Chapter 10 analysis of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Summary
TLDRIn this lesson, Mrs. Long delves into Chapter 10 of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' where Dorian decides to hide the portrait that bears the marks of his sins. He chooses his old schoolroom, a place associated with his grandfather and a lonely childhood, to conceal the painting. The chapter explores Dorian's internal struggle with his hedonistic desires and the corrupting influence of Lord Henry, as well as his fleeting hope for redemption through love. The summary also touches on Dorian's paranoia and his attempt to forget Sybil's death, which is highlighted by an inquest's verdict.
Takeaways
- 🎨 Dorian Gray's realization of the portrait's significance leads him to hide it to ensure his own safety and eternal youth.
- 🏚 He decides to hide the portrait in his old schoolroom, a place with deep psychological ties to his upbringing and family history.
- 👴 Dorian's relationship with his grandfather is revealed, showing a troubled past and contributing to his current behavior.
- 🖼️ The choice of a satin coverlet, once belonging to his grandfather, to hide the portrait symbolizes the covering of his sins and corruption.
- 🔮 Dorian contemplates the future, hoping for a love that might purify him and shield him from the sins stirring within him.
- 🚫 He is determined to keep the portrait hidden from the world, reflecting his desire to maintain the facade of his unblemished youth.
- 🤔 Dorian experiences a moment of regret, considering the influence of Lord Henry and his own temperament on his actions.
- 📰 The newspaper article about Sybil's death serves as a reminder of Dorian's callousness and detachment from the consequences of his actions.
- 📚 Lord Henry sends Dorian a 'poisonous' book that fuels his obsession with living a life of hedonistic pleasure.
- 🕰️ Dorian's paranoia about his manservant Victor discovering the missing portrait shows his growing concern for his secret.
- 📖 The conversation about the difference between liking and being fascinated by something indicates Dorian's deep enthrallment with destructive ideas.
Q & A
What significant decision does Dorian Gray make at the beginning of Chapter 10 regarding the portrait?
-Dorian Gray decides to hide the portrait where no one can see it, as he had previously left it exposed and realized the risk it posed to his secret.
Why does Dorian choose his old school room to hide the portrait?
-Dorian chooses his old school room because it holds memories of his childhood and is a place that would not be casually accessed by others, providing a secure hiding spot for the portrait.
What item does Dorian use to cover the portrait, and what symbolism is associated with it?
-Dorian uses a large satin coverlet that belonged to his grandfather to cover the portrait. The coverlet, typically used for funerals, symbolizes death and the covering of something corrupted and shameful.
How does Dorian feel about his own temperament and its influence on his actions?
-Dorian acknowledges that his temperament has the potential for evil and that it could lead him to commit horrific acts that would ruin the beautiful painting of him.
What role does Lord Henry play in Dorian's life, and how does Dorian perceive this influence?
-Lord Henry acts as a voice of temptation for Dorian, influencing him towards a life of hedonistic pleasures. Dorian is aware of the dangers of Lord Henry's influence but finds it irresistible.
What does Dorian hope for regarding his future, and how does he think it might affect the portrait?
-Dorian hopes that some love might come into his life that could purify him and shield him from his sins, potentially altering the cruel look on the portrait's face.
How does Dorian react to the newspaper article about Sybil's death sent by Lord Henry?
-Dorian reacts with indifference and annoyance, tearing the paper and discarding it, as he does not want to be reminded of Sybil's death or feel any guilt associated with it.
What is the significance of the yellow book that Lord Henry sends to Dorian?
-The yellow book is a story about a young Parisian seeking to experience all passions and modes of thought, which resonates with Dorian's own pursuits. It is described as 'poisonous' and fascinates Dorian, further influencing his moral compass.
How does Dorian's relationship with his grandfather influence his choice of hiding place for the portrait?
-Dorian's choice of the school room is influenced by his grandfather's disdain for him due to his resemblance to his mother and the painful memories associated with her death.
What does the room that Dorian uses to hide the portrait represent to him?
-The room represents a place of his innocent boyhood, which is now paradoxically turned into a place that houses the horrors of his sinful soul.
How does Dorian's paranoia about the portrait being discovered manifest?
-Dorian's paranoia is evident in his concern about his manservant Victor noticing the missing portrait and in his reaction to the newspaper article about Sybil's death.
