Embedded Files
Chapter One
NOTE: Chapter One and Two are extremely important.
1. Reread the first three paragraphs of this chapter. How is the novel’s opening typical of Aestheticism?
Strong emphasis on sensual details: especially sense of smell, in this case. Beautiful imagery of flowers. Lord Henry is found in lounge lizard position: lazing on the divan, indulging in “innumerable cigarettes”. Japanese art mentioned. The room is plush, opulent, luxuriant.
Note, too, that art is constantly referred to: we are in a “studio”, and read of a “full-length portrait”.
2.1 What is the first description we are given of (the image of) Dorian Gray?
“a young man of extraordinary personal beauty”
2.2 What is the significance of this description?
Dorian’s quest for eternal youth and beauty will be his ruin.
3. On page 7, we read of Basil, the artist, “whose sudden disappearance some years ago caused, at the time, some public excitement.” This is an example of foreshadowing. What future event might be hinted at here?
Basil’s disappearance (and murder).
4. On Page 7, Lord Henry states, “You must certainly send it next year to Grosvenor. The Academy is too large and too vulgar. Whenever I have gone there, there have been either so many people that I have not been able to see the pictures, which was dreadful, or so many pictures that I have not been able to see the people, which was worse.”
4.1 This is one example of Lord Henry’s many witty, cynical, paradoxical aphorisms. What is an aphorism?
A pithy (brief but meaningful) observation which contains a general truth.
4.2 What attitude towards art does Lord Henry demonstrate here?
He describes art as an excuse for publicity. He would rather look at people looking at paintings, than at the paintings themselves.
[Note: Look out for examples of where Lord Henry confuses life with art. In chapter 2 he states that he only likes a scene on the stage. It is his influence that connects the real Dorian with the painting Dorian.]
5. Refer to page 8. Basil states, “…but I really can’t exhibit it. I have put too much of myself into it.”
5.1 Quote a line from Pg 11 in which Basil makes a similar confession.
“I have shown in it the secret of my own soul” (top of the page).
5.2 Which of Wilde’s aphorisms, given in his preface, has Basil ignored?
“To reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim.”
5.3 What might Basil have revealed in the portrait?
His attraction/love for /worship of Dorian. [This turns out to be a dangerous move as it influences Dorian and causes him to fall in love with his own beauty, Narcissus-like].
6. Lord Henry describes Dorian as “made out of ivory and rose-leaves [petals]” (Pg 8). As you read the novel, look out for descriptions of Dorian in the colours of white and red. Of what are these colours symbolic?
White- Dorian’s innocence and youth; his inexperience.
Red- the passion, danger, violence, lust, sexuality, of the experiences Dorian has.
7. How does Lord Henry describe his relationship with his wife?
Pg 9. One based on deception (an NB theme in the novel). He claims they have an agreement to pretend to believe each other’s lies about their whereabouts and actions. [This turns out to be ineffective as the couple eventually divorce].
8. Basil says to Lord Henry: “You never say a moral thing, and you never do a wrong thing. Your cynicism is simply a pose” (Pg 10).
For what you know of the events that are going to transpire, do you think this is an accurate assessment of Lord Henry?
It is true to an extent: Lord Henry never commits any immoral acts himself; however, his influence (another NB theme in the novel) can be seen as immoral. Lord Henry is responsible for Dorian’s corruption. [Basil, Sybil and Dorian die but Lord Henry lives on- to a large extent responsible for the deaths].
9. Refer to Pg 12: “Yes, she is a peacock in everything but beauty, said Lord Henry, pulling the daisy to bits with his long, nervous fingers.” Comment on the symbolism of Lord Henry’s actions.
Lord Henry’s corrupting influence ends in Dorian’s ruin: it is appropriate that he is described defacing a flower- a symbol of natural beauty and innocence. [Both Dorian and Sybil are associated with flowers in the novel].
[Side note: pay attention to the way in which women are described. Lord Henry criticizes Lady Brandon because she is not beautiful—an expectation of women—and because her voice is shrill and nagging—women were not respected for their words, only for their beauty (in chapter 2, Lady Agatha is accused of making enough noise for two people- Pg 23). What Lady Brandon says is an irritation to him. On Pg 13 he says that “she tried to found a salon [an intellectual gathering/meeting], an only succeeded in opening a restaurant”. Lord Henry is quick to point out her failure at academia and relegates her to the domestic realm.]
10. Basil tells Lord Henry that Dorian “has suggested to me an entirely new manner in art, an entirely new manner of style. I see things differently, I think of them differently. I can now recreate life in a way that was hidden from me before.” Comment on the significance of the influence that art has had on Basil’s life.
Basil demonstrates how Life imitates Art. Dorian’s beauty is a form/superficial layer- it is not an imitation of his internal make up and Basil is inspired to focus his art on this layer (except that he did make the mistake of revealing his own feelings). The act of painting and being a spectator of Dorian’s superficial beauty allows him to see the world and think of the world differently. The artwork has enrichened his life.
11. Why does Basil not want to introduce Lord Henry to Dorian?
He knows the power Lord Henry has with his words, and he fears the corrupting influence of his friend. He does not want Lord Henry to ruin Dorian’s simple and beautiful nature. [Remember, Basil and Lord Henry are representative of Victorian Morality and Aestheticism respectively]
Chapter Two
NOTE: Chapter One and Two are extremely important.
1. Discuss the impact of introducing Dorian to readers at this stage in the novel.
The novel is entitled The Picture of Dorian Gray, in chapter one we heard of his overwhelming beauty and his simple, uncorrupted nature, and we heard about Basil’s painting. We’ve heard how Lord Henry wanted to meet him, and how Basil wanted to protect Dorian from his corrupting friend. We’ve heard a lot about Dorian, but have not actually ‘met’ Dorian.
This all builds up an anticipation to meet Dorian- and it creates an aura of mystery and intrigue. Note too, how our first glace of the ‘real’ Dorian is him swinging around on his chair to face us: flair for drama, elaborate.
[Note: you might like to discuss the effect of Ekphrasis- a technique where visual art is described in literature. This makes readers want to see what they are being told of, it creates a curiosity and anticipation. Wilde is interested in the impact that Art has on Life- and here we as readers can identify (and feel) how we are directly affected by art].
2. Refer to Lord Henry’s first sight of Dorian: “Yes, he was wonderfully handsome, with this finely-curved scarlet lips, his frank blue eyes, his crisp gold hair. There was something in his face that made one trust him at once. All the candour of youth was there, as well as all youth’s passionate beauty. No wonder Basil Hallward worshipped him” (Pg 23).
What do you notice about the relationship Lord Henry draws between Dorian’s appearance, and his character?
Lord Henry assumes that Dorian’s external appearance is an indication of his inner character: he identifies “candour” and “purity” in Dorian’s lips, eyes, and hair. [At this point in the novel, Lord Henry is correct: appearance and reality match. Dorian is as pure as he is beautiful. Later in the novel this changes.]
3. Refer to the passage on Pg 25: “‘Because to influence a person … And yet –’”
3.1 What influence does social norm have on an individual, according to Lord Henry?
Lord Henry is arguing that people stifle themselves in obeying social norms and constraints- they deny their true state of nature.
People act against their true nature and this is cancerous. For Lord Henry, the individual is everything that matters. Everyone owes it to himself to put his own interest in front of others. [Remember the influence of Darwin at the time, and the questioning of religious institutions. Note the reference to Narcissus in the passage too: “He becomes an echo of some one else’s music”].
3.2 What one word is used to describe a person like Lord Henry, who indulges in sensual pleasures as an exercise in individuality and freedom?
Hedonist
[Note- it’s debatable the extent to which Lord Henry himself is a hedonist. As Basil says on two occasions, he’s all talk].
4. Explain Lord Henry’s aphorism that “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it” (Pg 26).
Lord Henry does not believe in the denial of individual desire and passion that way typical of the Victorian era. Denial results in a stronger desire, which turns malignant and festers. Yielding to temptation is a way to purge oneself. [Learners should learn this aphorism off by heart]
5. How does Dorian respond to Lord Henry’s suggestion to resist social expectation and norm, and yield to temptation?
He is enthralled, and frightened. He asks Lord Henry to stop talking as he is bewildered. His eyes are “strangely bright”—new thoughts and emotions fill his mind. He knows he is being moulded by “entirely fresh influences”, though he seems to recognise that they come from within him- he has on some level always desired this.
6. What does Lord Henry mean when he says, “Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul” (Pg 28)?
The soul and the senses are intertwined. The experience of beauty (love, art, dance etc) is necessary to enrich and heal the mind and soul. The mind and soul are necessary to regulate and guide sensual experience. [Learners should learn this aphorism off by heart]
7. Refer to page 33: “‘How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day in June…”
How has Dorian changed under Lord Henry’s influence?
Dorian has become extremely conscious of, and concerned with, his beauty and youth. He has fallen in love with his own beauty- like Narcissus. He has already lost some of his innocence too, and desires to experience life in its fullness- including what is forbidden by social norm.
8. Copy out the passage (it’s just a few lines) in which Dorian makes a Faustian Bargain.
Pg 33: “If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that – for that – I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!”
