Basil was never willing to show this portrait on display, and wanting to discuss this with him, he manages to find out Basils secret, probably getting hatred now inside him as he created such a portrait and the feelings that he has for Dorian.

Basil believes that if a person has committed a sin, his face will start drooping and it is very easy to notice. It shows on the face. Basil has heard many rumours about Dorian, which he does not want to believe. Basil himself is confused about Dorians looks, as it does not show any hint of evil or signs of sins. Basil is also confused and amazed that Dorian has changed, so much that even when Sibyl Died he reacted the same way as Lord Henry did without any emotion or considerations. We can figure out that Basil new that Dorian was influenced and would never be like that. Oscar Wilde shows how Lord Henry has spoiled Dorian Gray in the eyes of Basil and his innocence is gone.

However Dorian does not have control over his unconscious mind as well as. Even though he may seem alive, knowing the fact his sins would appear on the canvas, he through his conscious mind is doing all his whims that he desires to do. He is unconscious about the results that may occur to the people involved. He looks into the portrait, in a way looking into his soul and the more he looks at it, the more he becomes unconscious and the more immoral acts and pleasure he desires to do. It seems like every time he communicate with his portrait, he communicates with his soul making him decide what to do.

Dorian now is influenced so much that, He knows even the darkest corners of his mind and has joy in it. He had pleasure, looking at the sickening portrait and then his face laughing back at him on a polished glass. He also enjoyed sitting in front of the picture sometimes sitting and loathing and at other times with pride and fascination at the fact that he does not have to bear that burden. As a reader this makes me get to the fact that now Dorian, despite being aware of everything does not need to have any consciousness as there is no reason for him to do so. Hed rather treat it as a fascination, as Lord Henry would do to. Dorians unconscious mind is another powerful force that changes his behaviour. Basil Hallward made him conscious of his own beauty and to use that to an advantage, was made conscious by Lord Henry.

Dorian started to roam around more, His soul was extremely corrupted. With the portrait taking the burden, he starting living his life according to how Lord Henry would. He wanted to escape from all the daily life sufferings and just enjoy himself. He was able to watch all his sufferings and sins as if he was somebody else. Not wanting anybody to see the portrait, he had locked it in the room where he used to play as a child. The room where he grew up was now the room where he would be seeing himself deteriorate.

Dorian now observes his corruption through his own eyes. Through this portrait, he sees his soul, he is conscious it is bad now hence he covers it. However despite him knowing, he would still rather seek pleasure as he has already gone too far. Dorian now has already a bad reputation in the society and his been absent for long times which made everybody suspicious of him. When people saw him they would whisper to themselves, but he was unmoved by that and just continued to do what he felt his conscious should do.

When Basil hears about the rumours he is horrified. As a reader I know that these rumours are true, but Just the fact that Basil came and tried to influence Dorian was a surprise to me because, I had not expected that part to come in the story. When Dorian murdered, Basil it was no surprise because seeing what his soul had become, it was inevitable. Basil said things to Dorian that might bother somebody with a normal conscious. However Dorian was different now and not the same person he met first. It would have been safer to keep distance from him. Especially the fact earlier on the story Dorian tells Basil that he would have remained the same if he was his friends, but Lord Henry got him new thoughts.

As time goes by Dorian leaves many lives in ruins. Adam Campbell is one for example. He committed suicide, because he had helped Dorian get rid of Basil Hallwards body as they shared a deep dark secret that we never find out. Dorian Gray over here as influence over his own consciousness. In a normal mind, we would never blackmail somebody, murdering is out of the picture. However for Dorian Gray, I assume that Lord Henry changed Dorians soul and carving him into something that does not have guilt over his actions and not even the slightest sense of remorse. Only his innocent looking face shows that.

The only time when I feel Dorian has a conscious is in the end of the story, when he sees his portrait for the last time. He sees his picture and cannot recognise himself. He realises that he has committed a lot of sins, and in a fit of rage he used the same knife he used to kill the painter to rip open the portrait. In the process killing him. Dorian killed the painter and the portrait.