Comparison of "Surfacing" and "Picture of Dorian Gray"

Solitude is the pathway to self-discovery. Indeed, one of the most difficult tasks in life is to choose the correct path to find one's self, and to affirm where one stands amidst the crowd. Among the numerous paths that can be taken in life, there are often those that lead to nowhere. These "paths to nowhere," are found in the road maps belonging to those who travel in pairs, and follow others, but are not …

…they most certainly cannot be found. The protagonists of the novels Surfacing and The Picture of Dorian Gray, surely existed, but nothing more. They did not live their lives until they learned to face their emotions, and they could not face their emotions until they were left standing alone. Subsequently, the path one takes to find one's self must be followed alone or the end will never be reached, the task will never be completed.