What Did We Learn?

There is a lot that can be said about The Picture of Dorian Gray. In my experience from reading this novel I mostly learned about human nature such as, the superficial views of society, the value of friendship, and the allure of getting something you want but don’t need. Lord Henry believed books could not be classified as moral or immoral. Likewise, the characters were neither good nor evil; all of them had their flaws. One could not point a finger at a person and blame them for another’s downfall. This leads us to question, should we take responsibility for our actions? Dorian persistently kept laying the blame at Henry’s feet and even went as far to blame Basil. Who do you think poisoned his mind? (Take the poll in the sidebar!) Dorian associated innocence and beauty with value, but he did not realise that the true worth of his goodness gave him value. The Picture of Dorian Gray explores themes of art, corruption, and youth through the characters and allows the reader to view a dark side of humanity. Through the characters we understand the messages Wilde was trying to express. While readers saw the downfall and death of many characters, it Dorian that they sympathised. He was corrupted by Henry and motivated to live through art, only to lose his life to his pursuit of beauty. The cost of his mistakes was nothing less than his soul. 

Now, what did you learn? Leave a comment and let me know! If not, feel free to contact me using the tool in the sidebar.