Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton, Basil Hallward (1)

Dorian Gray
Dorian Gray is the kind of person you could look up to from far far away but whom you would never want to be. To others he seems pretty, almost ideal but in the real world there is no such thing as an ideal person. His good looks does him no good in more than just one way. It makes him vain and obsessed with his appearance. Also looking good is something everyone wants to achieve. And people who envy you often gossip and start nasty rumors about you.
A person like Dorian Gray worries about his fading beauty and would do almost anything to keep it. For example he would wish a pretty portrait of himself age instead of him. It is easier to hide away a ugly-looking painting, that depicts the eeriness of your soul , than yourself. All that matters is the present day and the face that you see from the mirror . Right? As it turns out, even for Dorian, the saying out of mind- out of sight doesn’t really work . You can only try to deny something but it is inevitable that one day the truth will come out and haunt you again .
Since the main emphasize of Dorian’s worries concerns his looks it is no wonder that he is selfish and weak . It is not too hard to sway his mind. Whether it is his true nature or an outcome of being easily influenced and manipulated with, Dorian cares not for standards of morality or consequences of his actions . He often concentrates on one of his most influential friend and sets his life according to his sayings. This causes Dorian to lose other amigos and important people.
Dorian also lacks the knowledge of what is true love. He wants a trophy wife who either looks good or has a great talent . But if the woman loses her gift , Dorian feels like she betrays him. This proves once again the superficiality of Dorian Gray.
To sum up Dorian Gray may look good from the outside but is restless and constantly fighting his demons in the inside. He is not worth anyone’s affection or jealousy.
Basil Hallward
Basil is the perfect example of an isolated artist. He has a talent and his paintings are beautiful but as a perfectionist he is eager to point out mistakes. As art is his true passion, Basil puts his heart and soul into it. That is what makes him a bit paranoid , thinking that some of his paintings reveal too much of himself. He lacks the ability to look himself through other’s eyes and understand that even though he may see the world in his work, others see it only as a pretty portrait. Basil struggles with his privacy issues as part of him wishes to share his art with others, but the other part is shy and protective over the paintings.
If you get to know him, you’ll find out that there is more to Basil than just art. He is a good natured but a bit obsessive person. He isn’t necessarily a team player . Basil seeks out a person he feels drawn to and then starts idealizing him. He wants to protect the chosen friend and keep him all to himself. Hallward feels jealous when the friend doesn’t feel that strongly attached to him back and looks for other company. But at least Basil never gives up. He is always there to help you out when needed or warn you about a nasty rumor going around town.
Basil Hallward can be both - your best friend or the annoying stalker you never get rid of ( unless you stab him of course ).
Lord Henry Wotton
Henry is a person with a useful gift of persuasion. He would be the best salesman to whom you could never say no to. There are few people who are able to keep their own beliefs and be not influenced by Henry. He airs his views with such good arguments and power that it is easy to start believing that what he is saying is actually what you yourself want to say. Even if it is not really the case . He can lead the conversation in any way necessary - either it is to make others worry about their age or stop caring about another person’s suicide. Convincing others is like a game to him. It amuses him and helps him study human nature that he claims to know so well.
The life of Lord Henry is all about one party topping another. You can call him a good people-person. He attends all polite social events for example parties and theatres . He drags his subjects of study with him to expand his influence span. His life goal is to celebrate youth and pleasure and he doesn’t let anything come on his way of partying. You could call him even unshakeable as he can turn even the most dramatic events into a reason to party without a care in the world.
Lord Henry Wotton is probably someone whose shoes would be interesting and fun to walk in but whose company is a tough burden to bear .