the picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The work is an archetypal tale of a young man who purchases eternal youth at the expense of his soul. The story begins in the art studio of Basil Hallward, who is discussing a current painting with his witty and amoral friend Lord Henry Wotton.Opium is present throughout the entire novel, and this particular drug is very significant in Dorian's life, yet the significance of this drug is often overlooked by critics.Dorian's love for Sibyl is a turning point in the novel; here, he has to choose between real life (marriage with Sibyl, the person) and art (infatuation with Sibyl, the art object). Obviously, he chooses art over life, and thus throws away the one other person he truly loved (albeit briefly). Deciding that only full confession will absolve him of wrongdoing, Dorian decides to destroy the last vestige of his conscience and the only piece of evidence remaining of his crimes: the picture. In a rage, he takes the knife with which he murdered Basil Hallward and stabs the picture.