The Picture of Dorian Gray Summary | Chapterly
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: A Complete Summary "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." Overview The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) is Oscar Wilde's only novel and one of the most provocative works of Victorian literature. It tells the story of a beautiful young man who, upon seeing his portrait, wishes that the painting would age instead of him. The wish is granted. Dorian remains eternally youthful while the portrait, hidden away, records every sin and cruelty on its canvas. The novel is a Faustian bargain wrapped in Wilde's trademark wit. It asks whether beauty excuses immorality, whether art has moral obligations, and what happens to a person freed from visible consequences. The answer, Wilde suggests, is not liberation but corruption. Plot Summary Basil Hallward, a painter, creates a stunning portrait of the beautiful young Dorian Gray. Lord Henry Wotton, a cynical aristocrat who worships beauty and sensation, tells Dorian that youth is the only thing worth having. Dorian, staring at his portrait, wishes he could stay young forever while the painting ages. Under Lord Henry's influence, Dorian pursues a life of pleasure without conscience. He cruelly abandons an...