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Can a Scarred Soul be Redeemed?

After finishing reading The Picture of Dorian Grey, something that really stood out to me was how fake Dorian's "redemption" was. At the end of the novel, we learn that Dorian is trying to "better" himself. He boasts to Lord Henry that he has become a changed man, as he "spared" Hetty from the corruptions of associating with him. The novel also deals with the theme of redemption. As Dorian comes to grapple with the fact that living life as Mr. Faust will always lead him to carry burdens that a pretty, young face won't be able to solve, he wonders if he will ever be able to reach full redemption.

However, none of his actions seem to indicate that he is truly sorry for his actions. As always, Dorian is simply fixated on outward impressions. He would like to label himself as a new man, but he is unwilling to put in the effort to become one. He still feels no regret for the death of Basil Hallward, and he still justifies it, as he believes it's Basil's fault for painting the portrait of him, not his own for making the reckless wish in the first place. He also celebrates when James Vane is found dead, as he cares more about his own safety than living up to the consequences of his Hedonistic lifestyle.

Although Dorian might have believed that his soul was irredeemable, I would beg to differ. Of course, sins such as murder and the corruption of others will always remain on his hands, it is completely possible to change and become a better person. Many people lament, "I'm not the same person I was fifteen years ago," and they very well could be correct. One's self at the present is only dependent on the actions and beliefs that he/she possesses at the current moment. Their past self is not an indication of how they are right now. Whether or not Dorian could have ever been redeemed is a subjective matter, but if he truly believed in changing himself, he definitely could have worked towards it. 

Comments

  1. danielwMay 29, 2022 at 4:10 PM

    I agree. But I think the fact that Dorian started off as someone so pure and innocent made him much more susceptible to the corruption and all the ideas that can only justify his situation in a wrong way as well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ruthesh ThavamaniMay 30, 2022 at 4:44 PM

    Yeah, I also think he used the "I'm too far gone to be redeemed" line as an excuse to not put in the effort of changing his ways. He was willfully ignorant of how bad his hedonistic lifestyle was and continued being a bad person.

    ReplyDelete

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