The Picture of Dorian Gray

Ex 1 pag 60

1 What Lord Henry values in life most of all

Lord Henry values Beauty  and Youth over everything else. He says " Beauty is wonder of wonders" and "When your youth goes, your beauty will go with it, and then you will suddenly discover that there are no triumphs left for you"

2 What he exhorts Dorian to do

He exhorts Dorian to live his life in the better way. He says "Don't squander the gold of your days, listening to the tedious, trying to improve the hopeless failure, or giving away your life to the ignorant, the common, and the vulgar".

Ex 2 pag 62

1What influence do Lord Henry's words exert on Dorian?

Dorian understands the importance of beauty, the importance of youth and  he analyzes the passing of time and understands that his youth and his beauty won't last forever.

2 What wish does Dorian express?

He expresses the wish to be handsome and young forever.

3 Why is Lord Henry's wish to own the picture consistent with his philosophy of life?

Lord Henry's wish to own the picture is consistent with his philosophy of life because the picture can represent eternal beauty and  youth while a man grows up and becomes old.

Ex 1 pag 62

1 What happened to the artist that painted Dorian's picture

The artist that painted Dorian's picture was murdered by Dorian.

2 What happens to Dorian and to the picture itself.

Dorian stabbed the picture with the knife. Dorian was lying on the floor with a knife in his  heart. He was withered, wrinkled and loathsome of visage. He became suddenly very old. On the contrary the picture was splendid " in all the wonder of his exquisite youth and beauty"

Ex 2 pag 63

1 What does Dorian hope to achieve with his action? What is its consequence?

Dorian hopes to achieve peace and to delete the remorse of his conscience. The consequence is Dorian's death.

2 What feelings and thoughts have prompted Dorian to behave as he does?

Dorian behaves as he does because he was full of remorse, the picture kept him awake at night, "it had filled with terror Dorian lest other eyes should look upon it. It had brought melancholy across his passion."

3 How do you think the figure of Dorian is perceived by the other characters in the text?

I believe Dorian is perceived like a mysterious man by the other characters in the text. People were afraid of him because he was young and handsome for too long a time, so people believed he had a secret.

4 Do you think the writer passes any judgment on the figure of Dorian?

Yes, the writer uses some words like "agony" "monstrous" "hideous" to give to the reader an implicit judgment.  

Ex 3 pag 63

1 What kind of narrator tells the story? How does his point of view shift? What is the effect of this shift on the reader?

 It is a third person omniscient narrator, the point of view shifts on line 15 when he said " There was a cry heard, and a crash"; The effect of this shift on the reader is to create curiosity and suspense and so the reader can understand the actions and the behavior of the people that lived near Dorian.

2 What kind of atmosphere is created? What details contribute to it?

There is a sad and dark almost Gothic atmosphere: " they knocked, but there was no reply. They called out. Everything was still"