The perversion of Dorian's soul in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde The soul is thought to be an immaterial entity that coexists with our body to which the faculties of thought, action and emotion are attributed. It is the part of our body that is believed to continue living after the body dies. In The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the main character, Dorian Gray, destroys the innocence of his soul and becomes corrupt. He becomes corrupt if he fails to live a virtuous life. The main reason for her transformation can be attributed to a painted portrait of her which captured the true essence of her innocence. This portrait is the personification of his soul. At the beginning of the book Dorian expresses a wish that will inevitably change his life forever. His wish is this: "If it were me who always remained young and the image grew old! For this - for this - I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the world that I would not give." ! I would give my soul for this!" (Wilde, 40) As Dorian's wish to remain young and beautiful forever comes true, so too does the fact that he gave his soul to the devil. Another factor that contributes to the perversion of Dorian's soul comes from his supposed friend, Lord Henry Wotton. Lord Henry fills Dorian's head with his outrageous philosophies such as: "...youth is the only thing worth having.... Hai only a few years to truly, perfectly and fully live. When your youth goes." , your beauty will accompany it..." (34) and "The only way to free yourself from a temptation is to give in to it, and your soul will become sick with desire for the things that is forbidden. with longing for what his monstrous laws have made monstrous......middle of paper......that Dorian has become a dissolute and perverse man who can understand only vanity and thrill of "new sensations" are not what run the world.Works CitedCohen, Ed. Talk on the Wilde Side Britain: Routledge, 1993.Freidman, Jonathan (ed.) (ed. Oscar Wilde. New York: Books For Libraries Press, 1972. Ransome, Arthur Wilde: A Critical Study London: Mr. Martin Secker, 1913. Weintraub, Stanley (ed.). Literary Criticism of Oscar Wilde Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1968. Woodcock, George The Oscar Wilde Paradox. London-New York: TV Boardman and Co., Ltd., 1950. Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Denmark: Worth Editions Limited, reprinted V