It is indubitable that " The Picture of Dorian Gray" is a great novel. It is a classic that is an interesting read and mirrors society. The plot is built around the protagonist Dorian Gray, a young man of extraordinary beauty, fresh and untouched by the aging process. There was innocence about him which was appealing. He seemed untouched by the evil of the world.
His personality including his extraordinary beauty and charm drove the great artist of the time Basil Hallward to make a portrait of him. He seemed emotionally attached to the splendid portrait that he had made that he was unwilling to display it to the public. Basil Hallward's friend Lord Henry Wotton met Dorian Gray. He initiated him into a world outside Dorian Gray's own. He made him see the word differently. From then on Dorian Gray became a different person much to the dismay of Basil Hallward. The portrait also affected Dorian Gray and changed the course of his life.
It is a tragic story and hammers home our fear of aging and the inevitable destruction of our best features of our youth. The lesson one can draw is that the inevitability of aging should be embraced and not be a source of worry.
The novel places Oscar Wilde in the category of the greatest storytellers of all time. The language is beautiful. The plot is simple but shows a deep understanding of the human condition. It is full of words of wisdom and practical advice mostly spoken by Oscar Wilde through the characters.
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