Dorian Gray #8

            Although Dorian claims to have forsaken his past lifestyle in order to live morally, he does not truly learn his lesson. After seeing James Vane in his courtyard, Dorian cannot help but think of his evil actions in the past: “Out of the black cave of Time, terrible and swathed in scarlet, rose the image of his sin” (Wilde 147). James Vane incites Dorian’s apparent change in outlook on life; however, it may not be for the proper reasons. Dorian is afraid that James will kill him. He tells Lord Henry that it is the process leading up to death rather than actually dying that scares him. When Dorian learns of James Vane’s death, he is overcome with relief. However, he still decides to attempt to make good choices. Dorian describes to Lord Henry how he decided to leave a girl who loved him in order to protect her innocence. Lord Henry responds, “the novelty of the emotion must have given you a thrill of real pleasure” (155). Dorian thinks that he is being moral, yet Harry questions his true motives. It is Dorian’s vanity and desire to think of himself favorably that induces his supposedly unselfish actions toward the girl, not a wish to benefit her life. Thinking that he is being moral, Dorian decides to go look at the portrait to see if it reflects his recent change in behavior. Instead, the picture is uglier and crueler than ever. Dorian has a choice; he can either admit that he murdered Basil or continue to cover it up. He has the choice to truly repent or remain on the same path. Dorian realizes that there is “only one bit of evidence left against him. The picture itself—that was evidence. He would destroy it. Why had he kept it so long?” (164). Rather than confront his mistakes, Dorian decides to destroy his soul. In the end, Dorian does not make the right choice; he stabs the portrait and dies. Wilde may claim that “[t]here is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book,” but The Picture of Dorian Gray certainly delves into the concept of morality (vii). Immorality cannot sustain itself forever without eventually destroying the person.