- The Picture of Dorian Grey, Preface

- The Picture of Dorian Grey, Preface

Chapter 5

So chapter 6 basically built on the fact that all the characters in the novel are obsessed with art - and most of them prefer it to real life. In this chapter it's Sybil Vane's mother who literally can't have a normal conversation with her own son, without contemplating its artistic quality:

The exaggerated folly of the threat, the passionate gesture that accompanied it, the mad melodramatic words, made life seem more vivid to her. She was familiar with the atmosphere. She breathed more freely, and for the first time for many months she really admired her son. She would have liked to have continued the scene on the same emotional scale, but he cut her short. [...] The moment was lost in vulgar details. It was with a renewed feeling of disappointment that she waved the tattered lace handkerchief from the window, as her son drove away. She was conscious that a great opportunity had been wasted. She consoled herself by telling Sibyl how desolate she felt her life would be, now that she had only one child to look after. She remembered the phrase. It had pleased her.

 

- The Picture of Dorian Grey, ch. 6

Honestly, I don't get these people. What's so wrong with their lives that they can't live in reality for one moment, but have to frame their entire existence within an artistic context? Something very strange is going on here.

The most interesting thing plot-wise that happened in this chapter was probably Sybil's brother, who basically made a threat upon Dorian's life, should he ever dare to hurt her. Some heavy foreshadowing there, I think ...

Chapter 7

Hooray for the first glimpse at the changed nature of Dorian's portrait! It was really creepy and I love the idea of mirror images and the play with the art imitating life/life imitating art trope that's at work here. The idea of the portrait becoming his conscious is quite an interesting one too, in this context. Let's see how this all plays out!

So, this chapter was all about how Lord Henry looks at Dorian like a work of art. At this point, it seems like he has total control about Dorian's view of life and social behaviour - and not for the better. Honestly, Lord Henry seems a bit like a pychopath to me, the way he only says things for their effect and the way he doesn't care about other people's feelings. It's horrid! And he seems really pleased that Dorian is turning into a mini Lord Henry, too.

The point of this is probably that this process of "creating" Dorian's new personality is supposed to mirror creating a piece of art - and I really think that's quite clever! But I still don't like Lord Henry's character :P! I mean, just listen to this guy:

Yes, the lad was premature. He was gathering his harvest while it was yet spring. The pulse and passion of youth were in him, but he was becoming self-conscious. It was delightful to watch him. With his beautiful face, and his beautiful soul, he was a thing to wonder at. It was no matter how it all ended, or was destined to end. He was like one of thos gracious figures in a pageant or a play, whose joys seem to be remote from one, but whose sorrows stir one's sense of beauty and whose wounds are like red roses.

 

- The Picture of Dorian Grey, ch. 4

"It was no matter how it all ended?" Seriously? My madman senses are tingling ...

Reading Dorian Grey and I just noticed something about this cover .. 

Doesn’t he look an awful lot like Littlefinger in Game of Thrones O_O?