The extract is taken from chapter 11 of Oscar Wilde's The picture of Dorian Gray, published in 1890-1891. In the extract Dorian Gray's lifestyle is exploited and , also, his opinion about his life and his purpose in it. Finally, Dorian Gray deals with the idea of senses throughout history.
The extract is composed of four sequences. The first sequence deals with the character lifestyle, with his dinners where only young selected people was invited. Furthermore, to describe the dinners and his interest to details there's an appeal to sense, especially sight and olfaction, but also to hearing and to music and to the culture of his guests. The second sequence deals with the aesthetic philosophy and his expectations towards his life. The opinion of Dorian Gray towards beauty is different from the common one and refers to it as something not material but spiritual. He beliefs that man has always refused to appeal to senses in a way different from a savage one. Therefore, he wishes to be more than a simple magister elegantiarum, as he wants to achieve a new scheme of life where senses have the highest position. In the third sequence, there's the expression of Lord Henry Wotton's theories and prophecies about the future and the society, that in his opinion will be based on senses and pleasure, where every moment is important. To convey the message the writer uses high language and references to high literature.