Choose a work of recognized literary merit in which a specific inanimate object (e.g., a seashell, a handkerchief, a painting) is important, and write an essay in which you show how two or three of the purposes the object serves are related to one another.
Basil's portrait of Dorian has two main plot functions in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. It serves as the catalyst for Dorian's descent into hedonism when he wishes that the painting would age in his stead, and its destruction is the ultimate resolution of all of the problems thusly started.
Lamenting the realization that he will eventually grow old and die, Dorian wishes that Basil's portrait of him will age in his stead. This leaves him free to enjoy his youth indefinitely, and initiates a downward spiral into a hedonistic lifestyle. His new self-centered disposition causes collateral damage, however; it drives Sybil Vane to suicide which spurs her brother to seek revenge. Dorian also turns to opium, kills Basil, and blackmails a chemist with undisclosed information to dispose of the evidence. His eternal youth leads him away from a life of morality and towards a life of debauchery and internal conflict.
The story concludes with a paranoid and regretful Dorian wishing to repent. Guilt and fear of karma catching up to him overwhelm Dorian, so he destroys the painting, which is the manifestation of all of his guilt. The painting returns to its original appearance, and Dorian and promptly dies.
The two plot functions of the portrait are directly related; the painting is both the alpha and the omega. The painting allows Dorian to enjoy his youth indefinitely, which he takes full advantage of. His fear that karma will catch up with him as well as his guilt for the harm he has caused to others is what leads him to destroy the painting, which makes things right: Dorian's age is advanced properly and he dies.
Hey Matt, this post was really good. It was very well organized with both points you made in separate paragraphs and another tying the two together so it was easy to follow even though I have never read the book. The thesis was also good, explicitly communicating your points like you're supposed to. Maybe you could expand a little bit on how the two were connected, but I'm not sure what else I would change.
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