The Picture of Dorian Gray

Synopsis

This Norton Critical Edition includes:

• The 1890 (Lippincott's Magazine) version and the 1891 (book) version of the novel. Under the editorial guidance of Wilde scholar Michael Patrick Gillespie, students have the opportunity to comparatively read and analyse both texts of this controversial novel.
• Editorial matter by Michael Patrick Gillespie.
• "Backgrounds" and "Reviews and Reactions" sections that allow readers to gauge The Picture of Dorian Gray's sensational reception and to consider the heated public debate over art and morality that followed-including Oscar Wilde's vehement replies to individual critics.
• Seven critical essays-six of them new to the Third Edition-that address the novel's major themes: aestheticism, decadence and vice. Contributors include Joseph Carroll, Nils Clausson, Emily Eells, Michael Patrick Gillespie, Richard Haslam, Donald L. Lawler and Ellen Scheible.
• A chronology and a selected bibliography.

Summary

Chapter 1

* Introduction of Dorian Gray, a vain and beautiful young man.
* Basil Hallward, an artist, paints Dorian's portrait, which reveals the youth and beauty that Dorian craves.
* Lord Henry Wotton, an enigmatic and cynical aristocrat, arrives and influences Dorian with his hedonistic views.

Example:

"Youth is the only thing worth having," Lord Henry tells Dorian. "When you lose it, you lose everything."

Chapter 2

* Sibyl Vane, an aspiring actress, captivates Dorian and becomes his muse.
* Dorian's love for Sibyl deepens, but he is torn between his passion and Lord Henry's influence.
* Dorian eventually rejects Sibyl, breaking her heart and ruining her career.

Example:

"I know now that love is a delusion," Dorian says to Basil. "It is a madness that makes us fools."

Chapter 3

* The portrait of Dorian Gray undergoes a sinister transformation.
* While Dorian remains youthful and handsome, the portrait ages and bears the burden of his sins.
* Dorian recoils from the portrait, but its power over him grows.

Example:

"The face in the picture had changed. The smile on the lips had become cruel, the eyes had a look of insatiable desire."

Chapter 4

* Years pass as Dorian pursues a life of pleasure and indulgence.
* The portrait continues to age and deteriorate, reflecting Dorian's moral decay.
* Dorian's friends and acquaintances sense a sinister change in him.

Example:

"You have killed the man who was your soul, and your soul is now a thing of darkness," Basil tells Dorian.

Chapter 5

* Basil confronts Dorian about the portrait and its connection to his sins.
* Dorian, driven by guilt and desperation, murders Basil.
* The portrait becomes even more grotesque, displaying Dorian's true nature.

Example:

"I have killed you, Basil!" Dorian cries out. "I have killed the one person who truly loved me!"

Chapter 6

* Dorian's secret is discovered by others, including Lord Henry.
* Dorian attempts to destroy the portrait, but it resists his efforts.
* Dorian's friends turn against him, and he becomes an outcast.

Example:

"You are the most evil man I have ever met," Lord Henry says to Dorian. "And yet, I cannot help but be fascinated by you."

Chapter 7

* Dorian's life descends into chaos as he tries to escape his past.
* The portrait continues to torment him, and Dorian becomes a slave to his own vanity.
* Dorian eventually meets his downfall, his own youthful beauty destroyed by his wickedness.

Example:

"The picture was loathsome, yet it fascinated Dorian. His life had been wasted, his youth had been squandered, and he had nothing left but the portrait—the symbol of his own corruption."