Dualism In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Consistently throughout humanity, people can influence others' lives with knowledge and deception, shaping the way humans act, talk, and think. While people can affect those around them in many positive ways, they can also corrupt others. One who may appear to be a friend could instead be a foe; having an entirely different image than originally thought. Our inherent fear that the truth will betray us is always looming over every relationship. The fear of knowledge lies in its misunderstanding; knowledge has proven to be both a blessing and a burden. It's this duality of perception and knowledge as far as what is known, vs what isn't, that has created such a conflict for humans. Mear acquaintances can suggest and influence so much of one's

Oscar Wilde captures many ideas of duality in appearance in his text, The Picture of Dorian Gray. The falseness of Dorian's life starts to tear away at his inner self, which becomes visible in his dreaded portrait. Dorian begins to struggle with such a contrast between his physical appearance and his soulful appearance. His struggle becomes apparent when Robinson says in his literary criticism of; The Picture of Dorian Gray, "Dorian is both light and dark worlds; he is the living embodiment and symbol of the dualism of the light and shadow elements of existence" (Robinson 6, 7). While Dorian's literal "wish-come-true" was envied by readers at the beginning of the text, the reality of his dreamy wish gradually revealed itself. Though seemingly perfect, Dorian's true self grows into a fowl depiction of himself, much like how people become enveloped in the fascination of their pride and value in the real world, yet forgetting who they truly are. Some people become fanatic, or obsessive over the idea of eternal joy and satisfaction, though they never see past the short-lived joy. There is no joy in life without the negatives. After the original excitement of the situation, the negatives of the dream start to show. Dorian goes through this, experiencing grief, regret, and loneliness. He becomes avid that he must cut all ties from the past, in hopes that it will free him of the shackles that keep him prisoner this own painting. His youthful appearance is later abused in schemes to escape the consequences of his past. Dorian's beauty was such a deception in his being, that the way he viewed the world around him began to warp with his soul. He begins to see things in a demasked, true form. Wilde uses well-known aspects from Shakespeare's, Romeo and Juliet to connect Dorian's self-reflection to characters and scenes that the audience would know; "I became