9. Find a quote that demonstrates that Dorian has merged Life with Art, and that his life and fate are now bound to the painting.
When Basil threatens to slash the painting, Dorian cries: “It would be murder!” (Pg 35)
He also says “I am in love with it, Basil. It is part of myself” (Pg 35).
Chapter Three
NOTE: This chapter isn’t very important- if you’re under pressure time wise, you can skip these.
1. This chapter was not included in Wilde’s original Lippincott’s publication of the novel. He wrote it in after the largely critical response he received.
The chapter does not push the plot forward in any way- it contains no pivotal moments which change the course of the story. Why do you think Wilde included it in his second edited version of the novel?
Dorian’s heritage is outlined however it only seems to add to the mystery and intrigue that has defined his character. Dorian’s heritage does not allow us to classify him socially; he’s neither completely of aristocratic lineage, nor is he middle class. The fact that Wilde made Dorian’s mother aristocratic and his father poor indicates to me that Wilde wanted to maintain an ambiguity regarding Dorian’s social classification. If his father had been the aristocrat it wouldn’t have been such an issue- but with a rich mother and poor father Dorian is cast into a weird space. The ambiguity that surrounds his social status makes his escape into the world of Art later in the novel more believable- he is not completely rooted in Reality/society.
(We learn that Dorian is the grandson of Lord Kelso. Dorian's mother, Kelso's daughter, was Lady Margaret Devereux (this was a real and exceptionally wealthy family in England), who was incredibly beautiful. Lady Margaret apparently fell passionately in love and married a man far below her social rank, and rumor has it that Lord Kelso arranged for his son-in-law to be killed in a duel. Uncle George imagines that Lord Kelso probably left his grandson a huge fortune when he died—so when Dorian comes of age, he will probably inherit a vast fortune. This adds to the attraction Lord Henry feels for Dorian. )
The chapter also makes the social divides within London clearer. It’s interesting that Wilde would write in some commentary on the social strata of London when he has included a Preface that defends draining art of all any social context and commentary.
2. Refer to Lord Fermor’s (Lord Henry’s uncles’) statement on pg. 41: “‘Examinations, sir are pure humbug from beginning to end. If a man is a gentleman, he knows quite enough, and if he is not a gentleman, whatever he knows is bad for him.’”
Why would Lord Fermor be so irritated by examinations?
He is irritated by the educated (examination writers), who, with a chance at social mobility (due to the new class structure spurred by the Industrial Revolution), threaten his status. How will he continue to perfect “the art of doing absolutely nothing” (Pg 40) if the socially mobile keep proving themselves worthy and making money? He believes that gentlemen naturally ‘know quite enough’, and that any education which supplies one of the lower classes with information is “bad for him” - gives him funny ideas about rights and entitlement.
3. What does Lord Henry discover about Dorian’s family history?
We learn that Dorian is the grandson of Lord Kelso. Dorian's mother, Kelso's daughter, was Lady Margaret Devereux (this was a real and exceptionally wealthy family in England), who was incredibly beautiful. Lady Margaret apparently fell passionately in love and married a man far below her social rank, and rumor has it that Lord Kelso arranged for his son-in-law to be killed in a duel.
Uncle George imagines that Lord Kelso probably left his grandson a huge fortune when he died—so when Dorian comes of age, he will probably inherit a vast fortune.
4. What does Lord Henry mean, when he thinks, “Yes; he would try to be to Dorian Gray what, without knowing it, the lad was to the painter who had fashioned the wonderful portrait” (Pg 45-46)?
Lord Henry wants to be a source of inspiration and influence for Dorian. He wants to do for Dorian, what Dorian did for Basil- awaken a new way of seeing the world.
5. What do we learn about the East End of London?
(Note- Curzon Street etc are in the West End. Pay attention to the symbolism of the divide, and how it relates to the duality we witness in Dorian)
It is populated by the poor and the suffering.
6. Refer to Aunt Agatha’s words to Lord Henry, on pg 48 - 49: “‘Oh! Harry, I am quite vexed with you. Why do you try to persuade our nice Mr Dorian Gray to give up the East End? I assure you he would be quite invaluable. They would love his playing’”.
What is ironic about Aunt Agatha’s words?
Aunt Agatha would like to use Dorian and his artistic talent (playing the piano) in her charity work in the East End. She believes Dorian would uplift the community through art. Eventually, Dorian will later spend much time in the East End in the pursuit of aestheticizing his life (turning it into art) through sensual pleasure. His relationship with art brings him corruption and degradation, not upliftment.
7. Describe the effect that having an audience has on Lord Henry.
(Remember- Wilde says that Lord Henry is what the world thinks of him)
Lord Henry loves an audience. Once he has the limelight he amuses, shocks, delights, flirts with his listeners. He enjoys the influence he wields over people through his gift of language. We get the idea that he talks in a manner designed to shock: he is not genuine. Lord Henry is performative- he becomes a work of art before an audience.
Chapter Four
1. Comment on the significance of the line, “The formal monotonous ticking of the Louis Quartoze clock annoyed him” (Pg 55).
NOTE: Pay attention to clocks: they are a motif in the novel. Though the Faustian Bargain is supposed to free Dorian from the constraints of time, clocks and their endless ticking become a source of aggravation and psychological torment for Dorian. Though the Faustian Bargain is supposed to free him, it ultimately traps him.
Dorian lives in fear of ageing and losing his youth and beauty- the ticking of a clock is a rude reminder of passing time.
2. Refer to pg 57. Discuss Lord Henry’s views of women.
Lord Henry makes sexist comments and views women as inferior to men. He thinks women are merely decorative. He refers to two types of women: the plain and the coloured- in terms of their usefulness. He says that he is studying women, implying that they are scientific subjects, not people. Henry also states that there are only five women in London who are worth talking to, showing his limited understanding and appreciation of the opposite sex.
3. What inspired Dorian to visit the theatre in which Sibyl Vane works?
Dorian claims he was inspired by the Hedonistic ideals suggested to him by Lord Henry: He felt “an exquisite poison in the air”, and he had “a passion for sensations” (Pg 58). When he saw the grimy doorman he felt curious to know more about life in the East End. He is interested in the ‘darker side of existence’ as part of the new Hedonism he pursues.
4.1 In what area of London is the theatre?
The East End.
(Useful little rhyme to help remember: East is least, West is best )
4.2 Quote a phrase taken from page 58 that describes this area.
“a labyrinth of grimy streets and black, grassless squares.”
5. Refer to pg 61:
“‘Ordinary women never appeal to one’s imagination. They are limited to their century. No glamour ever transfigures them. Once knows their minds as easily as one knows their bonnets. Once can always find them. There is no mystery in any of them. They ride in the Park in the morning, and chatter at tea-parties in the afternoon. They have their stereotyped smile, and their fashionable manner, They are quite obvious. But an actress! How different an actress is! Harry! why didn’t you tell me that the only thing worth loving is an actress?’”
Dorian speaks of his love for Sibyl, whom he has seen on the stage. In what way is it expected that Dorian would fall in love with an actress?
(Note that stage performances and portraits are similar in that they both are representations of people)
Dorian is focussed on superficialities. Note, on pg 60, that he admires her voice (one of the first times a woman’s voice is admired in the novel), but it is the musicality of the voice (its art), rather than its content, that he loves.
He falls in love with a representation rather than reality (Lord Henry’s influence has him preferring art over life). He will become a living representation of youth and beauty as reflected in his portrait while the reality of his corruption is reflected in the painting.
(Notice how he objectifies Sibyl- he refers to her as a “thing”)
6. Refer to pg 63: “‘It was curious me not wanting to know her, wasn’t it’”
Why was Dorian reluctant to meet Sibyl, whom he had fallen in love with?
Dorian was not in love with Sibyl- he was in love with her as an aesthetic object. Meeting her would require him to get behind the mask of her acts. Dorian believes that he should turn his life into art (influenced by Lord Henry’s ideas that art is superior to life). On pg 64 he says that Sibyl “is all the great heroines of the world in one. She is more than an individual.” Dorian has no interest in Sibyl as an individual.
8. Refer to pg 63. What quote tells us that Sibyl, too, regards Dorian through the lens of art?
“She regarded me merely as a person in a play.”
9. Identify and comment on the significance of the first play in which Dorian sees Sibyl perform.
“Romeo and Juliet”. It’s a play in which the two star-crossed lovers die- Dorian and Sibyl will die. The two main characters die: Dorian and Basil die.
10. Refer to pg 64:
“‘When is she Sibyl Vane?’
‘Never.’
‘I congratulate you.’”
Why would Lord Henry congratulate Dorian on finding such a woman?
Lord Henry thinks the worst of women- they have nothing useful to say and are merely decorative. He appreciates the fact that Sibyl is permanently a piece of art--she never has to be herself. He believes that art is superior to life.
Chapter Five
1. Why does Oscar Wilde refer to Mrs Vane’s “false-jewelled fingers” (pg 72)?
Wilde is drawing attention to the poverty of the Vanes, which is contrasted to the wealth of the upper class characters- Dorian, Basil, Lord Henry.
(Note: draw attention to the way in which the Vane household is described: a shabby household in the Euston Road, dingy, one arm-chair: no lounge lizzarding here!)
