Family and Friends 6 (Extensive reading: The Picture of Dorian Gray)

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Many years ago, there lived a young man called Dorian Gray. He was a handsome and pleasant young man and he was always very kind to people. Dorian Gray loved art and beautiful things and he wanted a picture of himself. So, one day he visited a friend of his, called Basil Hallward. Basil was a talented artist and Dorian asked him to paint his portrait. Basil agreed and every day, Dorian went to his art studio and sat while Basil painted him.

One day, when Dorian was at the studio, he met one of Basil's friends. The friend's name was Henry Wotton. While Basil painted, Henry talked to Dorian. He told him about beauty and youth. He said that these qualities were the most important things in the world. He said that they were more important than kindness, intelligence, gentleness and patience. Dorian listened very carefully and soon he started to believe that this was true.

At last, the portrait was finished. It was a wonderful painting and one of Basil's best works of art. Dorian stared at the picture for a long time. At first, he felt very happy.

He saw a handsome, young man with a kind and intelligent face. But after a while, Dorian started to feel sad. He remembered Henry's words and he knew that one day, he wouldn't be handsome and he wouldn't be young. One day he would be old and grey.

"I wish," said Dorian suddenly, "I wish that I could always stay young and that the picture would get old." Henry laughed when he heard this, but Basil was very angry.

"Don't talk like that," said Basil. "That's a terrible thing to say. Many things are more important than youth and beauty." Dorian didn't believe Basil.

He just felt sad because he was going to be old one day.

Dorian took his portrait home, but now his life was different. He didn't see Basil for a long time. He met Henry and his friends instead. They talked and went out to theatres and to restaurants. Slowly, Dorian started to change. He became hard and cruel. He didn't think about other people's feelings. He only thought about himself.

One day, he looked at his portrait and thought there was something different about it. What was it? He looked more closely. The face had changed. The mouth looked unkind. It was strange. Dorian picked up a mirror and looked at his own face. Then he looked back at the portrait. It was true. The portrait was different.

Suddenly, Dorian remembered that he had wished to stay young while the picture grew old. It seemed impossible, but his wish had come true. Dorian covered the picture. He didn't want to think about this terrible thing.

One day, Basil visited him at home. They talked for a while and then Basil said,

"I want to borrow your portrait. I want to put it in an exhibition in an art gallery." Dorian thought about the painting and how it had changed.

"I'm sorry, Basil," Dorian said quickly and quietly. "But I can't give it to you." Basil looked at him strangely.

"You've changed, Dorian. You used to be a kind man. Now you are cold and selfish." When Basil had gone, Dorian took the portrait and put it in a small room. He locked the door and put the key in his pocket. "No one can ever see this portrait," he said to himself.

And so the years passed and Dorian still looked young and handsome. He enjoyed his life, but he didn't care about anyone but himself. Behind the locked door of the little room, the picture of Dorian Gray grew older and uglier. The face showed the truth about Dorian's bad life. Sometimes, Dorian went and looked at the picture and he thought how terrible he had become. He hated the picture and he hated his life.

At last, Dorian decided to be good again. He thought that if he was good, the picture would change back again. But it was too late for Dorian Gray to change. He died and when he died he became old and ugly and his portrait suddenly changed back to look as handsome and young as it was at the beginning.

Based on a story by Oscar Wilde