In Oscar Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian Gray is a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Dorian is a dynamic character who changes greatly throughout the novel. The main reason for these changes is due to the fact that he realizes he should take advantage of being young before he turns into a hideous, old man. This story represents a perfect example of the problem of vanity. Vanity causes all people to be stretched beyond what they are capable of. The more pride someone has in their youth; the more it causes people to believe that they are all powerful. In this story, Wilde focuses on Dorian Gray's vanity and how it destroys his morality.

In the beginning of the story, Dorian Gray represents the ideal man. The author describes Dorian as a young man with exceptional personal beauty, "Yes...