First Section pp.3-46
*Don’t read the Introduction (there are major plot spoilers), but read the Preface (p. 3-4). Why is this here? What purpose does it serve?
*Watch for the various details of setting as we are introduced to the characters. What do the settings add to our knowledge of the characters?
*Try to start getting a grasp on the characters’ motivations and pleasures. Keep an eye out for influence, persuasion, seduction. Compare the different elements you witness to those we saw in Persuasion.
Second Section pp.47-107
*Two very significant events in Dorian's life occur in this section. What are Dorian's motivations for the Sibyl situation? What draws him to her so rapidly? And more importantly, what tears him away just as suddenly?
*How does he respond intellectually and emotionally to the results of this situation with Sibyl? What does this tell us about the changes he is going through?
*What does this section have to say about the theatre? What do the different characters think about the theatre, acting, and performance?
*What does the Sibyl section have to say about matters of class?
*What is going on with the portrait, and what does it symbolize?
Third Section pp.108-173
*We enter a new setting within Dorian's house. How would you describe this setting, and what does it symbolize?
*On p. 125 Dorian begins to read a book sent by Lord Henry. What is the plot of this book, and what sort of influence does it begin to have over Dorian? Why?
*In chapter 11 (p.127-145), we read about Dorian's intellectual pursuits over a period of time. How would you characterize his psychological state during this time? What do these pursuits suggest about his state of mind and what gives him pleasure?
*What else do we find out that Dorian has been pursuing? How does society react to the rumors circulating about him? What does this say about the status/definition of the gentleman during this period?
*On p. 168, Dorian says that "he [Basil] had more to do with the making or the marring of it [my life] than poor Harry has had. He may not have intended it, but the result was the same." What does this quote mean, and do you agree with this statement?
*On p. 169, Dorian blackmails Alan Campbell to perform a task for him. What do you think the subject of the secret note was?
Fourth Section pp.174-221
*On p.182, Dorian opens a Chinese box and looks at the opium he has on hand in his own house. Yet he immediately leaves to obtain the drug elsewhere. Where does he go, and what does this decision tell us about him at this point in the narrative?
*Dorian becomes obsessed with Lord Henry's statement "To cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul" (183). What does this statement mean for Dorian, and does he attempt to accomplish both of these tasks? If so, how? Is he successful?
*Consider how the setting(s) Dorian travels to in the second chapter of this section are described. Pay attention to the literal sights and sounds being described, but also think about their symbolic meanings for Dorian. How do these spaces advance some of the themes of the text?
*Is James Vane a flat or round character? Why? What role does he play in the narrative?
*What (possible) change of heart does Dorian undergo in this section, and why? What are the results of his new outlook on life and his new promise to himself?
*Dorian lists several reasons for a new change in the portrait on p. 219. Do you see one reason as being more true or possible than the others? Are none of them true, or perhaps all of them?
*Describe Dorian's psychological state on the last 2 pages of the novel. Why does he decide to do what he does? Should/could he have foreseen the end results?
*Why does the novel end in this fashion? Does anything seem to be missing? Are you satisfied with the ending?
*Think about connections between the novel and the Victorian & Modernist periods as discussed in the background information I provided on another page of this website. What is Victorian about this novel? What is Modernist?
*How would you characterize the novel's message about the purpose and meaning of art? What about persuasion and influence? The search for beauty and knowledge? The importance of youth?
Here are some questions and themes/issues to think about while reading The Picture of Dorian Gray:
Art and Aestheticism
Art is a prevailing discussion topic throughout the novel. Why is this so important to the characters, and what do they have to say about art? What is the difference between Victorian society's thoughts on the purpose of art, and the realm of aestheticism?
Appearance vs. Reality
As with Persuasion, the appearance of things will sometimes be quite different than the reality. What instances do you recognize when this happens, and are these events and/or characters who are "not all they appear to be" important to the narrative?
The Gentleman
Again, like in the last novel, Wilde has a lot to say about the definition of a gentleman in his society. What does it take to be a true gentleman in this world?
Homoeroticism
This novel was strongly criticized when it was first published for containing discussions and referrals to "gross indecency," or representations of homosexual thoughts, language, and acts. Although our current version was toned down by Oscar Wilde, it still contains these homoerotic undertones. Why are these elements important to the text, and what do they tell us about Victorian society?
Motivations
What are the characters after in this novel? What do they want out of life, and how do they go about trying to get it? Consider the motiviations of the major characters and what this says about society.
Comparisons to Persuasion
Now that we have finished one novel, we will have the opportunity to make comparisons between that and our new text. Think about how the issue of persuasion works in both texts: is it operating in a similar fashion here? Why or why not? Also, in what ways are the settings different, and how does this impact the characters and events?
The Title
Why is the title of this novel significant? Why wasn't it named after an important issue in the text, like Persuasion, or named simply "Dorian Gray"?
Identity and Self-Discovery
What is the novel saying about finding one's identity? How important is truly knowing oneself?
The Gothic
There are several gothic elements within the novel. Some general elements of the gothic include dark, enclosed, fear-filled spaces and/or people; violent deaths and hideous corpses; and the machinery of experiment and torture (taken from the introduction). Where and when do we see gothic elements in this novel, and how do they play into the narrative?