2. Why would Prince Charming be a suitable nickname for Sibyl to refer to Dorian by?
It expresses how Sibyl has been swept up in a tide of passion and sees Dorian as perfection itself. It is the name of a fictional character- and we have seen how Dorian and Sibyl love each other as characters/objects of art, rather than as unique and real individuals.
Also, like Prince Charming in fairy tales, Dorian is going to rescue the damsel in distress: marriage to him would rescue the Vanes from debt, and they could leave the dingy East End of London and their obligation to work on stage behind.
3. We learn that the Vanes are in debt, and own fifty pounds to Mr Isaacs.
On pg 71, Sibyl states, “He is not a gentleman, mother, and I hate the way he talks to me.”
What does Sibyl mean by “gentleman” in this context?
She means it in the moral sense: he is not a good person- she is not referring to his social class.
4. On pg 73, Sibyl thinks of Dorian: “This young man might be rich. If so, marriage should be thought of.”
What does this reveal of Sibyl’s feelings for Dorian?
Sibyl loves Dorian before she knows his financial situation- her feelings are not influence by his wealth, however, his wealth would solve many problems in her life, and she knows this.
5. How does James Vane react to the news of Prince Charming/Dorian Gray?
James is extremely suspicious of Dorian’s intentions and worries that Sibyl might be harmed. He is probably untrusting of men due to the news of his father- who was married and had an affair with Mrs Vane. He (very melodramatically) threatens: “If he ever does any wrong I shall kill him” (pg 80)
6. Refer to pg 79:
“‘He is a gentleman,’ said the lad, sullenly.
‘A prince!’ she cried, musically. ‘What more do you want?’
‘He wants to enslave you.’”
What does James mean by “gentleman” in this context?
He is referring to social class- Dorian is old money.
(He does not equate old money status with moral worth, as many of the Victorians did).
7. Refer to pg 73: Mrs Vane glanced at her, and, with one of those false theatrical gestures that so often become a mode of second nature to a stage-player, clasped her in her arms. At this moment the door opened, and a young lad with rough brown hair came into the room … Mrs Vane fixed her eyes on him, and intensified the smile. She mentally elevated her son to the dignity of an audience. She felt sure that the tableau was interesting.”
What does this extract tell us about Mrs Vane’s relationship with the theatre?
Like Sibyl, the lines between real life and art have become blurred for Mrs Vane. She is happiest when her life resembles the melodrama of the stage.
(Note how Wilde ridicules her, while he treats Sibyl as a true tragic character).
Chapter Six
1. Refer to pg 86, where Lord Henry says of Sibyl: “‘Oh, she is better than good - she is beautiful’”.
How is this comment typical of Lord Henry?
Lord Henry believes in satisfying the senses as a way to satisfy the soul- he is a hedonist and places more worth on external beauty than internal worth. He does not conform to conventional morality. For him, the individual’s desire and pleasure is paramount.
It’s also an aphorism typical of Lord Henry- paradoxical and witty, designed to shock.
2. Refer to pg 90: “‘…When I am with her, I regret all that you have taught me. I become different from what you have known me to be. I am changed, and the mere touch of Sibyl Vane’s hand make me forget you and all your wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories’”.
Comment on the influence that Sibyl is having on Dorian.
Sibyl is pushing Dorian in the opposite direction to Lord Henry. Her influence is a good one. Dorian seems willing to abandon Lord Henry’s hedonistic theories and regain the purity of his soul.
3. Refer to pg 90 - 91: “‘To be good is to be in harmony with one’s self,’ he replied, touching the thin stem of his glass with his pale, fine-pointed fingers. ‘Discord is to be forced to be in harmony with others … Individualism has really the higher aim. Modern morality consists in accepting the standard of one’s age. I consider that for any man of culture to accept the standard of his age is a form of the grossest immorality.’’”
Explain, using your own words, Lord Henry’s understanding of morality.
Lord Henry does not believe that a human battles Good and Evil, but rather that the battle is between Self and Society. The aim of life is not to submit to standards of behaviour set out by society. A natural urge should not be limited by a social standard. One must submit to individual desire. He removes any moral consequence from the pursuit of pleasure.
[Note, too, his understanding of Culture. Lord Henry represents Culture as the unbridled pursuit of sensual pleasure, while Basil represents Art as an inspiration to insert beauty into Life.]
4. Refer to pg 91, where Basil responds to Lord Henry’s understanding of morality:
“‘One has to pay on other ways but money.’
‘What sort of ways, Basil?’
‘Oh! I should fancy in remorse, in suffering, in … well, in the consciousness of degradation.’”
What is Basil’s criticism of Lord Henry’s belief system?
Basil worries that the complete indulgence of sensual pleasures has a moral consequence and the one’s soul would be corrupted.
5. How do Basil’s and Lord Henry’s differing views on Dorian mirror the dispute between Victorian morality and Aestheticism?
Lord Henry believes that Dorian’s beauty allows him to act outside of conventional morality. Dorian is beautiful and must live his life in pursuit of aesthetic pleasure. He must indulge his senses and must act an individual, free from any moral/social restraint.
Basil believes Dorian’s beauty makes him an example to others on proper behaviour. He believes Dorian’s outward appearance is an indication of his inner worth. For Basil, the hedonistic indulgence of the senses has an impact on the condition of the soul.
[You might like to discuss the fact that both Basil and Henry have a bad influence on Dorian—and how].
Chapter Seven
1. Refer to pg 96, where Basil speaks of his understanding of the effect of art: “‘…To spiritualise one’s age - that is something worth doing. If this girl can give a soul to those who have lived without one, if she can create the sense of beauty in people whose lives have been sordid and ugly, if she can strip them of their selfishness and lend them tears for sorrows that are not their own, she is worthy of all your adoration, worthy of the adoration of the world.’”
What, according to Basil, is the chief function of the artist?
The chief function of the artist is not that of celebrating sensual beauty but that of creating empathy- of supressing selfishness and making people feel for the sorrows of others. Basil does not deny the power and necessity of beauty- but it is not for self-indulgence or selfish pleasure, it is used to open one up to others.
2. What becomes apparent about Sibyl’s acting as she takes to the stage?
She has lost the ability to act and appears artificial and staged.
3. Reread pg 101. What reason does Sibyl give for her poor performance?
She claims that Dorian has shown her reality; that she has now seen the emptiness of the stage, and the illusion of acting. She realizes that the life she lived was not life at all but now that she’s found love, she realizes that it is no substitute for real life experience. Before, “acting was the one reality of [her] life”, and now Dorian has “taught [her] what reality really is”. She experienced love, “something of which all art if but a reflection”, and she grew sick of the mere “shadow” of that reality.
4. Why is Sibyl’s loss of art fatal for her relationship with Dorian?
Dorian loved Sibyl as an aesthetic object. He has been influenced by Lord Henry’s ideas that art is superior to life and therefore does not want Sibyl as an individual- he wants her as all the great heroines of her plays.
5. Refer to pg 101: “‘I have grown sick of shadows’”.
These lines echo Lord Alfred Tennyson’s ballad, “The Lady of Shallot”.
5.1 What is this ballad about?
In this poem, the Lady, being subject to a curse, can only see the world outside, and the people passing by, through the reflection of a mirror. She eventually sees Lancelot’s reflection as he passes by her window on his way to Camelot, and she decides to glance out her window and look directly at the world outside. The curse causes her death.
5.2 How is Sibyl’s reality and fate similar to the Lady of Shallot’s?
There is a parallel between Tennyson’s Lady and Sybil Vane. At this moment Sybil becomes aware that the plays of which she is a part of are nothing but pale reflections of life, claiming that Dorian has shown her “something higher, something of which all art is but a reflection.” Like in the case of the lady, however, this unveiling will ultimately lead to Sybil’s death.
6. Dorian is described as he breaks off the engagement, and watches Sibyl’s response:
“She crouched on the floor like a wounded thing, and Dorian Gray, with his beautiful eyes, looked down at her, and his chiselled lips curled in exquisite disdain” (pg 103).
What is significant about the description of Dorian’s beauty in this line?
It is paired with a description of his cruelty. His “beautiful eyes” look down on Sibyl, and his hardened “chiselled” mouth is scornful, though “exquisite”. His external appearance does not match his internal reality.
(Note: It is this expression that is mirrored on the portrait).
7. It is in this chapter that the picture begins to change, reflecting in its facial features the cruelty of Dorian’s actions as he rejects Sibyl. His moral transformation (transformation is an NB theme!) demonstrates itself in the painting. After noticing the change in the painting and realising that his Faustian Bargain had come to life, what does Dorian decide to do, and why?
Dorian decides to apologise to Sibyl and marry her. Dorian realises that the picture had “taught him to love his own beauty”, and that it would “teach him to loathe his own soul” (pg 106). He realises the value of innocence. Dorian wants to protect the purity of his soul, and marrying the pure and innocent Sibyl would allow him to do that. He no longer wants to use the portrait to carry out the Faustian Bargain.
Chapter Eight
1. How does Sibyl die?
She committed suicide by swallowing poison.
(Note: Lord Henry’s advice and aphorisms are often referred to as poison. The poison also echoes the death scene of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ - the play of the night before).
