The Picture of Dorian Gray is a very interesting book and is like nothing I have ever read before. The mystery, the murder, the lies and secrets are extremely twisted and intriguing. But why do we read it? We still read this book not because it’s just “a good read”, but because it’s a reminder that even the most innocent and pure of people can fall to influence and corruption. In fact, the power of influence and corruption is what the whole book is all about. Dorian Gray is at first seen as a young man, even thought of as a child, who is the symbolism of purity and youth. He’s young, he’s innocent, and he’s been untouched by greed and vile ways. That is why it is so easy for him to be manipulated by the world and views of others. He starts by being influenced by words. His friend Lord Henry has always been thought as an extremely influencing person, and Dorian can’t help but listen to him. Unfortunately, after feeding on the words of his friend, Dorian already starts to tip his scales between purity and corruption. He starts trying drugs, sex, and thievery and by the end of the story has become the vilest of people. The most innocent man becomes the corrupted. The book targets the fact that good people can become bad people and that purity can easily be defiled if a person is tempted by evil things.
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Barns & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.
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