values. The Sybil Vane encounter reflects how deeply the immoral teachings are planted in the mind of Dorian. After being enthralled by the latter’s beauty and social status, Sybil Vane, a poor but a talented stage actress falls in love with him. She also calls him “Prince Charming” due to his unstained beauty and goes against her family members who do approve her love for Dorian. However, Dorian wants to explore his sensuality and to know about all aspects of life and can’t fathom her love for him. Being enamored by Sybil’s acting prowess, he courts her and proposed her for marriage. There is constant conflict between Sybil’s influence and Wotton’s influence on Dorian. Both Dorian and Wotton are tied with a mutual but invisible leash. When Sybil decides to give up on her love for acting to start her journey of love with him, she faces a darker side of Dorian. As he is used to analyze everyone and every relationship with the lenses of Henry Wotton’s theory of immorality, he realizes that she has lost her magic after quitting acting and she is merely a decoration. He allows himself to be cruel and cold-hearted in heated debate with Sybil and leaves her which results in the death of Sybil. Dorian who weighs his sensations more than the values, believes that she deserved death only after living her acting. His callousness is result of Lord Henry’s experiment of immorality on him. Dorian just acts as a guinea pig in the experiment. Lord Henry feels accomplished by seeing that his radical views towards life are considered seriously. However, Dorian’s actions are consequences of his own decisions. The picture of Dorian Gray, created by Basil, also reflects his “touch of cruelty in in the mouth” (Wilde 80) to signify that his actions are insupportable. Those who incite perpetrators to commit crime and other immoral acts work behind the veil. The perpetrators who leave behind their loves ones without considering their significance are punished by the society. When sins do not affect the physical attributes and downgrade the soul only, the body and the soul seem to be separated. Sinner feels that he is immortal, master of his own fate and can cross any boundary to indulge in misdeeds. Dorian notices that his actions and consequences do not affect the worldly elements of his body. His beauty remains intact. However, the painting which reflects his soul is tarnished by his actions. He becomes a maestro who can “end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure” (Wilde 103). He becomes unstoppable sinner. Basil Hallward, who symbolizes morality and the portrait acts as a constant remainder of his sins, guilt and flaws. On the other hand, Lord Wotton is a constant part of Dorian’s life which reminds him to pursue sins. During the reunion of Basil and Dorian, the former is horrified by the glance of marred painting which was the most accomplished work of Basil. He warns: “You have done enough evil in your life. My God! don’t you see that accursed thing leering at us!” (Wilde 165). When Dorian confronts criticism from Basil about his social position, the former is haunted by his sins. However, his narcissism doesn’t allow him to repent on them. He doesn’t think twice to abrupt the breath of his lifelong mentor, friend, and well-wisher, Basil. Even though the plants of morality are deeply rooted in his mind, he feels the guilt of murdering a man who endeared him unconditionally. The moment in the novel shows the
…show more content…
The path to moral decadence starts with just a negative advice. If we can’t fathom the consequences of that negative advice and pursue worldly object, we may easily turn into monsters. Humans are always pulled by the good force and the evil force. The society’s comprehensive growth is possible only if its people are aware of maintaining the balance between the good and the evil. If everyone is inclined towards immoral values, the structure of society tears apart like a house of cards. The novel of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” invites us to take a look into our own lives and to weigh against the human values so that we can decide where we stand and improve
The path to moral decadence starts with just a negative advice. If we can’t fathom the consequences of that negative advice and pursue worldly object, we may easily turn into monsters. Humans are always pulled by the good force and the evil force. The society’s comprehensive growth is possible only if its people are aware of maintaining the balance between the good and the evil. If everyone is inclined towards immoral values, the structure of society tears apart like a house of cards. The novel of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” invites us to take a look into our own lives and to weigh against the human values so that we can decide where we stand and improve