Outlines
🖼️ The Portrait's Secret Relocation
In this paragraph, Dorian Gray decides to hide the portrait that bears the marks of his sins and aging, while he remains young and beautiful. He enlists Mr. Hubbard to move it to his childhood school room, a place rich with memories of his grandfather. Dorian's choice to hide the portrait signifies his acceptance of a life of hedonistic pleasures, with the painting bearing the consequences. The paragraph delves into Dorian's internal conflict, his struggle with the influence of Lord Henry, and his recognition of his own dark temperament. It also explores the symbolism of the satin coverlet that once belonged to his grandfather, now used to conceal the painting, and Dorian's momentary regret for not confiding in Basil, who might have helped him resist his corrupting influences.
🎭 The Unveiling and Concealment of Dorian's Soul
This paragraph describes Dorian's emotional turmoil as he views his portrait before covering it with a funeral pall, symbolizing the death of his former self. The painting's expression has changed to reflect his inner loathing and the judgment of his soul. Dorian's decision to hide the portrait in his school room, a place associated with his innocent past, creates a paradoxical situation where his childhood purity now houses his corrupted soul. The paragraph also touches on Dorian's relationship with his grandfather, the weight of his sins, and his hope for a purifying love that might one day cleanse him of his shame.
📚 The Yellow Book's Influence and Dorian's Paranoia
In the final paragraph, Dorian receives a book from Lord Henry that captivates him with its tales of passion and decadence, further pulling him into a life of sin. The book serves as a catalyst for Dorian's descent, as he becomes fascinated by its contents. Dorian's paranoia is evident when he worries about his manservant noticing the missing portrait and when he reacts to a newspaper article about Sybil's death. The paragraph ends with Dorian's dismissal of any responsibility for Sybil's fate and his immersion in the world of pleasure and beauty, as he disregards the sorrow of Sybil's mother and the moral implications of his actions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Dorian Gray
💡Portrait
💡Hedonism
💡Sins
💡Lord Henry
💡Basil
💡Conscience
💡Purity
💡Paranoia
💡Youth and Beauty
💡Yellow Book
Highlights
Dorian Gray realizes the portrait will bear the brunt of his sins and corruption.
Dorian decides to hide the portrait where it cannot be seen by anyone.
The significance of choosing his school room to hide the portrait, a place from his childhood.
Dorian's relationship with his grandfather and the psychological impact of his upbringing.
The use of his grandfather's satin coverlet to hide the portrait, symbolizing a shroud for the sins.
Dorian's moment of regret for not revealing his true feelings to Basil Hallward.
The internal struggle between Dorian's conscience and the influence of Lord Henry.
Dorian's acknowledgment of his own temperament's potential for evil.
The moment Dorian covers the portrait, unable to bear the reflection of his soul.
The physical and metaphorical weight of the portrait as it is moved.
Dorian's paranoia about others discovering the portrait and his secrets.
The delivery of the yellow book and its potential influence on Dorian's life.
Dorian's fascination with the yellow book and its dangerous ideas.
The contrast between Dorian's lack of remorse over Sybil's death and societal expectations.
Dorian's relief that the inquest into Sybil's death absolves him of responsibility.
The discussion on the difference between liking and being fascinated by something.