2. Comment on Dorian’s response to Sibyl’s death:
“‘…It seems to me to be simply like a wonderful ending to a wonderful play. It has all the terrible beauty of a Greek tragedy, a tragedy in which I took a great part, but by which I have not been wounded’” (pg 116).
Dorian treats Sibyl’s death as a work of art/theatrical spectacle. Once again, she is an aesthetic object to him, and he feels pleasure to have been a part of her dramatic end. He sees beauty in her death. His reference to a ‘Greek tragedy’ could be a reference to hedonism (a Greek concept, the term is derived from the Greek word for pleasure).
(Note: Wilde seems to be critical of the Aesthetic movement he was part of. This novel could easily be an argument against the movement as much as for it. It is a cautionary tale of the dangers of excess).
3. What does Lord Henry mean by the statement, “‘The girl never really lived, and so she has never really died’” (pg 119)?
Sibyl is part of the artificial world of art and so her death cannot be treated as real. Preferring Art over Life enables one to remove pain and focus on pleasure.
(Note: Lord Henry is really the true villain of this novel. He corrupts Dorian by convincing him he’s incorruptible, one of the supreme ironies of the work.)
4. Refer to pg 121:
“He felt that the time had really come for making his choice. Or had his choice already been made: Yes, life had decided for him - life, and his own infinite curiosity about life. Eternal youth, infinite passion, pleasures subtle and secret, wild joys and wilder sins - he was to have all these things. The portrait was to bear the burden of his shame: that was all.”
What does Dorian decide?
He will live a hedonistic lifestyle, looking to satisfy all desire and pleasure, and abandoning any thought of his moral make-up and soul. The painting would carry the burden of his lifestyle.
5. Sibyl gives up the artificiality and pretence of art, to live in the real world. This results in her death by suicide.
Compare and contrast Dorian’s fate to Sibyl’s.
Dorian gives up on reality and attempts to live in a deathless world of art. He too, will commit suicide (by stabbing the painting).
(Note: This might demonstrate that Life and Art interdependent and need to exist in a balance. There can be no such thing as Life without Art, or Art without Life).
6. Discuss critically how the picture functions symbolically in the novel.
(I would pay special attention to this Q if I were you).
The picture is a symbol of Dorian’s evil and self-indulgent, sensual life- his hedonism. It acts as a mirror, reflecting the transformation of his soul because of his sinful life. It represents the inner depravity and degeneration that Dorian’s beautiful exterior hides (relating to the theme of Appearance Vs Reality).
(Note: Get them to understand this and then to learn this off by heart- or even just the key words).
7. What do Dorian’s actions, at the end of this chapter (pg 123), reveal about his character?
Dorian goes to the theatre: he chooses Art over Life. This emphasises his self-centredness, as his safety is all that matters. It also reveals his heartlessness, because he is able to socialise and go to the opera after only just finding out about Sibyl’s death.
Chapter Nine
1. On pg 126, Basil says to Dorian: “‘Dorian, this is horrible! Something has changed you completely. You look exactly the same wonderful boy who, day after day, used to come down to my studio to sit for his picture. But you were simple, natural, and affectionate then. You were the most unspoiled creature in the world. Now, I don’t know what has come over you. You talk as if you had no heart, no pity in you.’”
1.1 What has shocked Basil?
Dorian’s unconcerned and dismissive tone to Sibyl’s death, as well as the fact that he went to the theatre soon after hearing of the event- rather than comforting the Vanes.
1.2 What important theme does this passage demonstrate?
Appearance vs Reality (or confusing Outer Beauty with Inter Beauty).
2. Why is it unlikely that Dorian will be summoned to the inquest?
Sibyl only knew Dorian’s Christian name- and she seems to have kept that to herself, referring to him as Price Charming to her family.
3.1 What question does Dorian ask Basil, in order to distract him from the conversation about looking at and displaying the portrait?
He asks Basil why he had initially refused to exhibit the painting.
3.2 Refer to Basil’s response (pg 132):
Dorian, from the moment I met you, your personality had the most extraordinary influence over me. I was dominated, soul, brain, and power, by you. You became to me the visible incarnation of that unseen ideal whose memory haunts us artists like an exquisite dream. I worshipped you. I grew jealous of every one to whom you spoke. I wanted to have you all to myself. I was only happy when I was with you. When you were away from me, you were still present in my art.... Of course, I never let you know anything about this. It would have been impossible. You would not have understood it. I hardly understood it myself. I only knew that I had seen perfection face to face, and that the world bad become wonderful to my eyes -- too wonderful, perhaps, for in such mad worships there is peril, the peril of losing them, no less than the peril of keeping them…"
How do you understand Basil’s feelings?
Basil has an obsessive idolatry for Dorian. His passion reveals his sexual desire. He is experiencing unrequited love. His jealousy, worship and adoration reveal that his feelings go beyond friendship.
3.3 How do you think a Victorian audience would have responded to Basil’s confession?
Shock and horror. This goes against Biblical teaching. Homosexuality was known to ‘happen’ (prostitutes were an uncomfortable reminder of that) but it would have been scandalous to speak of it on such a public platform, where the public would be forced to admit to its existence. Basil’s confession does require some interpretation though, which might have allowed people to pretend they didn’t notice (?).
4. Refer to pg 132. Quote the phrase in which Basil sums up his idea of what art should be.
“…unconscious, ideal and remote”. (Bottom of the page)
5. Do you agree with Basil when he says that “Art is always more abstract than we fancy … It often seems to me that art conceals the artist more completely than it ever reveals him”? Give reasons for your answer.
Answers will vary. Art reveals elements of the artist - it reveals something of their technique, and it might reflect something of their beliefs. However, art also obscures the artist, because the interest that the viewer has is in the work of art more than in the creator of the work.
(I recall that even dirty Harry required Basil to explain what he meant by ‘he put too much of himself into the painting’- Henry first misinterpreted this as Basil saying that he thought he physically resembled Dorian. Basil put his feeling into the painting, but it remained abstract and in need of interpretation by the artist).
6. What does Basil decide to do with the painting by the end of the chapter?
He decides to hide it. (Note: this links to Appearance vs Reality- the reality of Dorian’s character is obscured because the painting isn’t visible. This is a deliberate act of duplicity on Dorian’s part).
Chapter Ten
1. Reread pg 137, in which Dorian thinks about Victor, his servant. How has the portrait affected Dorian’s relationship with people?
Dorian has become less trusting and suspicious of people, due to his deception in hiding the portrait that reveals the truth of his soul.
2. Comment on the significance of the coverlet Dorian uses to conceal the portrait.
It is beautiful, yet it covers an ugly object. It a piece of art celebrated by hedonists and followers of Aestheticism. It is interesting that this is so closely associated with moral degradation. It is described as “a large purple coverlet heavily embroidered with gold, a splendid piece of late-seventeenth-century Venetian work” (pg 138). Dorian thinks it might have been used as a pall for the dead. In a sense, the coverlet is now again used as a pall- Dorian’s sins would, like a worm in a corpse, rot away at his image. The beautiful cloth would conceal it. (Note: Appearance vs Reality, Outer Beauty, Inner Beauty themes).
3. Discuss the symbolism of the two contrasting texts that Dorian reads that morning: the St James’s Gazette and the yellow book.
St James’s Gazette is a newspaper- it deals in Reality and fact. Its content (the factual outline of Sibyl’s death) displeases Dorian because it takes away from the aesthetic beauty, or artistry, of Sibyl’s death.
The yellow book is literature- it is art. Its sensual content and hedonistic message are pleasing to Dorian, who treats his life as art. Dorian has given up on Reality and is living Art.
4. Dorian reads the newspaper report of Sibyl’s inquest and learns that his name has not been mentioned. He thinks: “How ugly it was! And how horribly real ugliness made things! He felt a little annoyed with Lord Henry for having sent him the report.”
Why does Dorian feel this way?
Dorian has aestheticized Sibyl’s death and takes pleasure in it as beautiful art. The newspaper inserts reality into the image, which destroys the beauty for Dorian.
5. What is the yellow book about?
It follows the adventures of a man from Paris, who abandons conventional thinking and searches the world for passionate experiences.
6. Refer to the description of the yellow book:
“It was a poisonous book. The heavy odour of incense seemed to cling about its pages and to trouble the brain. The mere cadence of the sentences, the subtle monotony of their music, so full as it was of complex refrains and movements elaborately repeated, produced in the mind of the lad, as he passed from chapter to chapter, a form of reverie, a malady of dreaming, that made him unconscious of the falling day and creeping shadows” (pg 145).
Comment on the symbolism of this description.
The adjective “poisonous” connect the book to Lord Henry, whose advice and aphorisms are often described as such. The book is aestheticized and linked with Aestheticism- it is described through the senses: “heavy odour of incense” (exotic), “cadence [rhythm- sound] of the sentences” (hypnotising), “their music”. The book works to further remove Dorian from Reality- he undergoes a “malady of dreaming” - note the reference to disease, an important motif in the novel. This book tips Dorian over the edge and rots his soul, it is his worse influence and the greatest advocate for evil. The books seduction takes over Dorian’s soul. It undoes any good Sibyl might have done.
