... him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. Oscar Wilde always sought experience rather than the fruits of it, because it taught people what to follow and what to avoid. It was the only way that Wilde could arrive at an analysis of his passions. There had been a constant curiosity and desire that ... feed with the wild animals of the desert and giving to the hermit the beasts of the field as his companions. Although the wicked is described in the novel through the beauty of Dorian Gray, it is punished in the end. And it is this punishment of excessiveness that makes the book moralistic....

• Word Count: 1666
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School