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This is an illistration from a French novel called,

À rebours, that Dorian made frequent references to. It's about a man who becomes horrified by society and decides to leave it. Eventually, his new life that he loves takes a physical toll and he goes back reluctantly.

This story mirrors his hopes and dreams, but not what he actually does.

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Another study by Jean-Cristophe Rohner and Anders Rasmussen found that attractive people are often times perceived as more demanding.

Link to study: http://portal.research.lu.se/portal/en/publications/physical-attractiveness-stereotype-and-memory(c9bbe442-b296-42b1-aac9-8fc05d287231).html#Overview

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Beauty definitely has an effect on your life, but is it always a good one?

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According to Psychology Today, "Handsome men earn, on average, 5 percent more than their less-attractive counterparts (good-looking women earn 4 percent more); pretty people get more attention from teachers, bosses, and mentors; even babies stare longer at good-looking faces (and we stare longer at good-looking babies)."

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The image that many people get in their heads when they think of a powerful person is often also attractive. Does this idea have any merit?

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                     "Successful Women" According to Google Images

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                     "Successful Women" According to Google Images

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        When you Google search "Successful Man," these are the first images that you see.

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        When you Google search "Successful Man," these are the first images that you see.

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“Many intellectuals would have us believe that beauty is inconsequential. Since it explains nothing, solves nothing, and teaches us nothing, it should not have a place in intellectual discourse. And we are supposed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. After all, the concept of beauty has become an embarrassment.But there is something wrong with this picture. Outside the realm of ideas, beauty rules. Nobody has stopped looking at it, and no one has stopped enjoying the sight. Turning a cold eye to beauty is as easy as quelling physical desire or responding with indifference to a baby's cry. We can say that beauty is dead, but all that does is widen the chasm between the real world and our understanding of it.”
-Nancy Etcoff

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Is beauty power?

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The Fountain of Youth - Painting by Lucas Cranach

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The Fountain of Youth - Painting by Lucas Cranach

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Tales of 'The Fountain of Youth' have been told for centuries. The story is of a hidden spring or fountain that enables anyone who drinks from it to become young again.
Dorian Gray found a sort of fountain of youth, he got to be young forever. However, it tore him apart and ultimately led to his demise.

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Although Dorian turned out to be a completely different man than I thought he was, I don’t regret getting involved with him. I certainly regret letting Lord Henry meet him, but becoming friends with Dorian myself I could never be remorseful about. Even though my prolonged friendship with Dorian Gray turned fatal, I believe that my presence had a positive effect on him, perhaps the only positive effect he had in his life after meeting Henry. I shielded him from corruption and kept him innocent for a long time; I’m proud of that. I wish he would have stayed that way forever, but he didn’t. He became greedy and selfish, nothing like the Dorian Gray I met many years ago. Ultimately, his life was it was his choice. Even if he hadn’t met Henry, he would have gone down a similar path. I’m trying to forgive myself for how everything ended. It’s hard for me to believe that the man I once knew so quickly turned immoral, but it wasn’t my fault.

-Basil Hallward

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I have lost two of my closest friends in the past few months, both to rather odd circumstances. Basil disappeared mysteriously, and Dorian died of a probable suicide. I can’t image why, he had everything going for him. He had the fountain of youth, and from that he got power. No, it couldn’t have been suicide, murder is much more likely In the case of Dorian Gray. Mr. Gray had plenty of enemies that could have decided to kill him. After all, Dorian had everything. He lived a fascinating life that could really only end with a fascinating death. In the case of Basil, he probably just got a wrong train and will either return any day now, or decide to stay in some little town he found by accident. Dorian Gray once asked me if I thought Basil could have been murdered. Although I wish he could have gotten a dramatic ending like that, it’s not very likely. Basil lived too much of a boring life for anything quite that interesting to happen to him. As for me, I don’t miss either one of them very much. I certainly brought more to their lives than they brought to mine.

-Lord Henry Wotton

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There isn’t a second of my life in the past eighteen years that I don’t regret. From the moment I met Lord Henry Wotton, my morals were gone and my life was practically over. When he met me, I was vulnerable, and he saw that in me. I do not blame myself for falling for his dangerous theories all that time ago. I was young and didn’t know any better. However, in the many years that followed, I could have turned around and removed Henry from my life at any moment. I have no excuses for that. I realize now, although it is far too late, that the only reason he had such a corrupting influence on me was because I let him. I could have resisted. I should have resisted. I think I was always a selfish person, and Lord Henry gave me an excuse to act on that selfishness. I told myself that it was his influence that made me the way I was. I got pleasure from looking at the enchanted portrait of myself, seeing what I avoided. But after awhile, the painting became a burden and source paranoia, and I desired to be a better person. Through all of my trying to be better, the painting remained unchanged, completely grotesque. I’m not a strong person, and that’s my fault. I don’t expect anyone on Earth to forgive me, and I definitely don’t expect God to.

-Dorian Gray

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Client Name: Dorian Gray

Date of Birth: November 10, 1852

Address: Jason Ct, Marylebone, London, UK

Report date: September 20, 1890

Reason for Examination: Complaints from town residents

Marital Status: Single

From the files I was able to access, he had never once, in the past eighteen years, visited a medical or mental professional.

I entered the house of Mr. Dorian Gray at 2:13 pm this Saturday. Upon my arrival, a young-looking man opened the door. I asked if Dorian Gray was there, and he told me he was him. I asked for proof of identification, as this man looked as if he couldn’t be older than 20. However, he showed me identification, and everything seemed to check out. I informed him that I was a social worker and that I had been sent to do an interview and examination on him and his home. I encouraged him to ask any questions he’d like, and explained the confidentiality agreement. I told him I was there in response to claims of instability and corruption.