7. Discuss the symbolism of the contrasting connotations of the colour yellow.
On the one hand, yellow is connoted with happiness and vitality. The yellow book’s examination of forbidden gratification of desire is going to propel Dorian into the pursuit of maximum pleasure and happiness.
On the other hand, yellow is connoted with corruption, decay, death. Dorian’s hedonistic pursuit of pleasure is going to be at the cost of his soul, which rots.
Chapter Eleven
1.
NB!
Refer to pg 148 - 149. What is Dorian’s response to his decaying reflection in the portrait over this period?
Note: It is very important to trace Dorian’s changing reaction to the portrait over the novel as a whole.
After breaking up with Sibyl, Dorian was horrified by the smirk that he saw in the portrait. However, now that he has fully embraced a life of hedonism, the contrast of the grotesque decay of the portrait with the beauty of his appearance is pleasing and fascinating to him. This contrast “used to quicken his sense of pleasure” (pg 148) rather than horrify him at the condition of his soul.
He occasionally “would think of the ruin he had brought upon his soul” but this was rare as he was swept away by his desire to experience more: “The more he knew, the more he desired to know”.
Yielding to temptation does not rid Dorian of it (as Lord Henry had once said). Dorian’s temptations are endless and his portrait allows him to continue living to satisfy them.
(Dorian Gray shows us that the unbridled satisfaction of individual desire/passion also creates a monster. The soul must regulate the senses.)
Note that later in the novel Dorian begins to be horrified by the portrait. Remember to trace this development with the class as you read.
2. Dorian “sought to elaborate some new scheme of life that would have its reasoned philosophy and its ordered principles, and find in the spiritualising of the senses its highest realisation” (pg 150).
Do you think Dorian’s actions and their consequences result in higher realisation, or have spiritual purpose? Explain your answer.
Dorian is liberated of social norms and expectations, including those obviously rooted in prejudice and fear (remember, homosexuality was a crime in the Victorian Era). In this sense, Dorian’s abandonment of prejudiced social norm might have a ‘higher realisation’ in that he can be himself, despite social norm.
However, Dorian’s abandonment of social norm in favour of individual expression becomes excessively self-indulgent and his portrait is a reminder that his actions do not have a spiritual purpose. Dorian has escaped the physical scars of his lifestyle and he remains physically beautiful but his soul is marred. Dorian’s hedonism cannot be confused with a spiritual calling- he abandons all thought of the condition of his soul in order to delight in the pleasures of the senses. [Note, too, that Dorian feels increasingly trapped as the novel progresses].
3. Refer to pg 167: “Dorian Gray had been poisoned by a book. There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realise his conception of the beautiful”.
How has Dorian’s understanding of beauty changed over the course of the novel?
Beauty has gone from being ultimately good (when we first encountered him at the start of the novel, as well as in Sibyl Vane’s case) to being linked to evil. His aesthetic sensibilities have shifted to incorporate evil into his life.
4. Chapter 11 is very long, and Wilde fills it with an enormous amount of detail and description. Why?
The chapter covers a period of a few years during which Dorian aestheticizes his life: we gain a sense of the excess and indulgence Dorian has committed himself too over this long period. Object after object is listed, all of them beautiful and expensive. The endless detail and description also lend a chaos and confusion to the chapter, which reflects on Dorian’s wild and unrestrained lifestyle. We experience Dorian’s insatiable appetite and gross indulgence and perhaps begin to wonder at the purpose and meaning derived from it all. It is surely apparent, by the end of the chapter, that no higher realisation/ spiritual purpose can be obtained through Dorian’s hedonism. All he has, really, is a collection of objects which are so numerous that they all blend into each other and lose any worth they had to being with.
Chapter Twelve
1. Refer to pg 170: “‘What has become of the Frenchman, by the by?’”
What happened to Dorian’s French servant?
Out of fear that his portrait might be found and secret revealed, Dorian fires his servants before they are given the chance of learning too much about him. (Note: The paranoia we witnessed with his servant, Victor, has increased over the years. We wonder if hedonism really gives one freedom or if it is another form of trap).
2. Refer to pg 171, where Basil speaks to Dorian about the rumours he has heard: “‘…Mind you, I don’t believe these rumours at all. At least, I can’t believe them when I see you. Sin is a thing that writers itself across a man’s face. It cannot be concealed…’”
How is this an example of dramatic irony?
As readers, we are aware of the fact that Basil’s portrait has allowed Dorian to escape the physical evidence of sin. Basil does not know this. We are also aware that Dorian is aware of this- and share in his deception.
3. List the scandals in which Dorian has been implicated.
Duke of Berwick leaves the room when Dorian enters (pg 172).
Many gentlemen refuse to visit or host Dorian (pg 172).
Lord Staveley, with whom Dorian has had some dealings, has said that Dorian has a bad influence on good women (pg 172).
A boy in the Guards, who was a friend of Dorian’s, committed suicide (pg 172).
Sir Henry Ashton, Dorian’s friend, had to leave England with a tarnished name (pg 172).
Adrian Singleton, Dorian’s friend, met with a dreadful end (pg 172) as he “wrote his friend’s name across a bill” (pg 173). [Note: I’m not sure, but I assume Singleton made Dorian guarantor of something scandalous he was buying- thus implicating Dorian in gossip when he couldn’t pay. Adrian meets Dorian in a opium den later in the novel, so the debt might have been drug related].
Lord Kent’s only son, a friend of Dorian, had his career ruined (pg 172) because he ‘took his wife from the street’ (pg 173). (Note: This scandal is an example of upper class prejudice, and is perhaps an example of one of the very few instances in which Dorian’s actions do have some higher purpose).
Another friend, the young Duke of Perth, is disgraced (pg 172) due to his “debauchery” (pg 173).
Lady Gwendolyn (Lord Henry’s sister) has had her reputation smeared and her children are not allowed to live with her (pg 173).
There are rumours Dorian has been seen “creeping at dawn out of dreadful houses and slinking in disguise into the foulest dens in London” (pg 173). (Note: We’re not told what these are but they might be opium dens, and/or prostitution houses).
Lord Gloucester’s wife died alone, and wrote a terrible confession on her death bed, which involved Dorian (pg 174).
(Note: We can see how anyone who is influenced by Dorian is tarnished, and bears the evidence of moral corruption, while Dorian lives on unscathed and beautiful. We can also see how Wilde makes a dig at hypocrisy. Many of the upper class are involved in unsavoury activities, despite the moral high ground they assume. Being a gentleman/woman does not make one inherently good).
4. How does the chapter end?
Dorian takes Basil upstairs, to show him his soul- the “diary of [his] life” (pg 176) that is the portrait.
Chapter Thirteen
1. How does the opening paragraph establish the mood of the chapter?
The two men “walked softly” and it is night. They carry a lamp which casts “fantastic shadows” on the wall. A wind is rattling the windows. This adds to the mystery and eeriness of the Gothic scene. There is ominousness to the scene- we know something bad is going to happen.
2. Basil is horrified by the sight of the portrait: “In the left-hand corner was his own name, traced in long letters of bright vermilion” (pg 179).
Comment on the significance of the colour of Basil’s signature.
Vermilion is red. In putting too much of himself in the painting and idolising Dorian’s beauty, Basil is partly responsible for the violence, death and decay that has ensued. Dorian became vain because of Basil, who idolised him and showed him how beautiful he was. Dorian was initially described as white and pure, but was associated with the colour red as he fell victim to Lord Henry’s poisonous theories. It appears as if Basil’s name is written in the blood of all the victims of Dorian’s decent into madness (including Dorian himself). (Remember, after murdering Basil, the portrait will acquire a new smear of a blood-like substance, which reflects Dorian’s guilt and responsibility.)
3. Dorian is described watching Basil’s horror: “The young man was leaning against the mantelshelf, watching him with that strange expression that one sees on the faces of those who are absorbed in a play when some great artist is acting. There was neither real sorrow in it nor real joy. There was simply the passion of the spectator, with perhaps a flicker of triumph in his eyes” (pg 180).
How is this response typical of Dorian?
Dorian views Basil as an aesthetic object- a character in a play. His new Hedonism values experience over outcome, bitter or sweet. He is removed from reality. Dorian has become numb to emotion and only registers the surface of events he witnesses. He has become the spectator of his own life and distances himself from experiencing it as a reality.
4. Dorian speaks of Basil’s influence: “‘Years ago, when I was a boy,’ said Dorian Gray, crushing the flower in his hand, ‘you met me, flattered me, and taught me to be vain of my good looks…’” (pg 180).
4.1 Of whom are we reminded when Dorian crushes the flower he holds?
Sir Henry. In chapter one, Lord Henry is described “pulling the daisy to bits with his long, nervous fingers” (pg 12).
4.2 Explain the symbolism of this action.
Dorian has, throughout the novel, been associated with flowers. They symbolise his natural innocence and purity. (This is true of Sibyl, too). Lord Henry’s action of plucking the daisy’s petals demonstrates his cold calculation as he experimented on Dorian- stripping him of his innocence in the process. Dorian’s action of crushing the flower is angry and passionate, and it demonstrates the destructive results of Lord Henry’s poison.
