The Picture of Dorian Gray #5

After Dorian begins to read the book and continues to hide the portrait, his corruption grows, and his relationship with Basil dwindles as Lord Henry's influence takes over. In Chapter IX, Dorian completely alienates Basil; he refuses to let Basil see the portrait into which he poured his soul. During Basil's visit, Dorian takes advantage of him: "instead of having been forced to reveal his own secret, he had succeeded, almost by chance, in wrestling a secret from his friend!" namely that Basil is afraid that he exposes too much of his personal emotions in his masterpiece (85). Dorian does not feel the slightest guilt in this turn of events, but only relief and satisfaction. Basil has professed his love and adoration for Dorian, and instead of motivating Dorian to return to being the Dorian that Basil misses, his confession only feeds Dorian's arrogance and expedites his corruption. He alienates Basil not only by becoming less and less of the man Basil loves, but by treating Basil as a tool to be used and exploited. Furthermore, when Dorian hides the portrait from his own sight, he further serves both ends of accelerating his corruption and pushing Basil away. Not only does he hide away the only gauge he has that measures the degradation of his soul, but he also shoves aside the masterpiece through which Basil expresses his profound love for Dorian.