Final Chapter analysis of "The Picture of Dorian Gray"

Chapter 18, the final chapter, brings out all of Dorian’s latent issues from the novel. In the initial action of the chapter (the hunting accident), Dorian’s innocence really shows itself. When the rabbit runs across the field, Dorian tries to stop Geoffrey from shooting it because of how innocent and beautiful it looks. This may be a reflection of Dorian’s love for things that are beautiful (such as himself). He does not want to witness the destruction of something that appears so innocent and harmless. His failure to stop this from happening results in the death of Sybil’s brother.

The destruction of beauty (meaning, the rabbit) resulting in an ugly consequence (the death of Sybil’s older brother), reoccurs at the end of this chapter as well, with Dorian stabbing the painting. If anything, the rabbit and Sybil’s brother’s deaths foreshadow Dorian’s own demise. These deaths show that nobody can stop the hand of Fate. Even though Dorian attempts to discourage Geoffrey from shooting the rabbit, he still does, and, in doing so, kills Sybil’s brother. Just as well, Dorian cannot even forestall his own fate, and brings it upon himself. When he stabs the painting and changes places with the horrid demon living in it, he becomes the disgusting being that he really is inside, and loses all semblance of his once-innocent appearance.

The murder of Sybil’s brother represents Dorian’s final cracking point, because at this point, he realizes that he cannot continue living his life blissfully ignorant of how wicked both he and the world really are. Not only does he realize his own wickedness upon his final viewing of the portrait, his death, which leaves him swapped with the image in the portrait, reveals to the world the wicked soul beneath his sweet, charming, boyish exterior. As Wilde explains, "it was not until they had examined the rings that they realized who it was." Wilde shows, through this quote, that the true Dorian Gray is unrecognizable, as are the souls dwelling in the people that appear most innocent.