The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapters 19-20

"' But then one regrets the loss even of one's worst habits. Perhaps one regrets them the most. They are such an essential part of one's personality.' " (Wilde 218).

A renowned, ancient Chinese proverb claims that once one stops changing one start to die. A goal of life ought to be chronic self improvement. Once one is able to realize their poor attributes and accepts them, one is taking the first steps to iniquity. This is so because if one accepts a single vice,(which will lead to sin) then one learn to accept sin as a value effectively stripping one of any sense of morality. If one does not realize his sin it may be to quiet a thing to realize, like a cancer withering away at one's core. If one realizes one's sin only to thumb one's nose at change, it is like one simply refusing to step off train tracks. It is a small way to avoid a large problem. The train tracks of iniquity mark the path upon which one must step out of if they wish to avoid the sin steaming and chugging down hell's tracks.



"It would kill the past, and when that was dead he would be free. It would kill this monstrous soul-life, and without its hideous warning he would be at peace. He seized the thing, and stabbed the picture with it"

Throughout Dorian's life he dealt with an affliction of the soul. Since confession was out of the question for Dorian, he need a way to cope with his withering soul. He needed, " 'To cure the soul by means of the senses ' " (Wilde 189). In his past, Dorian simply refused to acknowledge his sins for repentance. Rather than acknowledge and atone for his sins throughout his life, he waited for a single moment to soak in the acidic liquid of sin. The sponge of Dorian's mind was useless when tainted by such a toxic chemical and Dorian realized it need to be wrung dry. No drug on earth could suffice to appease one so emotionally distraught. Through death did Dorian no longer have to worry about stimulating his senses. Instead he destroyed them entirely.