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Chapter 2 Summary of The Picture of Dorian Gray - English Home Language
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CHAPTER 2PAGE 22 PAGE 25
P2 Dorian first introduced Dorian asks Henry if he is a bad influence like Basil
suggests
• comes across as petulant (childish) and wilful
*Harry’s response – “There is no such thing as a good
PAGE 23
influence Mr Gray. All influence is immoral - immoral
P1 Harrys tone and behaviour in “you have not from a scientific point of view” shows Henrys
spoiled my pleasure in meeting you” it creates an philosophy of life
anticipation of what he might find in Dorian.
“Because to influence a person is to give him one’s
Victorian idealism – being a porcelain and feminine own soul (the idea to influence someone is them give
and youthful look with blonde hair (crisp gold hair) them one’s soul as they start to change). He does not
and frank blue eyes think his natural thoughts or burn with his natural
passion. His virtues are not real to him. His sins, if
Dorian has a charismatic quality that makes people there are such things as sins, are borrowed (they take
trust him accompanied by his good looks – NB in a on the attitude of the person who’s influence they’ve
society that focuses on the superficial – this enables come under). He becomes an echo of someone else’s
him to pursue the life that he does later in the novel music, an actor of a part that has not been written
as people judge him for his beauty for him (he begins to mimic unquestionably the other
PHILANTHROPY – charity work (where Harry’s aunt person to the point where their reality doesn’t
met Dorian in the East end – lower class) become their own anymore). The aim of life is self-
development. To realise one’s nature perfectly – that
‘He was looking worried, and when he heard Lord is what each of us is here for. People are afraid of
Henrys last remark he glanced at him’ and then asks themselves nowadays” – where manipulation is a
him to leave as Basil is uncomfortable with what Lord form of evil when you are able to mould someone to
Henry might do – Dorian and Harry had an instant your desires and thinking by taking away their soul
connection and imposing your own on them
PAGE 24 Henry doesn’t see anything wrong with this as he is
Harry then asks Dorian if he wishes him to leave amoral – he sees Dorian as an opportunity for
entertainment and manipulation.
P3 Basil’s response is “Dorians whims are law to
everybody, except himself.” SOUL – being the essence of one’s self, their
opportunity to be unique
Dorians response “Basil, if Lord Henry Wotten leaves
goes then I will too” – shows his petulance once again “ the terror of society, which is the basis of morals,
as he demands attention the terror of God, which is the secret to religion –
these are the two things that govern us” – this shows
NB Henry character development – Basil gives Dorian Harrys point of view on religion during the Victorian
a warning “he has a very bad influence over all his era – implies that religions were created to force
friends, with the single exception of myself” – people to be afraid of themselves and to seek new
showing that he looks through Harrys deceptiveness things. The basis of morals created out of fear
and acknowledges how dangerous he can be
P4 The beginning of a change in Dorian Gray turning
‘Dorian Gray stepped up on the dais, with the air of a away from being petulant boy is seen in the quote
young Greek martyr” emphasizing his beauty and ‘and conscious only that a look had come into the
youthfulness lads face that he had never seen before’ – Basil sees a
shift in Dorians behaviour
‘and made a little moue of discontent to Lord Henry
to whom he had rather taken a fancy’ shows the Physical description of Harry:
connection between the two and then becomes
curious like Harry • low, musical voice – Dorian becomes
intrigued almost as if Harry is drawing him in.
, CHAPTER 2
PAGE 25/26 curious pulse. Music had stirred him like that. Music
had troubled him many times.’ – music giving
P5 Harrys philosophy:
reference to Harrys low musical voice being what has
“I believe that if one man were to live out his life drawn him in
fully and completely, were to give form to every
PAGE 27
feeling, expression to every thought, reality to every
dream I believe that the world would gain such a P2 ‘Yes there had been things in his boyhood that he
fresh impulse of joy that we would gain such a fresh had not understood. He understood them now’ –
impulse of joy that we would forget all the maladies response to what henry has triggered that was already
of mediævalism, and return to the Hellenic ideal.” in him
• Hellenic ideal – refers to a period in ancient Harry’s predatory response:
Greek history – the Greek fascination and
‘With his subtle smile, Lord Henry watched him. He
pursuit of arts, mathematics, science, and
knew the precise psychological moment when to say
philosophy (period of decadence and moral
nothing.’ – he triggers the reaction and then waits to
degeneration)
see what happens – he allows Dorian to explore his
“Every impulse that we strive to strangle brood the feeling without being promoted
mind and poisons us. The body sins once, and has
P4 ‘Hallward painted away with that marvellous bold
done its sin, for action is a mode of purification.
touch of his’ ‘He was unconscious of the silence’ – he
Nothing remains but the recollection of pleasure, or
has missed the interaction between Dorian and Henry
the luxury of regret. The only way to get rid of
– doesn’t have the opportunity to intervene and stop
temptation is to yield to it. Resist it and your soul
Henry
grows sick with longing for the things it had
forbidden to itself” – HEDONISM – the idea that if we P5 Dorian gets tired of standing – “I don’t know what
don’t pursue the sensory experience and pleasure and Henry has said to you, but he has certainly made you
give into our temptation we will be poisoned have the most wonderful expression” – unaware of
what has triggered the expression on Dorians face
PAGE 26
PAGE 28
“You, Mr Gray… you have had passions that have
made you afraid, thoughts that have filled you with P2 Harry’s predatory nature in the garden:
terror…” – Harrys sociopathic tendencies have drawn
out Dorian calling out that he has suppressed his NB – VERY IMPORTANT TO LEARN “you are quite
passions right to do that” “nothing can sure the soul but the
senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the
Dorians response – “Stop!” “Stop! You have soul.” – He suggests that sensory experience is what
bewildered me” which suggests that Henry has creates the essence within us being our physical
triggered something that was potentially already in experience that feeds our soul – HEDONISM
Dorian
Dorians reaction –
‘for nearly ten minutes he stood there, motionless,
‘There was a look of fear in his eyes, such as people
with parted lips and eyes strangely bright…Yet they
have when they are suddenly awakened’ - Henry see
have seemed to him to have come really from
himself (can imply that those feelings were in him the potential in Dorian, triggers it and then feeds it –
already from the past). The few words that Basils he knows what Dorian is and has an intuitive
understanding of what makes people tick
friend had said to him – words spoken by chance, no
doubt and with wilful paradox in them – had ‘but he felt afraid of him and ashamed of being
touched some secret chord (once again implying that afraid. Why had it been left for a stranger to reveal
there was already something inside of him that felt him to himself?’ – the idea that Henry triggers what is
these feeling that had never been touched before, already in Dorian
but that he felt was now vibrating and pulsing to a
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