5. Dorian states that “‘Each of us has Heaven and Hell in him’” (pg 181). Do you agree with Dorian? Explain your answer with reference to Dorian’s character development from the novel as a whole.
Agree. To being with, Dorian has the potential to be good or evil. We see this in the good work he does in the poor areas of the East End of London and in the way Sibyl can influence him to reject some of Lord Henry’s ideas. At times throughout the novel he shows remorse for his actions (for the death of Sibyl and for what he does to Alan Campbell) and towards the end he resolves to reform. However, he commits many evil acts, ruins the lives of young people and murders his friend.
OR
Disagree. The wicked, uncaring side of Dorian Gray seems to dominate. He is cruel to Sibyl and ultimately uncaring about her death, and his attitude to the dead Basil is that he is a ‘thing’ - his main concern is for his own safety. Even his intention to reform is self-serving, as he tries to reverse the damage of his soul.
6. Basil examines the portrait: “The surface seemed to be quite undisturbed, and as he had left it. It was from within, apparently, that the foulness and horror had come” (pg 181).
Critically comment on Basil’s distinction between the portrait’s “surface” and the disruption “within” the portrait.
(Note: There will probably be many ways of reading into this. I’ve given my understanding below.)
In the Preface, Oscar Wilde states that “All art is at once surface and symbol”, and that “Those who read the symbol do so at their peril”. The wickedness apparent in the portrait has come from “within”- where the peril/danger lies. The representation of Dorian’s superficial appearance - his beauty- did not contain evil. Wilde and the followers of Aestheticism enjoyed this superficial beauty. When Basil ‘put too much of himself’ into the painting, he made the error of going beneath the surface, and Dorian thereafter found meaning in his beauty (a fatal error which has a disastrous outcome). When Dorian stabs the portrait as an expression of his anger (another instance in which a character uses art as a means of personal expression), he literally goes ‘beneath the surface’, and the action is fatal.
(It can also be argued that Wilde reveals the limits of the Aestheticism he practiced. The worship of the surface and idolism of aesthetic objects removes all humanity and corrupts one from within. Lord Henry suggested that the soul is fed through satisfying the senses, however, Dorian’s hedonism corrupts his soul as he becomes robot like and evil. Dorian sacrificed his soul in exchange for the preservation of his surface beauty, and the painting therefore appears untouched on the surface, and displays signs of evil emerging from within.)
7. Dorian murders Basil. Examine the manner in which Basil’s corpse is described: “the thing was still seated in the chair”; “He could not help seeing the dead thing” (pg 183).
Account for the diction used in these lines.
Basil’s corpse is referred to as a “thing” in order to demonstrate Dorian’s cold and calculated view. Dorian sees Basil as an object, which is typical of his understanding of the world as a series of aesthetic objects, and of himself as a detached spectator.
8. Dorian “felt that he secret of the whole thing was not to realise the situation” (pg 183). Why does he feel this way?
He prefers to treat the world as Art, something to interact with as a spectator, and he removes Reality from the situation. This allows him to escape all regret and emotion and gives him the ability to remain cold and calculated in this horrific ‘scene’.
9. Why is it unlikely that Dorian will be caught for the murder?
Basil intended to go to Paris and because he has mysteriously disappeared before (pg 7), it would be months before anyone grew suspicious. Basil had called at Dorian’s earlier in the evening, waited, and then left when Dorian didn’t arrive. Dorian’s servant Francis let him out. Dorian then met with Basil in the street, and Dorian admitted him into his house: Francis did not see this. After murdering Basil, Dorian leaves the house, closes the door, and rings the doorbell. Francis wakens to admit him in- and is thus given the impression that Dorian has been out all evening.
Chapter Fourteen
1. What is the relationship between Dorian and Alan Campbell?
The two used to be very good friends until Campbell distanced himself from Dorian. We can assume Dorian had a bad influence on Campbell and got him to do something scandalous which he now regrets. The other possibility is that the two had a sexual relationship and Campbell ran in fear of discovery by an intolerant and prejudiced Victorian society. We can assume the secret was very serious as Campbell agrees to dissolve a man’s body in acid in order to prevent it from coming out. Remember, homosexuality was a crime then.
2. How does Dorian get Campbell to agree to destroy all evidence of Basil’s corpse?
Dorian blackmails him. He writes a letter containing the details of the scandalous secret of Campbell’s past, and threatens to send it if Campbell refuses to cooperate and remove the body. [Note: Campbell’s sins are never revealed to us- as is the case with Dorian’s evil doing. Oscar Wilde allows the reader to imagine what they have done].
3. What is the significance of Dorian’s request to Francis to order “twice as many orchids” and for none of them to be “white” (pg 198)?
After the horrific events of the past few hours, Dorian wishes to surround himself with beauty. He attempts to remove all feeling of remorse and guilt (which we find evidence of) for the murder, and therefore wants no white flowers- symbols of innocence and purity.
4. Why does Dorian not want to enter the room in which Basil’s body lies?
Despite his efforts to be the spectator of his life and remove all feeling from his experiences, Dorian is repulsed by his actions. Basil’s body is a horrible reminder of what he has done and he struggles to treat it as a mere object. He also possibly does not want to see the portrait in the room, as it will reflect the terrible condition of his soul.
5. Refer to pg 199: “Dorian half opened the door. As he did no, he saw the face of the portrait leering in the sunlight”.
Comment on the significance of this description.
The portrait is personified - it is described as alive and as having malevolent intentions. Dorian’ attempts to be the spectator of his life- and to remove all feeling, emotion, life from his experiences- have brought the portrait to life. As he has become an unfeeling robot, the portrait has become alive.
The fact that the portrait is personified (in such a threatening manner) also reminds us of the danger in allowing Art to resemble Life (as Basil also did when he first put his feeling into the art).
6. Refer to the description of the glimpse Dorian gets of the portrait: “What was that loathsome red dew that gleamed, wet and glistening, on one of the hands, as though the canvas had sweated blood? How horrible it was! - more horrible, it seemed to him for the moment, than the silent thing that he knew was stretched across the table, the thing whose grotesque misshapen shadow on the spotted carpet showed him that it had not stirred, but was still there, as he had left it” (pg 199).
Identify and analyse the Gothic elements in these lines.
The Gothic style contains elements of the supernatural, and of horror and violence. The portrait displays blood on its hands, as if some supernatural force is revealing Dorian Gray’s guilt. Horror is created through the details of the blood as “red dew that gleamed, wet and glistening” and the description of the body as “the thing whose grotesque misshapen shadow”. These details emphasise the unnaturalness of the portrait and Dorian’s horror at the sight of the body.
Chapter Fifteen
1. Refer to the description of Dorian on pg 202: “His forehead was throbbing with maddened nerves, and he felt wildly excited, but his manner as he bent over his hostess’s hand was as easy and graceful as ever. Perhaps one never seems so much at one’s ease as when once has to play a part … He himself could not help wondering at the calm of his demeanour, and for a moment he felt keenly the terrible pleasure of a double life”.
Which aspect of Dorian’s double life are we met with at the start of this chapter?
Dorian’s public life: the side he exhibits openly to society. Dorian had dinner with London’s elite who admire his beauty and charm: the surface that disguises his underlying evil.
2. Describe Lady Narborough.
She is a witty, elderly lady who enjoys playfully flirting with Dorian. She enjoys fast city life and is bored with the scandal-free countryside, where her children live. She pushes against social boundaries and norms, but does not break them (she does not lead a double life, like Dorian). She remained devoted to her husband to the end (though she did design a marble mausoleum grave, possibly in celebration of his death!) Now that she is done with the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood, she allows herself to have some fun.
3. Dorian removes a substance from his Chinese box: “a green paste, waxy in lustre, the odour curiously heavy and persistent” (pg 211). What is it?
An opiate (a drug containing opium).
4. At the end of this chapter, Dorian makes off to the East End of London. Discuss the symbolism of the West End and East End as they appear in the novel as a whole.
The two areas represent 1) the social divide between the wealthy and poor within London, and also 2) Dorian Gray’s duality (his double life).
West End is populated by the wealthy. This area mirrors Dorian’s physical form: heavenly, pure, beautiful, unstained. Dorian’s house is located there, he spends time in high society there.
East End is populated by the poor (who increased in number due to the Industrial Revolution). It is the hellish, dark underbelly of the city. Dorian visits this area to satisfy his need for sensual experience- there are opium dens and prostitutes there. The East End mirrors Dorian’s reality and his soul: evil, corrupted, decaying.
(Note: Sibyl’s theatre is on the border of the East End- perhaps because Sibyl is poor like those of East End, but possesses the purity, innocence and beauty represented by the West End. It is also Sibyl’s death that initially tips Dorian over the end into a life of corruption.)
Chapter Sixteen
1. Why does Dorian repeat Lord Henry’s words: “‘To cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul’” (pg 213)?
Dorian attempts to flee the guilt of sin by indulging in even more sin. He wishes to detach himself from his conscience and soul through opium- a sensory experience which will place him in a dream world, away from horrible reality.
