Dorian Gray Evil Vs Evil Essay

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Basil Hallward is a moral force in The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Where Henry speaks and thinks, and Dorian acts contrary to the rules of society, Basil is a pillar of goodness. He is optimistic in the face of reality, and holds true to his character until the actual truth reveals his blindness. Basil's purity is comparatively divine amongst those around him. Where Dorian enacts all forms of Evil he can find, Basil represents the innocent good Dorian has rejected. If Dorian were the Devil, Basil would be God. The two are fighting for the purity of Dorian's soul, though Basil doesn't know how lost his cause is. Despite Basil's mortality, he presents a striking resemblance to the Christian God. Basil is heralded as a man of consistency. According to himself, Basil is resilient against negative influences. When discussing his deviance touting friend Henry, he says, "He has a very bad influence over all his friends, with the single …show more content…

Basil's career as an artist is to show the beauty found in life. He sees Dorian as inspiration for the creation of beauty. He tell Henry: "I can now recreate life in a way that was hidden from me before" (56). Being a creator, is how Basil sees his role. Through painting, he holds a power over reality, controlling the perceptions of others. There is something magical of his final portrait of Dorian Gray. Its conception predates his painting of it: "You know the picture is yours, Dorian. I gave it to you before it existed" (69). This is reminiscent of the passage Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (The Holy Bible, Jer. 1:5). There is a destiny associated with Basil's creation. It is more than a painting; Basil believes it contains part of himself, and Dorian believes it contains his soul. Basil has created something that is able to hold the intangible aspects of a human in a tangible piece of

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