This echoes Wilde and his description of Lord Douglass's lips in the previously indicated passage of the letter. This parallel that can be drawn between Basil's love for Dorian and Wilde's love for Douglass lends itself to being incriminating. The undercurrent of sexual desire and the allure of the young man's beauty connect to the theme of boyish love, which would not have helped Wilde proclaim his innocence. The defense's use of Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, not only attempted to deem the book immoral, but more importantly, helps the defense draw parallels with Basil and Wilde. Using the novel in this way would help ensure Wilde's loss in the libel case and give way to other cases that would ultimately lead to prison (The Trials of Oscar Wilde). The theme of Greek love and boyish love is reflected by Basil in The Picture of Dorian Gray and by Wilde in real life. The parallel of Greek love in Basil and Wilde would only help society to consider Wilde as a homosexual and his future