Oscar Wilde
English
The novel centers on Dorian Gray, a handsome and wealthy young man whose beauty captivates the artist Basil Hallward. Hallward paints a portrait of Dorian, imbuing it with his own idealized vision and perhaps too much of his soul. Dorian encounters Lord Henry Wotton, a witty and cynical aristocrat who espouses a philosophy of aestheticism and hedonism, urging Dorian to pursue pleasure and experience above all else, and to cherish his youth and beauty, which are fleeting. Influenced by Lord Henry's words and deeply struck by his own beautiful portrait, Dorian makes a Faustian wish: that the portrait would age and bear the marks of his sins and passions, while he himself would remain eternally young and beautiful. His wish is granted. As Dorian plunges into a life of intense sensory experiences and increasingly immoral pursuits, guided by Lord Henry's decadent philosophy, his physical appearance remains unchanged. However, the portrait, hidden away in a locked room, begins to reflect the corruption of his soul. It becomes progressively hideous, showing the moral decay and the weight of his sins. Dorian falls in love with a young actress, Sibyl Vane, who he believes embodies the perfection of art. Her performance, however, disappoints him when her love for him makes her acting real but devoid of its former magic. Heartbroken and cruel, Dorian rejects her, leading Sibyl to commit suicide. This event marks the first visible change in the portrait, showing a subtle cruelty. Haunted by guilt and fear, Dorian tries to lead a more moral life, but the allure of forbidden pleasures and Lord Henry’s influence prove too strong. He continues to indulge in a life of sin and decadence, the portrait serving as the sole witness to his degradation. Years pass, and Dorian remains outwardly young and beautiful, while the portrait becomes a monstrous testament to his corrupted soul. Basil Hallward, concerned by the rumors surrounding Dorian, confronts him and demands to see the portrait. Dorian, in a fit of rage and despair, murders Basil. He then blackmails his former friend Alan Campbell into destroying the body. Later, Dorian believes he has found redemption through a simple village girl named Hetty Merton, whom he decides to spare the heartbreak of his true nature. However, his attempt at a good deed is tainted by vanity and a desire for novelty. His renunciation of Hetty doesn't bring him peace, and the portrait, when he checks it, shows no sign of improvement. Meanwhile, James Vane, Sibyl’s brother, has been seeking revenge and mistakes another man for Dorian, leading to an accidental death that, ironically, frees Dorian from his fear of retribution. Finally, consumed by the hideousness of the portrait and the hollowness of his own existence, Dorian decides to destroy the painting, believing that in doing so he will destroy the evidence of his soul's corruption. He stabs the portrait, but in doing so, he kills himself. The servants find him dead on the floor, his face withered and aged, while the portrait on the wall has been restored to its original, beautiful state.
