Obsession in its nature is toxic; it turns people into gods and leaves no room for themselves. Celebrities are the idols of the modern world, wherever they go, a fan follows them, dying to catch their attention. Dorian Gray, who was loved by almost all of London for his charm and beauty, whose biggest fan, Basil, adored him leads to bitterness. The theme of obsession in The Picture of Dorian Gray is seen both through those who worship Dorian Gray and in the portrait, which is the object of Dorian's obsession. Although Wilde demonstrates obsession through Basil's worship of Dorian, and even Dorian's obsession with himself and his youth, modern stardom is a parallel to Dorian, who is revered by many early on for his beauty, wealth or fame, but the nature of his worship ultimately leads to chaos. Obsession is described as a persistent thought dominating the mind, but of all types of obsession, idolatry is the most common example, reflected in both Basil's worship of Dorian and the celebrity worship by society. Basil's worship of Dorian is described early in the book, before Dorian is even actually introduced. Basil expresses how powerful his feelings for this man are: “Something seemed to tell me that I was on the verge of a terrible crisis in my life… It was not conscience that pushed me to do this: it's cowardice. I take no credit for trying to escape” (Wilde 10). Dorian has so much control over Basil that he feared losing control of himself, that the intensity of his feelings would lead to a crisis, showing how powerful obsession can be. Basil's feelings for Dorian cannot be considered love, especially later in the novel he admits that he believes that Dorian is truly perfect and that he had paper...light. It is the nature of obsession, of being admired so passionately that eventually leads to a change in approval. Obsession is the most compelling theme in The Picture of Dorian Gray; Dorian's obsession with his beauty and youth, and Basil's worship of Dorian, are a driving motivation. force. Dorian's story is like that of all celebrities who have been adored only to fall under public approval when their true nature is revealed. There is no doubt that Dorian is a celebrity in his time, he is adored by many in London as a celebrity would be admired today. Idolatry, the quest for beauty and the fall of obsession are visible in fiction as in reality, through Dorian's obsessions and modern obsessions like plastic surgery or following a favorite celebrity over all forms of social networks. Obsession is a toxic force that has a hold on humans, whether in fiction or in reality..