Transcripts
hi and welcome to mrs long's lesson on
chapter 10 of the picture of dorian gray
you remember at the end of the last
chapter
um dorian had spoken to basil
um had managed to um
sort of weasel the truth out of basil
about the
um how basil felt about the portrait
had managed to not reveal his truth
about the portrait
um and had sort of decided
that it didn't really matter um what
happened to the portrait because it
meant that he would be safe
and there would be some almost sort of
delightful pleasure in him watching the
portrait age
and greatly as he stayed young and
forever and that was the only thing
he was safe and that was what was
important
so what's happening in this chapter is
he now decides that he obviously
remembers he thought he was mad to
actually have left this portrait out
where anybody could have seen it and so
he carries out his decision
and he gets mr hubbard from the
man who frames paintings to come and
move
the portrait for him and so
it's very um significant i think where
he chooses to hide this portrait so he
asks
his housekeeper for the key for his
school room
um where he used to have his lessons
when he was a boy
and so what comes up quite often in this
chapter is references to his grandfather
and we start to see a little bit more
behind the psychology of dorian and how
he grew up
you see here he winced at the mention of
his grandfather he had
hateful memories of him okay
so he's got to sort of um do this very
carefully he has to make sure nobody
knows why he wants to go into the school
room
nobody sees the painting even the men
who move it
and so he he sees a large satin
coverlet a certain sort of throw
that's been embroidered that belonged to
his grandfather and he
thinks that would be a good thing to
wrap the dreadful thing in
and he muses that it perhaps often had
served as a pull for the dead now it was
to hide something that had a corruption
of its own
worse than the corruption of death
something that would breed horrors and
yet would never die
what the worm was to the corpse his sins
would be to the painted image you see
here that he
has accepted that he's going to sin and
he's accepted that this is going to
corrupt
and mar and rot this painting
they would mar its beauty and eat away
its grace they would defile it and make
it shameful and yet the thing would live
on it would always be alive
so he knows what he's doing he's making
this cognitive decision that he is going
to sin
live a life of hedonistic pleasures
and allow the painting to bear the brunt
of it and it's almost as if he's decided
that he's go that he knows he's going to
do things that are so horrific that it's
going to absolutely
ruin this beautiful painting of him
um he has a moment where he
has a second thought remember we you
know this painting
puts him in a crossroads is he going to
allow it
to be a visible sign of conscience so
that he
is good or is he just going to let it
bear the brunt of his son so that he can
do whatever he wants
he has decided um on
on the former but he has a momentary
sort of lapse where he thinks he regrets
that he had not told basil the true
reason because basil would have helped
him
to resist lord henry's influence
and the still more poisonous influences
that came from his
own temperament notice here his
acknowledgement that it's not just lord
henry
even though he says lord henry has with
his poisonous dangerous theories
um he knows that his own temperament has
the ability
for worse um
interesting that he acknowledges that um
he hasn't it's we're still very early on
in the story but
perhaps the way he was able to
bounce back from sybil's death um has
given him some insight into his own
character
yes basil would have saved him i like to
think of basil
as the little sort of angel on dorian's
shoulder and lord henry as the devil on
the other
he knows that basil is good and often he
doesn't want to listen to basil
because basil tells him things that are
true and basil is kind of
his the voice of reason that he knows he
should listen to but lord henry is the
voice of temptation that's just too
good for him to resist and he admits
that there are terrible passions in him
that would find
their outlet and dreams that would make
the shadow of the evil real
so all of the things that he had been
kept hidden
he's going to allow to come to light
but obviously only the painting will
show the evidence of this
so when he looks just before he is about
to cover the painting
he looks at it and it seems to him that
the painting was
unchanged but his loathing of it
intensified and so it looked worse
than it did before only the expression
had altered compared to what he saw of
it in central rebuke how
shallow basil's reproaches about civil
vein remember the previous chapter
basil um was shocked that he was not
more upset about civil rights death
was horrified that he hadn't given any
thought to her mother
um i couldn't believe that this man who
had
was destined to marry sybil could be so
callous and unfeeling
and have got over her death so quickly
but compared to the things that basil
said to him which did make him
uncomfortable
the way the portrait looks at him is
even worse
his own soul was looking out at him and
calling him to judgment a look of pain
came across him
and he flung the rich paul over the
picture so he cannot
bear to look at this picture because
it's bearing
the truth of his soul to him um and
interesting obviously very significant
that he's covering it with a funeral
paul which is
a piece of cloth that you recover um
a coffin a dead body it's almost as if
he's bearing
the man he used to be the good
innocent naive sweet dorian
when mr hubbard and his men are coming
carrying this
massive portrait up the stairs um he
says that something overload to carry
ghosts the little man and he stopped to
up the sweat of his forehead
and there's this lovely moment where
dorian says yeah i'm afraid it is rather
heavy
um but of course that's that could have
two interpretations
heavy as in it's physically heavy but
heavy is in it
carries the weight of dorian's sins and
the truth of his
his inner self as well
and he unlocks the door that opens into
the room that was to keep
for him the curious secret of his life
and hide his soul
from the eyes of men so this room almost
