Whether we realize it or not, many people influence our lives, shaping the way we act, talk, and even think. People can affect others in many positive ways; however, they can also corrupt the people around them. One such influential character is Lord Henry Wotton of Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray." His charismatic nature draws everyone, including Dorian, to him, causing the title character to begin a downward spiral of corruption. At the beginning of the novel, a friend of the two men, Basil Hallward, paints an exquisite portrait of Dorian, a young man with incredibly refined features. Dorian and Henry first meet in Basil's study, and from then on, Dorian is never the same innocent child he previously was. He becomes entranced by the philosophies which Henry constantly divulges, resulting in a violent wish-- a wish which miraculously becomes reality-- that Dorian retains all his...