Stephen Simmons-Uvin
Ap English/Mr. George
3/28/10
PODG end

"Yet it was his duty to confess, to suffer public shame, and to make public atonement. There was a God who called upon men to tell their sins to earth as well as to heaven. Nothing that he could do would cleanse him till he had told his own sin" (228).

Throughout the novel, Dorian showcased a careless vibe, and now that has come back to haunt him. This quotation relates back to the debates on public versus private sin, where we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of concealing and confessing your sin. In analyzing the majority of the texts we have read this year, a recurring theme seems to have been redemption. Through the public confession of sin, one could be absolved of their sins, which is why Dorian perishes with the discomforting thought that he has not been forgiven.

As we have learned characters like Dimmesdale and Proctor were able to achieve redemption due to public confession, but Dorian was unable to due to the fact that he could not confess. His carelessness and inability to show compassion and take responsibility in his actions lead to his demise and ultimate ending. He who does whats right will always have righteousness, which is why Dorian shall never be redeemed. He has failed to intertwine goodness in his life, which is why he has perished.


"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame" (224).

This relates to Wilde's statement in the preface that "there is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book," (1) and that books are simply good or bad. In society, people tend to label other things or people subjectively based on their own moral dilemmas. It is human instinct to shun others simply because we are flawed, which is what Wilde also relates to in the preface: that art contains a little bit of the artist who tries to conceal part of himself in his work. Books in general hold a very strong influence on the people that live in the world, the most famous being the bible. A bible is to the religious folk what the yellow book is to Dorian: it is scriptural influence and something more powerful than the soul. Fortunately, Dorian realized its negative influence, but was too late and too overcome by its message to change.