Portrait of Dorian Gray: English-Chinese Contrast

Author: Oscar Wilde
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-07-01
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Does a person's portrait reflect more of himself than his face? If the portrait is painted with a loving brush, perhaps it can reveal more than just his appearance—it may reveal his inner world. We often say that a face is a book that can tell its own story. When Dorian Gray saw his portrait, he fell in love with his own beauty. Nothing could harm his beauty, nothing could hurt or change it—even love, and even time. Therefore, he severed the connection between his face and his inner self, between his outward appearance and his inner world. His face remained unchanged, always young and beautiful. But this portrait—painted with a loving brush—was telling the true story. It was the true Dorian Gray—aging and becoming ugly every day, filled with hatred.