The picture of Dorian Gray and imagination

Dennisse Pizarro

The Picture of Dorian Gray and the Imagination

Life can bring many down moments as well as up and happy situation. In the book The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is an example of life itself and people’s imagination. Dorian Gray, the main character, life develops paranoiac thought which brings his imagination to another level. During his life we can see that all actions imaginative or not have consequence and a reward. As stated he develop a type of behavior call paranoia, it is hard sometimes for people to see the connection of paranoia with one’s imagination and creativity. Finally we are going to look at a slight overview on Dorian behavior that made us realize he had develops this behavior. This does not happen overnight but instead it takes time across the chapters.

Dorian’s childhood was not a special one, he was not raise by his parents but by his uncle that did not treat him very well possibly this is what brought his trust to a low level. His paranoia developed fully when he got involved with Lord Henry and Basil but his childhood also affect on his present. Paranoia is when people’s thoughts are controlled by their fears and anxious feelings which are irrational and not real. People with paranoia feel as if everyone is trying to get them to hurt them or cause them harm. This type of behavior can be used but it also has to have a motive that keeps it going. In this novel especially they are not action that make Dorian fearful but people by the comments that they make in front of him.

Paranoia is not only a behavior that develops out of your childhood but it can also develop out of imagination. The imagination it is the main key to paranoia. The imagination plays a game with our mind; they make us switch words around, see things that are not really there. The distinction between the reality of things and about what is happening in their head is totally different. This is not to say that their crazy but their imagination level is high. Sometimes they are likely to imagine that people are plotting things but they go to the extreme seen what they do, how they move, taking how they express and what they say to the extreme, analyzing every detail of their persona. For example, Dorian doe not only fear people but also his own portrait, the reflection to his soul. This is not easy to deal with knowing that his environment was of high class and his beauty had a great control of him. At the middle of the story we start to realize that he lives in a fake world which seems reality to him.

Dorian Gray develops and shows that he has paranoia through the action he takes. The actions are in a sequel as it is shown in the book. Dorian ways of looking at things changes when he meet Lord Henry but specially when Basil finished his painting as he stated it will be murder if he was to destroy it. The painting in Dorian life was death itself. The portrait became his own life that not only took over the way he’s soul but also his normal life. He’s obsession towards the painting brought him to kill Basil out of anger.  Dorian imagination to think that everyone was plotting against him, the imagination to analyze everything was detailed and specific.  For example when he would speak with Lord Henry he would pay close attention and ask question about everything.  Everything started when he put the portrait on the old school room. The portrait was an imagination of not only Dorian but also Basil. They always stated that they had part of themselves in it.

The Picture of Dorian Gray came together in comparison with imagination in many ways. The paranoia established by Dorian in his personality marked all his action. His murder and his “suicidal thoughts” when he stabs the painting at the end are crucial moments at this book.