Dorian’s repetition of the statement which poisoned him and influenced him to seek out his new Hedonism is a desperate and frantic attempt to make it come true. The truth is that Dorian has not been able to escape the consequences of his actions, which now haunt him.
2. Refer to pg 215: “Ugliness that had once been hateful to him because it made things real, became dear to him now for that very reason. Ugliness was the one reality. The coarse brawl, the loathsome den, the crude violence of disordered life, the very vileness of thief and outcast, were more vivid, in their intense actuality of impression, that all the gracious shapes of Art, the dreamy shadows of Song. They were what he needed for forgetfulness. In three days he would be free”.
The reference to Art and Song within the East End reminds us of Sibyl. How has Dorian’s opinion of Art and Reality changed since his interactions with Sibyl earlier in the novel?
When Dorian met and became engaged to Sibyl, he preferred Art over Reality (life), because he saw Art as beautiful and Reality as ugly. Now, however, Dorian prefers the ugly Reality of the East End because he needs to forget what he has done to the beauty and innocence of his soul.
(Note: Dorian has failed to maintain the detachment that art requires; he has failed to become an embodiment of new Hedonism. He is a mere sensualist, devoid of any vision of higher beauty, and plagued with visions of corruption).
3. Dorian meets Adrian Singleton in the Opium Den. Where did we encounter him before?
We read that Adrian was one of the people implicated in a scandal with Dorian. He met with a dreadful end (pg 172) as he “wrote his friend’s name across a bill” (pg 173).
4. Dorian is described on pg 217: “He was prisoned in thought. Memory, like a horrible malady, was eating his soul away. From time to time he seemed to see the eyes of Basil Hallward looking at him. Yet he felt he could not stay. The presence of Adrian Singleton troubled him. He wanted to be where no one would know who he was. He wanted to escape from himself.”
4.1 Comment on the reference to Basil in this passage.
Basil has, throughout the novel, represented Dorian’s soul- morality, his purity and innocence (while Lord Henry represented Aestheticism and the poisonous influence and corruption of his soul through the senses). In this passage Basil represents his conscience. Dorian feels guilty.
4.2 Why does Adrian Singleton trouble Dorian?
Again, Dorian feels his conscience creeping up on him. He feels guilt at the destruction that he introduced into Adrian’s life. Dorian’s past is catching up with him.
4.3 Has Dorian managed to maintain his position as a ‘spectator of life’?
No. Dorian fails to remain detached from the reality of existence. His conscience is plaguing him, and he feels guilt for his actions. He cannot regard Basil or Adrian as mere characters in a tragedy- he cannot maintain the idea of them as aesthetic objects.
5. A woman at the opium den refers to Dorian as both “the devil’s bargain” and as “Prince Charming” (pg 218).
5.1 What is the significance of the contrast between these two names?
The names demonstrate Dorian’s descent into evil. At the start of the novel, when engaged to Sibyl, he was Prince Charming: his soul was still pure and innocent. However, through the Faustian Bargain he made in order to preserve his youth and beauty he sold his soul to the Devil, and became evil and corrupted in nature.
The names can also be related to Dorian’s duality: his West End reputation as a beautiful and sweet man (Prince Charming), and his East End opium habits (his devilish side).
5.2 Who do you think this woman is? Give reasons for your answer with close reference to clues given within the chapter.
Dorian has obviously been responsible for this woman’s hard life. On pg 222 the women says “‘…it’s nigh on eighteen years since Price Charming made me what I am’”, and we know that she wants Dorian dead: she reveals Dorian’s identity to James Vane, so that he could shoot Dorian. Dorian ruined her reputation? Prostitute?
She seems to be a Gothic double of Sibyl Vane: the “Prince Charming” surely reminds us of her. In this hellish environment, ‘Sibyl’ can get revenge on Dorian.
6. How does Dorian escape being killed by James Vane?
He insists that James look at his appearance. (Like so many others) James is fooled by Dorian’s youthful appearance and releases him.
Chapter Seventeen
1. Where is this chapter set?
At Selby Royal- the country estate Dorian inherited from his grandfather Kelso.
2. Critically comment on the Duchess of Monmouth (Gladys). Refer both to the descriptions of her in this chapter as well as in chapter 15 (pg 209).
The Duchess is a married woman who finds her husband boring and so flirts with (dangerous) Dorian. She is no Sibyl Vane. She cannot be manipulated or taken advantage of- she does not have “feet of clay” (p 209) that will bend and move by another’s hand. She is experienced in life, which, like a pottery kiln, has hardened her, like porcelain. Like Lord Henry, she is a witty socialite, and unlike Mrs Vane she does not appear ridiculous in her ‘performance’ before her ‘audience’. She is a socially adept and responds with wit and intelligence to Lord Henry’s banter. There is also a hint that she, like Dorian, leads a double life. She is a socialite and interacts in pretty, ‘civilised’ society, but she obviously has experienced more than that society has to offer. At last we encounter a complex female character. Lord Henry is a bit afraid of her.
She might be one of the five women worth talking to in London, who Lord Henry spoke of earlier in the novel? I’m speculating.
She is politically aware: she is a Tory (pg 226), and we assume she is therefore traditional and conservative (when it comes to power, money and entitlement). She evidently takes pleasure in the privileges of the upper class and resents the suggestion that she is a “modern butterfly” (pg 227). She is used to getting what she wants. She is very bold and eventually (in the next chapter) sends Dorian a letter in which we can assume she initiates an affair. She therefore goes further than the flirtatious Lady Narborough who remained faithful to her husband to the end.
Lord Henry warns her of Dorian (pg 229), but she seems enthralled by the danger he represents.
3. What scares Dorian at the end of this chapter?
He saw the face of James Vane looking in through a window.
4. Comment on Wilde’s depiction of the upper classes within this chapter.
Wilde seems to be drawing attention to the hypocrisy of the upper classes: both Dorian and the Duchess lead double lives. It’s appropriate that James Vane, who is working class poor (and a victim of Dorian’s trail of destruction), haunts him. Also, in the next chapter, James will die as a result of upper class privilege: in a shooting accident.
Chapter Eighteen
1. Refer to the description of Dorian on pg 232: “The next day he did not leave the house, and indeed, spent most of the time in his own room, sick with a wild terror of dying, and yet indifferent to life itself. The consciousness of being hunted, snared, tracked down, had begun to dominate him.”
What is revealed of the consequences of Dorian’s lifestyle in these lines?
Dorian liberated himself from social norm, but he remains trapped. The consequences of his actions are catching up with him. Though the portrait bears the physical scars and disease brought about by his lifestyle, Dorian’s mind has not escaped untouched- he is “sick” with fear. His self-indulgent life of excess seem to have stripped him of any zest for life, too. He is “indifferent to life” but still afraid that he will be killed as a consequence of his actions.
2. On pg 234, Dorian tries to save a rabbit from being shot: “Sir Geoffrey put his gun to his shoulder, but there was something in the animal’s grace of movement that strangely charmed Dorian Gray, and he cried out at once, ‘Don’t shoot it, Geoffrey. Let it live.’”
What motivates Dorian to do this? Explain your answer in full.
Answers will vary. Dorian once treated Sibyl’s death as an artistic tragedy- something to take pleasure in. His sighting of James Vane might have made him more critical of taking pleasure in death: as one does in hunting. He might also identify with the rabbit as hunted- he feels cornered, trapped, and hunted by James.
However, Dorian looks at the rabbit as an aesthetic object: it had a ‘strange charm’. It is possible that his desire to save the rabbit isn’t in an attempt to preserve its life, but is more about selfishly taking pleasure in the look of it. More evidence of this is given in his response to the death of the beater (before James’ identity is known to him): he is not sad or regretful that someone has lost their life, but selfishly interprets it as a bad omen, a threat to himself.
3. Comment on Lord Henry’s advice to Dorian: “‘I had better tell them that the shooting is stopped for to-day. It would not look well to go on’” (pg 235).
Lord Henry tries to preserve the appearance of respectability. He stops the shooting not because he finds it inappropriate and disrespectful, but because it gives the impression of being uncaring. He really couldn’t care about the death.
4. What does the gardener give to Dorian?
A letter from the Duchess of Monmouth: we can surely presume she initiates an affair.
5. The Duchess of Monmouth is described by Lord Henry as “looking like Artemis” (pg 237). Why is this an appropriate comparison?
Artemis was the goddess of hunting, and the Duchess has made Dorian her prey. She is bold, courageous and active in her pursuit of what she wants.
It possible, too, that Dorian feels hunted on all fronts: every aspect of his life is catching up with him. He can’t escape from his past and his reputation.
6. Refer to pg 235. Comment on Dorian’s response to ‘the beater’s’ death.
Dorian does not seem very concerned with the death of a person which has occurred on his property (and as a result of the spoilt fun and games typical of the upper class). Instead he sees it as a “bad omen” (pg 235) that foretells of his own bad misfortune. Dorian is selfish in his response to the man’s death: much like he was with Sibyl’s death (which he enjoyed as an artistic tragedy) and Basil’s death (which he committed in order to preserve his secret). He seems to have cared more about the pretty rabbit being shot.
(Note: all the deaths in this novel come as a result of Dorian’s pursuit of Life. This is true of his own death, too).
