1) Eternal Youth
Eternal youth is like a precious item wanted by everyone. In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray it is something that is very much valued. Especially by Dorian who loses everything to retain his beauty. His wish ultimately causes him to lose his life. In the beginning the reader can see everyone's love for Dorian's beauty. One person it can be seen in is Lord Henry he says
Eternal youth is like a precious item wanted by everyone. In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray it is something that is very much valued. Especially by Dorian who loses everything to retain his beauty. His wish ultimately causes him to lose his life. In the beginning the reader can see everyone's love for Dorian's beauty. One person it can be seen in is Lord Henry he says
Yes, he was certainly wonderfully handsome, with his finely curved scarlet lips, his frank blue eyes, his crisp gold hair. There was something in his face that made one trust him at once. All the candour of youth was there as well as all youth's passionate purity. One felt that he had kept himself unspotted from the world. No wonder Basil Hallward worshipped him" (18).
Youth was something that was idolized by others and Dorian. It was something everybody looked out for. But at the end we see youth becoming negative for example:
Then he loathed his own beauty, and flinging the mirror on the floor, crushed it into silver splinter beneath his heel. It was his beauty that had ruined him, his beauty and the youth that he had prayed for. But for those two things, his life might have been free from stain. His beauty had been to him but a mask, his youth but a mockery. What was youth at best? A green, an unripe time, a time of shallow moods, and sickly thoughts. Why had he worn its livery? Youth had spoiled him" (250-251).
At this point Dorian finally realizes his desire is foolish since it was an evil illusion which has spoiled him. Eternal youth is considered a main theme because it seen through out the whole novel. It starts from an item that is valued to an item which destroys the life of a person.
2) Narcissism
In most societies today, all that matters to a person is the appearance of how others look. This case goes along with Dorian and Lord Henry; they view others on by how they look. In the beginning, Dorian was not that kind of person, but he has evolved under Lord Henry’s influence to judge a person by how they look to others. In result, he experiences the freedom of leaving his morals behind without any feeling of guilt. Since many people sees Dorian as the most handsome man anyone has seen, he builds up the characteristic of Narcissism. He finds himself too beautiful so he betrays his friends along with himself. While committing many sins, he notices that his painting is changing into a very unpleasant version of himself, this situation portrays that he is so caught up with how he looks to other people, he is not aware of his actions.
3) Secrets
In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, secrets would be an accurate theme. In this novel there are many secrets. The main beholder of secrets is Dorian Gray but can you blame him? Secrets seem to have run in the family; beginning with the planned killing of Dorian’s father orchestrated by his own grandfather. Once Dorian’s father was killed, Dorian’s grandfather was able to lock him in a schoolroom for the majority of his life. Some might be able to say that the hatred and corruption of his grandfather was the precursor to Dorian’s evil ways. Later on in Dorian’s life, Dorian had been with many women at many different times. Dorian’s other major secret would be his affiliations with men. Dorian was bisexual and not only liked women but had affairs with men in secrecy. Dorian was also secretive in the killing of both Sibyl and Basil. In the death of Sibyl, not only did Dorian show no emotional attachment but he tried thinking and discussing with Lord Henry different answers to give so that the public would not know that t was Dorian who killed her. In the death of Basil, Dorian did the whole attack in secret. After the death of Basil, he secretly tried to cover his action by calling in his friend Alan Campbell to dispose of the body.
2) Narcissism
In most societies today, all that matters to a person is the appearance of how others look. This case goes along with Dorian and Lord Henry; they view others on by how they look. In the beginning, Dorian was not that kind of person, but he has evolved under Lord Henry’s influence to judge a person by how they look to others. In result, he experiences the freedom of leaving his morals behind without any feeling of guilt. Since many people sees Dorian as the most handsome man anyone has seen, he builds up the characteristic of Narcissism. He finds himself too beautiful so he betrays his friends along with himself. While committing many sins, he notices that his painting is changing into a very unpleasant version of himself, this situation portrays that he is so caught up with how he looks to other people, he is not aware of his actions.
3) Secrets
In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, secrets would be an accurate theme. In this novel there are many secrets. The main beholder of secrets is Dorian Gray but can you blame him? Secrets seem to have run in the family; beginning with the planned killing of Dorian’s father orchestrated by his own grandfather. Once Dorian’s father was killed, Dorian’s grandfather was able to lock him in a schoolroom for the majority of his life. Some might be able to say that the hatred and corruption of his grandfather was the precursor to Dorian’s evil ways. Later on in Dorian’s life, Dorian had been with many women at many different times. Dorian’s other major secret would be his affiliations with men. Dorian was bisexual and not only liked women but had affairs with men in secrecy. Dorian was also secretive in the killing of both Sibyl and Basil. In the death of Sibyl, not only did Dorian show no emotional attachment but he tried thinking and discussing with Lord Henry different answers to give so that the public would not know that t was Dorian who killed her. In the death of Basil, Dorian did the whole attack in secret. After the death of Basil, he secretly tried to cover his action by calling in his friend Alan Campbell to dispose of the body.