A review of Oscar Wilde’s book, `The Picture of Dorian Gray`, focusing on an analysis of the characters and their fateful influence on Dorian Gray.
This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the book `The Picture of Dorian Gray,` by Oscar Wilde. Specifically, it compares and contrasts the characters of Henry (Lord Henry Wotton) and Basil Hallward, illustrating their influence and interaction with Dorian, and the role each plays in his eventual downfall.
`Dorian Gray, the main character of the book, is young and beautiful. He is a shallow man, who only wishes that he did not have to grow old; his wish comes true, but at a terrible cost. Dorian remains young, while the portrait Basil painted of him grows old and hideous. Throughout the book, he is influenced by the strong personalities around him, particularly Lord Henry Wotton. Under Henry’s guidance, Dorian commits murder, and two people close to him commit suicide, but nothing deters him in his quest for excitement and perfection.`