Evil is a characteristic that someone must consciously and
intentionally attempt to become. There is no such thing as being born evil or
inheriting the trait. I fully believe that if desired, someone will deliberately
sin to achieve their goal. A sin is an act of crime or wrongdoing of the moral
compass. A sin to one individual may be a thousand times worse than to another
individual. It all depends on one’s own morals and beliefs. Therefore, Dorian
Gray commits sins that eventually turn him evil. Wilde addresses the topic of
sins with a scientific definition: “There are moments, psychologists tell us,
when the passion for sin, or for what the world calls sin, so dominates a
nature, that every fibre of the body, as every cell of the brain, seems to be
instinct with fearful impulses. Men and women at such moments lose the freedom
of their will. They move to their terrible end as automatons move” (139). Dorian
started his corrupt life style upon meeting Lord Henry. Lord Henry expressed to
Dorian many philosophical meanings of life, which then intrigued Dorian to
evaluate his own life more cautiously. If Dorian had only continued on living his
life in a naïve and juvenile manner, the possibilities of life would not have
caused him to sin. Dorian’s first sin was his treatment of Sibyl Vane, with his
tragic downfall following this cruel display of emotion. Dorian then progressed
to a life full of sin, culminating in the worst sin of all: murder. The murder
of Basil Hallward was Dorian’s final sin to push him towards evil. There is no
turning back now for Dorian; he will forever be characterized as evil, combining
every sin he has ever committed.
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