Throughout history, art has played a major role in representing the structure of society and the different roles that people people play it. In Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, art seems to dictate young Dorian Gray's life to the point of moral madness, and ultimately death. In the preface to the novel, however, Wilde declares that "all art is entirely useless." This claim is refuted as the novel progresses, as it becomes clear that art does indeed have the ability to control one's actions and define one's overall personal identity. The effect of the portrait of Dorian Gray on its subject reveals that art certainly plays an important role in the lives of its viewers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay There are several statements made by characters throughout the novel that seem to refute the claims made in the novel's preface. One such statement is made in chapter seven, as Dorian reflects on the relationship between his real life and the life depicted by the portrait: “But the painting? What did he mean? He held the secret of his life and told his story. It had taught him to love his own beauty. Would that teach him to hate his own soul? Would he ever watch it again? (99). Through this psychological revelation, it becomes clear that Dorian is strangely affected by Basil's painting. By asserting that the portrait “held the secret of his life,” the reader is led to believe that it is the portrait, and not Dorian himself, who controls his actions. Because the portrait shows the consequences of Dorian's daily misdeeds, one might assume that his soul is tied to the painting, as he intended when he stated in chapter two: "If it were I who were to be forever young and the painting was getting old! For that, for that, I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the world that I wouldn't give! I would give my soul for that! (30). With these vain words, Dorian binds himself to the painting on an irreversible and insane level. Why, if art is supposed to be useless, would a young man of such stature feel the need to barter his soul to remain in the image of his own artistic representation? The painting has a direct influence on Dorian's actions and plays a major role in the outcome of his life. Another example that seems to refute this argument is the emphasis placed on several different art forms throughout the novel by Henry and others. Several mediums, from literature to theater, play a role in Dorian's influence. Dorian finds and begins reading the so-called “yellow book,” which seems to influence him in a strange way: “After a few minutes he became absorbed. It was the strangest book he had ever read” (134). We learn that the book has a profound effect on Dorian, as chapter eleven opens with the following statement: “For years Dorian Gray could not free himself from the influence of this book. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he never sought to free himself from it” (137). All of the information in this book affects Dorian in a way that he has never been affected before, and he seems to be intrigued on an unnatural level for something of this nature. Another influential artistic medium that affects Dorian is theater. As he watches Sybil Vane play the role of Juliet, he is initially mesmerized by her. He falls in love with Sybil, not for the girl she really is, but because of the way she portrays her roles. In this regard, it is safe to say that Dorian loves art more than anyone else. Love is a strong emotion; to say that we are not.