becomes
like a cave in which dorian's real
self resides and he's going to keep it
away from everyone
and the prying eyes of everything it's a
large room that his grandfather
had bought both specifically for him
and it's talks here about how his
grandfather or why his grandfather hated
him
because of his strange likeness to his
mother and for other reasons
probably because he as we've discussed
before is the symbol
of his mother um completely disobeying
the rules of her class and marrying this
lowly foot soldier
who he had murdered and so dorian is
this constant reminder
of that but also remember his mother
died and so
the pain that that would cause the
grandfather would be
you know dorian would be a reminder of
that constantly
not only his presence but the fact that
he looks so like his mother
and he references here as well was
extract every moment of his lonely
childhood came back to him
so he was a lonely child um
and you know his guardian his
grandfather didn't have any regard for
him so you can imagine
growing up with very little love
and nurturing he recalls the stainless
purity of his boyish life and it seemed
horrible to him that it was here that
the fatal portrait was to be hidden away
so it's this sort of very sick
paradox a sick irony that the place that
represents his
untouched innocent boyhood is now going
to be the thing that or the place that
houses
the horrors of his sinful soul
he talks here about how beneath its
purple paw the
face painted would grow be still sudden
and unclean
but what did it matter because no one
could see it he himself would not see it
why should he watch the hideous
corruption of his soul he kept his youth
that was enough now we know he's not
going to be able to resist
watching the hideous corruption of his
soul
um but at the moment he's
looking towards a possible more brighter
future there was no reason that the
future could not
should be so full of shame some love
might come across his life and purify
him and shield him from their sins
that seem to be already stirring in
spirit and flesh perhaps someday
the cruel look would have passed away
from the scarlet sense of mouth
and so it's interesting how he he's
relying on an external force to save him
it's almost as if he knows he doesn't
have the strength in himself to
resist the dark temptations that are
stirring in him
it needs to be an external influence
from somebody
um some love and of course henry is not
going to be
that that positive external influence
he's just going to enjoy watching dorian
become the things that he suggests to
him and
we already know that basil is probably
not strong enough
to take dorian away from this dangerous
path
but he realizes that even if he is if
the paint
the painting escapes the hideousness of
sin the hideousness of
age will still be there for it um and in
dorian's mind
the sinfulness and the horror is just as
bad as the aging
because of what henry's told him about
youth and beauty being
the only thing worth having um
there's another reference there to the
um the idea of the aging of the portrait
reminds him of his grandfather who'd
been so stern to him
in his boyhood
as mr hubbard and his assistant leave
we've got this moment where the
assistant
looks at dorian and it's described as
he'd never seen anyone so marvelous
again this reaction that everyone has to
their first meeting of dorian
dorian locks the door puts the key in
his pocket and he feels safe no one
would ever look upon the horrible thing
no r but his would ever see his shame
but he still feels moments
of paranoia because he worries about his
manservant victor who he said he would
be sure to miss the picture
because it's now this blank space and he
feels
um as almost as if he's being watched
now we know that
his man 7 probably doesn't think won't
think um
you know give a second thought to the
painting which has now been moved
but because this is such a massive um
influence in dorian's life he's more
concerned about it than perhaps he
should be
and so when lord henry sends over
a newspaper and he circled
um this information about the verdict of
death by misadventure
in other words it was the results of the
inquest on sybil's death
it expresses sympathy for the mother who
is greatly affected
obviously she had to give evidence and
she felt awful about her daughter's
death
i think that's just reminding us about
how little dorian feels
over sibyl's death as well but dorian
he doesn't want to even think about it
he tears the paper and flings the pieces
away
and it's ugly he doesn't want to think
about it because
he just wants to foot his life with
beauty and this is something he'd rather
forget
obviously it's too uncomfortable to
remember or dwell on things
that make us feel bad um
and he's angry with lord henry for
circling it
because he thought victor might have
read it so again this
sort of pervading paranoia that's coming
over him
but he tries to cheer himself up and say
well it doesn't matter because he didn't
have anything to do with sybil's death
this inquest tells us it's death by
misadventure
and there's no mention of dorian there
so he can breathe easy
even though we've got this image of this
poor morning mother in our minds that
doesn't seem to bother dorian at all
he says well it doesn't matter because i
didn't kill her
and then the last little bits of this
chapter which is quite important
it's the delivery of the yellow book
that lord henry sends for dorian he
sends it to dorian
to take his mind perhaps of
[Music]
the the whole civil um
unfortunate civil events and it's a
story about a young parisian who spends
his life trying to realize all the
passions and modes of thought
that belong to every century very
similar to dorian
this pursuit of passion and
he notes that poisonous book because
it's kind of filled with the ideas that
one shouldn't think about
but he reads on and he becomes obsessed
with this book
um and he's late for reading
for um for meeting lord henry and lord
he says i'm sorry but it's because the
book you sent me fascinated me so
and then they talk about the difference
between liking something
and being fascinated by it and lord
henry is interested that
dorian has noticed there's a difference
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