He was incredibly skeptical of me and acted quite paranoid throughout my visit there. I assume he thought he was in trouble with the law. We sat down, and I began to ask him if he thought these claims had any merit, he denied it all. He became defensive, told me that he was of high honour, and that most of these complaints were probably by old friends who were jealous of his prestige. Dorian and I talked for a few hours, and he was incredibly charming.

There was one thing that I found curious. I asked to see certain rooms in his house, and he was happy to let me in, except for one place in particular. When I asked to see the attic, he screamed at me for even suggesting it. He was quite violent, he acted like a completely different man.

The only other person who lived in his house, and I also got to briefly talk to him. He said that he really didn’t know what was in the attic, or much about his master at all, aside from rumours around town. The butler told me that in his experience, aside from occasional emotional outbursts like the one I had just seen, Dorian Gray was a good employer.

I’m hesitant to say anything about whether or not I think Dorian Gray’s house is a safe one for children, or anyone for that matter. The Dorian I saw earlier in the day is a calm person. His private life and reservedness may be cause for concern, but still has the impression of a good person. Later that day however, I understood why much of the town seemed to despise him. He frightened me, and I don’t think that he can be trusted with children. One should, at the very least, proceed with caution round Dorian Gray.

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                                                                                                                                                            The Issue

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                                                                                                                                                            The Issue

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Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton are two friends. Basil is a painter, Lord Henry is a social aristocrat. The novel opens as Basil is just finishing his latest work, a portrait of his good friend Dorian Gray. Henry asks to meet the young man in the painting, but Basil claims that Dorian is innocent and fears Henry would corrupt him. Henry insists on meeting him, and Dorian Gray shows up at the house soon after. Within the span of less than an hour, Henry convinces Dorian Gray that youth and beauty are the only things worth having, which Dorian will soon lose. Dorian prays that he will stay young, and that the painting instead will grow old.

About a month later, Dorian Gray becomes obsessed with a young actress for her beauty and eloquent acting skills, and she likes him in return. One night, he goes to see her perform again and discovers that she is no longer a good actress. Dorian Gray becomes angry at her for this poor performance, drops her on the spot, and leaves in a violent rage. When he gets back to his house, he notices that the painting Basil made of him now has a changed expression, a look of cruelty. His wish to remain young has come true, the painting is now the one to grow old.

The painting continues to grow old and bears the burden of his sins, instead of Dorian Gray himself.

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"3 Astonishing Facts About Successful Women". Inspower.co. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 June 2017.

"8 Traits That Every Successful Man Has". Returnofkings.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 June 2017.

"Actually, Men DO Want Smart And Successful Women". Thought Catalog. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 June 2017.

"Dear Abby: Successful Man Doesn’T Feel Like He Has A Purpose". SFGate. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 June 2017.

Garden, Home, Pregnancy Parenting, and Relationship. "Hardships Of Being A Successful Woman". www.boldsky.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 June 2017.

"Gemini (Constellation)". En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 June 2017.

H, Jim. "Fountain Of Youth: In Search Of The Mystical Spring". Historic Mysteries. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 June 2017.

inc., Canoe. "Canoe Lifestyle | Videos & Photos � Style � Beauty � Food � Sex � Horoscopes � Comics � Puzzles". Lifewise.canoe.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 June 2017.

"The Picture Of Dorian Gray (Literature) - TV Tropes". TV Tropes. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 June 2017.

"Tips For Dating A Successful Man - Valenti International". Valenti International. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 June 2017.

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Basil, much like other cancers, is undeniably the only moral main character in the story. Unlike the other two, he's loving and caring. So much so that he may seem emotional and clingy.

His job is as an artist, so he is incredibly imaginative. He is cautious about letting other people see some of his art that he feels is too personal, he's protective about it. He's also protective over Dorian Gray. When Lord Henry first met Dorian, he tried desperately hard to make sure that they didn't become friends, in order to make sure that Henry didn't corrupt Dorian.

When Lord Henry does corrupt Dorian, and Dorian's morality deteriorates, Basil remains sympathetic to him.

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When the characters in this book first meet Dorian Gray, they are very drawn to him due to his charisma. However, almost every character eventually realizes that he's very secretive, and that he's not who they thought he was.

When he walked into a theatre to watch a production of Romeo & Juliet, he became obsessed with the woman playing Juliet. He went to that theatre to watch her perform every day for months because of his obsession. Then, when her performance skills deteriorated, he got overly emotional. He screamed at her for simply being a mediocre actress.

When he first saw the portrait Basil painted of him, he becomes incredibly jealous that the painting will look young forever, but he will age. So jealous, that he sold his soul in order to stay young-looking.

He does a lot of things compulsively. Like selling his soul, and later killing Basil. Killing Basil could also be described as an act of passion.

All of these personality traits are very typical of Scorpios.

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Lord Henry is the person who convinces Dorian Gray, through the power of his charm and wit, that beauty is the only thing worth having. One of his other theories that he teaches Dorian is that 'no influence is good influence', even though his entire character arc is the profound influence that he has over Mr. Gray.

Geminis are communicative, witty, intellectual, and eloquent, and cunning. It's through these characteristics that Lord Henry manages to convince Dorian of all his dangerous theories.

Another gemini personality trait is inconsistent. Henry is called 'Prince Paradox' by other characters in the novel because he is infamous for contradicting himself.