Themes

Themes of Dorian Gray 

Vanity

A big theme in the Picture of Dorian Gray is that of vanity. Lord Henry is extremely vain believing that his beliefs are superior to others. He is also obsessed with beauty believing it is the most important thing defining a person. At the beginning of the book, Dorian Gray was aware of his beauty but didn't focus on it. However, when Basil used him in all of his paintings and praised him constantly he started to realize his attractiveness. This realization is enhanced when he meets Lord Henry who praises him without fail every time he sees him. Dorian buys into the belief that beauty is everything by wishing he would stay young and beautiful forever while the portrait ages.    

Power of Influence

The power of influence is another major theme in this book. Wilde develops a character who is young and relatively innocent in the world. Dorian Gray is trying to figure out life and the people he hangs around make a huge difference in the way he approaches his life. He begins by getting influenced by Basil learning his beauty and becoming aware of its importance in society. The biggest influence on Dorian Gray throughout the book is that of Lord Henry. Lord Henry takes Dorian "under his wing" and decides to do a psychological experiment seeing how he could morph Dorian to be the person he wanted. This was very effective as Dorian continually changes his own beliefs and morals whenever they differ from Lord Henry. This highlights how important it is to associate yourself with people who have similar views as you. 

Corruption of the Soul 

Another theme in the book is the corruption of the soul. Dorian Gray begins the book as innocent and perfect as reflected in the portrait that Basil paints for him. This portrait is then used for the remainder of the book as a mirror into Dorian's soul. His first major sin, his rejection of Sibyl Vane, is reflected as only a smidge of cruelty in the mouth of the portrait. As the book progresses and Dorian's soul becomes more corrupted the painting also deteriorates. Dorian is so disgusted that he locks it in a room and won't allow anyone to see it. When he finally shows Basil, he ends up killing him and this is reflected as blood dripping from the hands of the painting. Wilde's interesting perspective of being able to look into ones own soul is intriguing and makes you wonder what you would do if you could see the corruption of your soul. 

Outer vs. Inner Beauty

The last theme to discuss is the difference between outer and inner beauty. Of course Lord Henry believes the only thing that matters is what you look like on the outside. Basil however is a polar opposite who, though he appreciates outward appearance, also realizes the importance of inner beauty and the soul. Wilde criticizes society's infatuation with outward appearance and expresses that when youth is gone, whats left is what really defines you.