DG Ch. 11

"He grew more and more enamored of his own beauty, more and more interested in the corruption of his own soul" (131)

In class we have discussed whether there is potential for Dorian to change his selfish ways and regain his innocence. That is impossible because Dorian gave up his innocence with all of his troubles. Some believe that Dorian will be affected by the image he sees in the portrait and feel a sense of shame for what he has done, but in relaying all of his troubles over to the portrait, he has no desire to pursue feelings that do not dwell within his soul. In fact, Dorian feels a sense of pleasure in seeing the changes that have occurred on the portrait because he feels he has cheated the moral system. He is able to see the consequences of his actions without ever having to face the internal consequences.

"He felt a curious delight in the thought that Art, like Nature, has her monsters" (138)

Throughout the novel we have witnessed that art is only beautiful or ugly based on the opinion of the viewer. Even with Dorian, at times he feels horrible for sins he has committed that are on display in the portrait. Other times he is proud of the fact that he has eluded all of the troubles in his life. He understands that art and people are similar in that they both may give off a poor impression, but there is ultimately true beauty within. In fact, in some ways, it is the imperfections in art and nature that make our experiences meaningful.