In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the main character Dorian Gray, turns into an sick and twisted adult by means of cursing his fate and pledges his soul only so that he could live without bearing the physical burdens of aging and sinning. The result of this change is he devotes himself to having as many experiences as possible, whether moral or immoral, elegant or sordid. This change is important because begins to pursue his own pleasure above all else. .
Dorian Gray at the beginning of the novel is known as radiantly handsome, impressionable, and wealthy young gentleman. As the novel progresses, Lord Henry's influence over Dorian grows stronger. The youth becomes a disciple of the "new Hedonism- and proposes to live a life dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure. He falls in love with Sibyl Vane, a young actress who performs in a theater in London's slums. .
The major conflict in the novel is that Dorian Gray, having promised his soul in order to live a life of perpetual youth, must try to reconcile himself to the bodily decay and dissipation that are recorded in his portrait. His problem is finally solved when he resolves to amend his life but cannot muster the courage to confess his crimes, and the painting now reveals his supposed desire to repent for what it is "hypocrisy. Next he picks up the knife he used to stab Basil Hallward and attempts to destroy the painting. There is a crash, and his servants enter to find the portrait, unharmed, showing Dorian Gray as a beautiful young man. On the floor lies the body of their master "an old man, horribly wrinkled and disfigured, with a knife plunged into his heart. It affects the story because It makes Dorian realizes that he failed to establish and live by his own moral code.