"There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realize his conception of beautiful." (Wilde 107) Dorian's lifestyle can be paralleled to the Congo in that it is similarly used to represent the absence of restraint and order. "I've seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men -men, I tell you." (Conrad 13) The effect that is used exemplifies a lack of civility, which in turn provides the opportunity for the emergence of darkness. At the beginning of the novel Marlow begins his descent into the Congo, which presents a dark image of death and suffering. "It was a thing which looked as dead as the carcass of some strange animal. I came upon more pieces of decaying machinery, and a stack of rusty rails. To the left a clump of trees in a twisted shady spot, the ground shook" (Conrad 12). The on going evil growing in Kurtz was not only a result of the jungle, but it was shown through it as well. As he gained more darkness, the jungle thickened and became increasingly dangerous: " and we crept on, towards Kurtz. But the snags were thick, the water was treacherous - (Conrad 33) If civilized limits are placed upon society as a whole, the majority of people have the opportunity to contain the darkness within.
It is true that every person must undergo the ultimate test at some point of his or hers lifetime, the test between good and evil. This test can be as simple as small, daily difficulties, or as large as the general principle in which one bases his or hers life upon. "There's only one way to get rid of temptation, and that's to yield to it" (Wilde 13) Dorian's greatest test of his life came at the end of the novel. He becomes so disgusted with this portrait of his soul and his conscience, that he slashes the canvas, killing himself.
