Lord Henry Character Descriptions

Rossi, 1
Michael Rossi
March 28, 2010
Advanced Placement English - Mr. George

Morally Bankrupt

Lord Henry is unwilling to acknowledge the thread of morality as a part of the fabric in the tapestry of life.
Lord Henry is not morally neutral, but morally askew due to his responsibility for Dorian’s corruption. Lord Henry is to be held responsible for manipulating Dorian. While Dorian is a fool, someone as intelligent as Lord Henry is capable of being mindful of their audience and ought to exercise prudence. When Lord Henry advocates that Dorian, “cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul” (Wilde 189), Lord Henry is offering a tantalizing (for interpretation) concept. Dorian would naturally turn to the most obvious form of emotional suppression, drugs. Peoples’ environment must always be kept in mind. Lord Henry’s influence over Dorian is similar to the influence of father over a young child; his word is law.
Lord Henry is luring Dorian to his own grave. Each one of Lord Henry’s witticisms is a fresh pile of dirt that traps Dorian in a grave of confusion. Lord Henry’s influences over Dorian are the screws of self-destruction which found a home in the boards of Dorian’s coffin. Dorian is slowly being buried by Lord Henry’s tantalizing suggestions.
Lord Henry and Adolf Hitler both exerted their influence over a desperate group of people whom they led down the dark path to iniquity.







Rossi, 2
Works Cited

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2003.