PODG Ch. 14

Stephen Simmons-Uvin
Ap English/Mr. George
3/22/10
PODG Ch. 14

"Your life? Good heavens! what a life that is! You have gone from corruption to corruption, and now you have culminated in crime. In doing what I am going to do, what you forced me to do, it is not your life that I am thinking"(176).

Dorian has finally broken through the shackled fence of human morality, leaving behind all aspects of life and particular characteristics and emotions that define him as human. Previously, Dorian's method of interacting with other people and living life has reflected the very nature of sin and evil, but all humans sin, and all humans have minute traces of evil in their souls. Now Dorian has transformed into a creature that can not be compared with even the worst of criminals today. He has officially become the beast that he had been evolving into ever since he met Lord Henry, and become more powerful than Henry himself. Just a couple of pages ago, Dorian murdered Basil, his best friend since the beginning of the novel, and felt no remorse. Now, Dorian feels the need to rid himself of Basil completely and blackmail Alan, in order for Basil's body to be disposed of. What stuck out to me the most in this chapter was not Dorian's plan to dispose of his dearest friends body, but his choice to sin again, and blackmail Alan, only pages after he had killed Basil. This obviously reflects his newly adopted, animalistic characteristics, and our ability, as readers, to understand Dorian and potentially sympathize with him. Wilde has extinguished all sympathetic feelings the reader might have had for Dorian and replaced them with a burning inferno, and feelings of anger and hatred. Not only has Dorian devolved from understandable to vial in the readers eyes, but he has disabled us from connecting with him as a character: Dorian is no more.

"What was that loathsome red dew that gleamed, wet and glistening, on one of the hands, as though the canvas had sweated blood? How horrible it was!-more horrible, it seemed to him for the moment, than the silent thing that he knew was stretched across the table"(177).

In my opinion, this blood-like substance on Dorian's hand in the portrait can represent a couple of things, the death of his soul or the corruption and demise of his soul and character. Since his selfish wish in the beginning of the novel to have his portrait age while he continuously showcases beauty at its finest, Dorian's portrait has underwent some disturbing changes from becoming very pale, developing wrinkles, and decaying. However, not once have we seen a change so severe as this. This could be explained by the fact that Dorian has never committed such great sins as he had just done, or because the portrait is somehow foreshadowing Dorian's demise. Although it may seem unlikely, the very essence of the portrait persuaded Dorian to kill Basil. It is defined as hideous artwork on the outside, but resembles more of a character than that of Dorian; it is not just a portrait. Once again int his chapter, Dorian is drawn to the ugliness of the portrait over others such as Basil. His connection to the portrait is unrealistic in the sense that he fancies it so much that is it like they are linked in blood. This obsession represents Dorian's corrupt conscience, and if his conscience were ever destroyed, Dorian would follow. People often say that "things get worse before they get better," but there is nothing better on the horizon for our corrupt friend.