The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde:
1. The story begins to introduce the three most important characters in the story. Basil Hallward, the artist of Dorian's Picture, who believes that his sole purpose of art is to portray himself. Lord Henry, who is introduced as Basil's friend in the beginning of the story, is a man who ends up greatly influencing Dorian with his love of beauty, nature, and capturing life attitude. Dorian Gray is a young man who is confused between the truths and lies of life, and desperately tries to develop a life style, which is his downfall. Lord Henry and Dorian are introduced in the story at later times, not until Chapter 2 do they meet, at first, Dorian dislikes Lord Henry, thinking about what he said as an insult, and becomes concerned about becoming an older man. After that, Dorian takes his picture and curses it, wishing to be young forever. As the story progresses Lord Henry's influence on Dorian greatly increases, and Dorian delves into love and lust, sin and corruption fills Dorian throughout the story. Dorian's life is driven to confusion, losing his love for life in his own sins then, years after his scandalous life style, he meets Basil again. Dorian's portrait has become hideous and old, being a direct reflection of Dorian's soul. Basil is then killed by Dorian, because of Dorian's fear and outrage. Dorian runs to his country estate. There he meets his end. Dorian, in an effort to destroy the painting, which he feels has been the cause of his insanity, tries to stab the painting with a knife. The painting falls, crashing to the ground, only heard by the servants. Dorian is found dead, looking old and stabbed with the very same knife that he had killed Basil with.
2. The greatest theme of the story is that a person can be easily be changed by the things that he/she believes, and the importance of the influence that one person may have upon the other. Lord Henry's influence leads to the downfall of Dorian, by changing his thinking to realize his natural beauty, but taking advantage of the sins of the world. Dorian believed himself young and innocent at the beginning of the story, but at the end, his life is completely changed because of the imposed views of Henry.
3. The author begins the story using flowery descriptions of the world, interpreting the life of beauty. As the influence of Lord Henry's ideas increase upon Dorian, the dark spots of life are seen. A quote for descending beauty, "Summer followed, and the yellow jonquils bloomed and died many times, and nights of horror repeated the story of their shame, but he was unchanged. No winter marred his face or stained his flower-like bloom." Quote showing early examples of beauty, as the very first paragraph of the story. "The studio was filled with the rich odor of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink flowering thorn." These two quotes she the authors change in tone from beauty, to the diminishing and useless beauty that is seen later.
4. The author uses many literary elements in the story to amplify the effect the words have to the reader. One use is his use of analogies. Lord Henry uses analogy's to influence Dorian many times in the story. Another technique used are aphorisms, also used by both Basil and Henry, to describe their perspectives on life. "Beauty" in the story was used in several different ways as a connotation for love, youth, passion, lust, etc. Lord Henry usually speaks with a hyperbolic tone, expressing his "extreme" love of passion. Wilde's use of juxtaposition was used to contrast the darkness of sin and the life in nature.
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