Book Summary
THE
PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
The picture of Dorian Gray is a deeply provoking novel of a multi
faced
man, Oscar Wilde.
Artist Basil Hallward finds a strikingly handsome physiognomy of Dorian Gray
and asks him to model for a
portrait. This youth was flawless, had innocent
eyes and a serene face. He had the magic of youth yet was a child at heart.
Basil drew a picture like never before and gave it to Dorian.Basil on the
colored canvas with the stroke of his brush revealed a figure that Dorian could
not help praising.
But one day Dorian meets lord Henry Wotton,Basil''''s rich friend and is
enthralled by Lord''''s philosophy that beauty is worth anything else in the
world.
Dorian wishes to stay young
forever while his portrait withers. His wish
is granted.He goes out with Lord to see the world through Lord''''s eyes and
slowly loses his innocence. He commits grave sins which were unpardonable and
with every sin that he commits,the portrait ages and becomes repulsive
while he stays young.
He occasionally went to see the withering portrait and is haunted by
it.Although he did try to make amends but it was too late.
The wrinkles on the portrait''''s face and the drooping skin showed the inner evil
face of Dorian. He wants to get rid of this picture of himself. He takes the
shining knife and stabs the portrait of his own .Then there is a cry heard and
people came rushing,They find the charming portrait of Dorian on the wall and a
repulsive face with a knife stabbed in his heart.
They recognized the corpse being of Gray only when they examined the rings that
he wore.
His zeal for staying forever young brings this dreadful conclusion. The author
with this novel wants to conduct this deep message that beauty lies within and
not on one''''s face.Change is inevitable and one must accept it in all spheres of
life.
By
Aparajita Pandey