7. Dorian discovers that the beater was in fact James Vane. Comment on the
symbolism of James’ death.
James’s death is another that Dorian can be blamed for. Dorian believes that with James’ death, his troubles are over. His past will no longer catch up with him and he can live freely. This however, is misguided- Dorian himself will bring on his death.
We can also understand his death as a comment on how the poor working class cannot get retribution for the evils they’re exposed to as a direct result of the pleasures enjoyed by the upper classes.
James’ overzealous desire to kill Dorian leads to his death in this hunting accident. He could not control his emotions and his desire for revenge. Maybe he is an example of what happens when the mind/soul do not regulate and guide sensual experience?
Chapter Nineteen
1. Lord Henry states that “civilisation” is attained in two ways: ‘“One is by being cultured, the other by being corrupt’” (pg 243).
1.1 How would Lord Henry define culture?
To live in pursuit of the Arts as an individual concerned first and foremost with satisfying one’s senses. This requires one to reject any social norm which tries to limit one’s experiences. To be cultures is therefore to reject social norm.
1.2 What has this novel taught us about Lord Henry’s idea of culture and its relationship with corruption?
The two are inseparable. While Basil represents the good influence that art can bring into a person’s life, Lord Henry represents the corrupting influence of culture. His influence is the reason Dorian has lived in pursuit of sensual pleasure, with the hopes of making his life an art form of which he is the spectator. The portrait has allowed us to witness the resulting corruption and decay: Dorian is responsible for the ruin and deaths of many.
2. Who is Hetty and what is her relationship with Dorian?
Hetty is a young woman from the countryside whom Dorian has had a love affair with (though the relationship remains unconsummated). Dorian had planned on ‘going way together’ and presumably consummating the relationship (pg 244), which would have blighted her reputation. Dorian resolves to be good and his first moral act is to save Hetty from the ruin he would have brought into her life. He ends their relationship.
3. On pg 244, Dorian talks to Lord Henry about Hetty: “She was quite beautiful, and wonderfully like Sibyl Vane, I think it was that which first attracted me to her”. What does this reveal to us about Dorian’s intentions?
Dorian is attracted to Hetty’s purity and innocence- characteristic that had once drawn him to Sibyl. He has a real desire to restore his soul to what it had been when he had first met Sibyl. In saving Hetty from himself, he hopes to right one wrong from his past: he seems to hope that the act will absolve him from his bad treatment of Sibyl.
4. Lord Henry hears of Dorian’s resolve to be good and of his decision to end his romance with Hetty. He responds: “‘I should think the novelty of the emotion must have given you a thrill of real pleasure, Dorian’” (pg 244). What is Lord Henry implying here?
Dorian’s act of goodness was an inherently selfish act. For Dorian the act of goodness is all just another sensual experience.
(Note: you might like to discuss the extent to which you agree with Lord Henry.)
5. We discover that Alan Campbell has committed suicide (pg 245). What is the significance of this?
Alan’s death is another for which Dorian can be blamed. It reveals to us the extent of influence that Dorian’s selfish acts have had upon others. It also might reveal to us that Dorian has no real conscience. While Alan could not bear to live with himself after disposing of Basil’s body, Dorian can.
With James Vane’s death he can forget about Sibyl; with Alan’s death he can forget about Basil. Alan’s death also means that there are no remaining leads to link Dorian with Basil’s murder. He has got away with the crime.
6. What do we learn of Lord Henry’s marriage in this chapter?
His wife is divorcing him: she has run away with another man (who played Chopin).
7. Lord Henry states: “‘Poor Victoria! I was very fond of her. The house is rather lonely without her. Of course, married life is merely a habit, a bad habit. But then one regrets the loss even of one’s worst habits’” (pg 246). Do you have any sympathy for Lord Henry? Explain your answer.
Answers will vary. Lord Henry admits that he is lonely now that his wife has left him. This is surprising for someone who so often expresses his repulsion of women, domesticity and social norm. However, he does not allow himself to be completely defenceless and refers to his wife as a bad habit off of which he is merely weaning himself. He might be saying this as he does not wish to be seen as vulnerable, especially due to a woman.
Basil says, on numerous occasions, that Lord Henry is all talk and no action, and we see that his main role in the novel has been as an influence of Dorian: he sat back while Dorian brought his wicked suggestions to life. He has missed out on life as a whole. He was not bold enough to step outside of social norm, as Dorian has done, and was not content with a moral, socially acceptable lifestyle. Basil was more active than he was. It is somewhat ironic that it was his wife who finally broke with social contrasct and eloped.
8. What is your opinion of Lord Henry’s statement that crime is to the poor what art is to the wealthy, “simply a method of procuring extraordinary sensations” (pg 247)?
Lord Henry is a selfish and greedy person and seems to believe that all people are driven by the same selfish motivations. He has no understanding of real need and has no sympathy for the hardships endured by the poor.
[Oscar Wilde did believe that ‘since the established social structure confines the individual, the artist must of necessity ally himself with the criminal classes’].
9. Refer to pg 251 - 252. What views of Aestheticism does Lord Henry express on these pages?
A person’s life should be their art and this is achieved through pursuing aesthetic experience (on pg 251 he expresses pleasure that Dorian has not produced any artwork but that his life has been his major work). Art is neither moral nor immoral (on pg 252 he disagrees with Dorian’s claim that the yellow book influenced him to act in an immoral way). Art reveals what is already wrong in the world and if someone finds ugly meaning in art, it is as a result of ugliness within them that they are projecting onto the art.
10. Do you think it is possible, at this stage of his life, for Dorian to live in a moral and unselfish manner? Explain your answer.
Answers will vary. Surely no. We can’t be sure if Dorian really cared about Hetty and her reputation or if ‘saving her’ was merely a means to feel good about himself (was it a selfish act?). This reminds me of the fleeing rabbit. It does also seem that his main motivation was to restore the painting and therefore save some of his soul. We have already witnessed how Dorian felt no grief for James Vanes’ death. He was only too happy that a threat to his life had been annihilated. He believed saving Hetty would make up for his cruel actions towards Sibyl.
Chapter Twenty
1. Dorian thinks that “There was purification in punishment” (pg 255). How does this thought differ from Lord Henry’s ideas about purification? (Note: He spoke of this to Dorian when they first met).
Dorian thinks that without the painting he would have had to deal with the consequences of his actions: these punishments would have pushed him to act in a moral manner. He lacked the balance implied in the second half of Lord Henry’s aphorism: “Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul” (Pg 28). For Lord Henry, yielding to temptation purifies the soul. On pg 26 he states: “The body sins once, and has done away with its sin, for action is a mode of purification”.
(Note: I’m not convinced that Dorian has suffered the consequences of his actions at all- especially now that James and Alan are dead).
2. Comment critically on Dorian’s response to Basil’s and Alan’s deaths: “The excitement, such as it was, over Basil Hallward’s disappearance would pass away. It was already waning. He was perfectly safe there. Nor, indeed, was it the death of Basil Hallward that weighed most upon his mind. It was the living death of his own soul that troubled him … As for Alan Campbell, his suicide had been his own act. He had chosen to do it. It was nothing to him” (pg 256).
Dorian evidently feels no sense of regret or responsibility for the roles he played in these deaths. He is relived that the investigations into Basil’ death are closing- he is unprepared to face the consequences of his actions, despite his thought that ‘there was purification in punishment’. We’ve also learnt that he seems to believe that his act of ending his relationship with Hetty would absolve him of his responsibility in Sibyl’s death. Dorian’s desire to do good is a selfish act.
3. In this chapter, Dorian breaks a mirror given to him by Lord Henry (pg 255) and he also stabs Basil’s portrait of him. Discuss the symbolism of these two acts with reference to the motifs of mirrors and masks.
Lord Henry, representative of the values of Aestheticism, taught Dorian to prefer beauty, youth, and artificial surface over morality. Dorian realises the artifice or the deception of his appearance: “His beauty had been to him but a mask, his youth but a mockery” (pg 255). Both ‘mask’ and ‘mockery’ refer to a double- his reflection has been a false representation of his soul. He is angered by an awareness of this artificiality and destroys the mirror which reflects the beauty he sold his soul for in a Faustian Bargain.
Basil’s painting taught Dorian to love his appearance. However, Basil is representative of the morality of the Victorian Era and it is fitting that the portrait mirrors the corruption of Dorian’s soul. Dorian is angered by the harsh reality that is reflected in the portrait. He wishes to rid himself of this corruption and is angered when he cannot.
He sees that the painting showed no improvement after he had allowed Hetty to escape his influence. In fact, the painting appeared worse than before: Dorian is forced to confront the fact that his desire to act good was motivated by selfish desires. In stabbing the painting, he tries to kill his conscience; he tries to remove the reminder of his selfish nature. See pg 258: “It had been like conscience to him. Yes, it had been conscience. He would destroy it”. He does not want to confess for Basil’s murder and does not want to live with the memory of it; he is not prepared to accept the punishments that he would have had to face had it not been for the portrait.
Dorian’s life of excess has killed him. He has not been able to balance the soul with the senses.
Some people interpret the scene as demonstrating the peril that awaits those who go beneath the surface of art (see Wilde’s preface).
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse