The Picture of Dorian Gray

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde is a late 19th-century novel that looks at beauty, living for pleasure, and what happens when someone cares only about what they experience, through the life of Dorian Gray. The story centers on a young man whose painting, made by Basil Hallward, strangely shows what happens because of what Dorian does; Dorian stays young while the painting shows his bad deeds. The story begins with Basil Hallward admiring a portrait he painted of Dorian Gray, who is very beautiful. Basil's friend, Lord Henry Wotton, jokes with him about the portrait and wants him to show it to everyone, but Basil says no because he feels like he put too much of himself into it. The story hints that Basil likes Dorian a lot and shows how Dorian and Lord Henry become friends, where Lord Henry shows Dorian that living for pleasure is the most important thing. Dorian's youth and good looks fascinate both men, which leads him to do bad things as he deals with what his actions mean and how amazing it is to be young.