A Double Life

The Picture of Dorian Gray was one of my favorite books that we read over this past month in English. Oscar Wilde is an interesting writer, and I enjoyed his witticisms throughout the entire novel. He has a way of slipping in wisdom and paradoxes in unexpected places. The greater focus of the novel, however, was on sins, and their effect on one’s soul. Unlike most people, Dorian Gray’s soul was not inside of his body, but projected into a portrait painted for him by his good friend Basil. The symbolic aging of his painting as Dorian turns to a wicked lifestyle shows Wilde’s perception of how sins taint lives. I thought this was an interesting observation, as I never considered the way that sin could affect me. I have grown up Christian, knowing that accepting Christ sets one free from the punishment for sin, but I never thought to consider how that could affect me physically, the way that it truly shapes who we are, even if it is not outwardly seen by others.

I thought it was interesting to note the double life that Dorian seemed to have; he had an outward personality which was docile and sweet, and seemingly innocent. This was mostly due to his appearance, which Basil would describe as god-like. However, on the inside, Sir Henry had corrupted him. His desire to see and know all beauty had led him down a horrible path, one of deceit and murder and corruption. Later on in the month as I was reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the author wrote a very interesting explanation for the dual nature of man’s personality. He said that we all had an evil part of us, one that most people underuse, so it is too weak to take on full form in a person. Dr. Jekyll, however, actualized his in Mr. Hyde, and could transform into this person, someone who was nothing but pure evil. It is interesting to note the parallel between the two books; both focus on the double life caused by the presence of both good and evil inside of everyone.

I think that this idea connects greatly to modern psychology and the advancements that have been made since the time both of these books were written. The idea of two entirely separate people residing inside of one mind describes people who suffer from bipolar or multiple personality disorders. The idea of Dorian Gray, who can maintain an outwardly respectable and innocent appearance while being inwardly evil reminds me of books I have been reading about serial killers. Reading these books has been making it hard to sleep at night, but I have learned a lot about the way their minds work. They look like perfectly normal people, there is nothing physically to indicate their severe mental disorder.

While both of these books were creepy and dealt with phenomena outside of the natural realm, one thing stood out to me as a life lesson I could take from the two: be the same person outside that you are inside. Don’t just look good, truly be good as well.