The Picture of Dorian Gray and Spunk

Olivia Athelus

Professor Murphy

ENG 102

4 March 2018

Both short stories “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and “Spunk”, explores the themes of influence, corruption and conscience. The author believes that eventually the influence of someone that you look up to or the humiliation of someone that is sought, as more superior than you, will eventually influence you to do something you would never imagine. 

Characters Joe Kanty and Dorian Gray both become influenced to either corruption, or attempted murder. For example, Zora Neale Hurston effectively uses the men in the store as antagonist. The main instigator, Elijah, begins to state “Say, Joe, how’s everything up yo‘ way? How’s yo’ wife?” Joe started and all but dropped the bottle he held in his hands. He swallowed several times painfully and his lips trembled. “Aw ‘Lige, you oughtn’t to do nothin’ like that,” Walter grumbled. Elijah ignored him (Zora Neale Hurston). The aftermath of this is what leads Joe Kanty to a path of no return to a demise conquered by Spunk. Though the influence in Spunk is subliminal, Oscar Wilde blatantly provides to the readers how the influence of Lord Henry is beginning to affect Dorian. Basil attempts to deter Lord Henry claiming that he would “spoil him” and pleaded with Lord Henry saying, “don’t influence him. Your influence would be bad”. Later in the story remarks “something has changed in you completely… you talk as if you had no heart, no pity in you. It’s all Harry’s influence. I see that” (Oscar Wilde). Both characters were easily influenced by their peers to gain confidence to act on what their heart seeks no matter if it was good or bad.

Through effective use of symbolism, foreshadowing and irony the authors provide enough evidence to show the reader how both characters become influenced. In “Spunk” and “The picture of Dorian Gray”, it can be agreed that both authors believe influence can come from someone that is either a mentor or from the fear of being humiliated by someone that is sought as more superior. "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself" (Wilde 13). This statement from Lord Henry can stipulate the fact that in both short stories the characters ignored their conscience to act on what they truly desired.

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