Table of Contents
What does Dorian notice about his picture?
Looking at his reflection in a mirror, Dorian looks fresh and youthful. Suddenly he recalls the wish he earlier made at Basil’s studio, that he might remain the same while the picture took on the “lines of suffering and thought,” the various signs of corruption and age that Dorian’s life might bring him.
What happens to the painting in Dorian Gray?
The novel ends, like it begins, with the painting. The grotesque deformities of the picture come into being in Dorian’s own body, while painted Dorian is restored to its original image of spotless beauty. In the end, Dorian gets everything that was coming to him; his choices brought about his own doom.
What does Dorian decide to do with the portrait?
Dorian seals his commitment to a life of vanity and debauchery when he hides and locks the portrait in the attic schoolroom. He rationalizes that he might, in fact, become more virtuous and reverse the moral decay reflected in the picture, but even he seems to know that will never happen.
What does Dorian Gray’s portrait represent?
The portrait is the main symbol at work here. It’s a kind of living allegory, a visible interpretation of Dorian’s soul. Basically, the picture represents Dorian’s inner self, which becomes uglier with each passing hour and with every crime he commits.
Does Dorian kiss basil?
The most explicit scene in the novel is Basil’s confessional monologue in a private salon, where he professes his devotion to Dorian. Instead of subtly leading Basil to his confession, Dorian steers the conversation away by kissing Basil, who eventually gives in to his passion and succumbs to a sexual encounter.
Can Dorian GREY look at his portrait?
In the book The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian doesn’t die from looking at the portrait, which he does a lot throughout the story.
Is Basil Howard in love with Dorian Gray?
Basil Hallward is a talented, though somewhat conventionally minded, painter. His love for Dorian Gray changes the way he sees art; indeed, it defines a new school of expression for him. Basil’s portrait of Dorian marks a new phase of his career.
How old is Dorian Gray at the end of the book?
We are told that Dorian murders Basil on his 38th birthday in November, and the novel ends before the following November, so he is still 38. Dorian is twenty at the beginning of the novel. At the end of the novel, the ruined woman in the opium den says that Dorian hasn’t changed in 18 years, confirming the narrator.
What is Dorian obsessed with?
Obsession is the most compelling theme of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian’s obsession with his beauty and youth, and Basil’s worship of Dorian, are a driving force. Dorian’s tale is similar to every celebrity that has been adored only to fall in public approval when their true natures are revealed.
Is the painting in the picture of Dorian Gray a symbol?
The painting itself is an overarching, ever-present symbol in The Picture of Dorian Gray, not just in the text but to nearly all of its characters.
Why did Dorian tell Basil that Dorian had destroyed the portrait?
Basil tries to rationalize the change in the portrait: Mildew has transformed the portrait, or perhaps the paints were fouled. Besides, Dorian had told him that he destroyed the painting. Dorian corrects him: “I was wrong. It has destroyed me.” He bitterly asks if Basil can still see his “ideal” in the portrait.
What was the moment of crisis for Dorian Gray?
Dorian experiences a moment of crisis, as he weighs his guilt about his treatment of Sibyl against the freedom from worry that Lord Henry’s philosophy has promised.
Where was Dorian seen sneaking out of dreadful houses?
Dorian has been seen sneaking out of “dreadful houses” and visiting “the foulest dens” in London. Basil wants to hear Dorian deny the accusations against him. Basil says that he can’t believe the rumors when he sees Dorian’s innocent and pure face.