Concept of Immortality in The Picture of Dorian Gray

A concept humanity has dreamed since the beginning of time, living forever young, being immortal. Many, if not every, religions are founded around the fear of death and ideas of afterlife. What differs from animals is our fear of growing old. This is the theme which The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde tackles. In the novel, Dorian Gray is the subject of a picture by a painter called Basil Hallward who develops a level of worship for the young man’s beauty. Corrupted by the ideas of Basil’s friend Lord Henry, Dorian makes the wish:

If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that… I’d give my soul for that.

After having his soul trapped within a painting, Dorian gained immortality. He does not age and seems to be immune to all conventional illnesses, diseases, viruses and infections

The moral of the story seems to be that a narcissistic obsession with youth and leading a hedonistic lifestyle is a sinful way to be. His selfish approach to life led to Dorian’s downfall. Either due to his own personality or the influence of Lord Henry’s corrupt ideas, Dorian becomes a despicable person as the novel progresses.

Imagine Dorian had led a virtuous life, perhaps spending his time in philanthropy or in the pursuit of knowledge, using his beauty, youth and possible immortality to the world’s advantage. The portrait would still have aged and lost its physical beauty, but would have kept another kind; a wise, kindly beauty, the beauty of a man who’d led a worthwhile life.

We could say that immortality in The Picture of Dorian Gray has a negative connotation, more than a gift it seems a curse, something incredible and powerful in the beginning that with time reveals all his contradictions: after have lived every emotion, anger, desire, despair, joy, love, passion, sadness, sorrow what is left? Only apathy and boredom, a killing sense of guilty due to bad choices you made in life.

The final act of the novel could be seen as a “Christian rebirth”, the wish to start a brand new life. But that’s not possible, there is no redemption, Dorian is corrupted and the only possible ending is his annihilation.