Re: The Metamorphosis/The Picture of Dorian Gray
Just in case:
Dorian Gray tells of a young man named Dorian Gray, the subject of a painting by artist Basil Hallward. Realizing that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian cries out, expressing his desire to sell his soul to ensure the portrait Basil has painted would age rather than himself. Dorian's wish is fulfilled, plunging him into debauched acts. The portrait serves as a reminder of the effect each act has upon his soul, with each sin displayed as a disfigurement of his form, or through a sign of aging.
The opening line from The Metamorphosis: "When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin."
I felt that both tales have a lot of themes in common, especially the externalization of the fears and desires of the internal self....and who doesn't like a bug in a suit?
