In the novel: The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, Dorian’s attempts at reformation ultimately fail due to self-centered and unwholesome intentions. Dorian spends years living an immoral life, with Basil’s painting bearing all of his guilt and consequences. Eventually, he becomes tired of living an immoral life and decides to change for the better. He describes his first act of reformation as sacrificing his desires so a young woman can live her life without the negative influence of Dorian. He discusses his act of reformation with Lord Henry and says, “I spared somebody. It sounds vain but you understand what I mean. [...] Hetty was not one of our own class, of course. She was simply a girl in a village. But I really loved her. I am …show more content…
This quotation exposes Dorian’s deeply rooted immorality. He is so used to doing immoral things that when he stops, he thinks it is special and that he is doing a good thing. However in actuality, to think and act good is expected of everybody. Any reasonable person is expected to not go around defiling innocent women. Dorian’s unwholesome intentions are further emphasized by his defensive attitude towards Harry’s jests; “I can’t bear this, Harry! You mock at everything, and then suggest the most serious tragedies. I am sorry I told you now. I don’t care what you say to me. I know I was right in acting as I did. Poor Hetty! As I rode past the farm this morning, I saw her white face at the window, like a spray of jasmine. [...] don’t try to persuade me that the first good action I have done for years, the first little bit of self-sacrifice I have ever known, is really a sort of sin.” (173) Harry criticizes Dorian on his ‘transformation’, pointing out that Dorian probably hurt the poor girl in his ‘act of reformation’. Dorian is reluctant to accept the criticism, he gets defensive and his true intentions show. He suggests that he was acting morally and he is not wrong. However the reason he acted morally wasn’t because he wanted to be a good person. It