Dorian Gray Chapter 5 – Discussion
Summary
TLDRChapter 5 of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' shifts focus to the Vane family, particularly Sybil Vane, who is infatuated with Dorian, referring to him as 'Prince Charming'. Her mother, initially skeptical, considers marriage if he is wealthy. Sybil's brother, James, distrusts Dorian and warns his mother and sister of potential harm. James, about to leave for Australia, vows to protect Sybil. This chapter sets up future events, foreshadowing the tragic consequences of Sybil's love for Dorian and James's determination to avenge any wrong done to her.
Takeaways
- 📚 Chapter 5 of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' focuses on the Vane family, introducing them as central characters in the absence of Dorian and Lord Henry.
- 💭 The Vane family's surname, pronounced 'Vain,' subtly hints at their vanity, setting a tone for their character development.
- 💓 Sibyl Vane, infatuated with Dorian, sees him as 'Prince Charming,' which foreshadows her tragic fate and the impact of Dorian's influence on her life.
- 💸 Mrs. Vane emphasizes the family's poverty and the importance of Sibyl's acting career, revealing their financial struggles and dependence on Mr. Isaacs.
- 💍 The possibility of Dorian's wealth being a potential for marriage is considered by Mrs. Vane, indicating a shift in her priorities from art to financial security.
- 🚢 James Vane, Sibyl's brother, is set to sail to Australia, but his departure is overshadowed by his protective instincts towards Sibyl and his disdain for Dorian.
- 👦 James Vane's maturity and insight are highlighted as he questions Sibyl's infatuation with Dorian, showing his concern for her well-being.
- 😡 James harbors resentment towards Dorian due to his own father's abandonment, which adds a layer of complexity to his feelings about Dorian's intentions.
- 🚫 Mrs. Vane's inability to protect Sibyl is underscored by James's repeated warnings to watch over her, indicating a lack of parental guidance and support.
- 🚶♂️ A walk down Houston Road sets the stage for a missed encounter between James and Dorian, which adds to the tension and foreshadows future conflict.
- ⚔️ James's vow to avenge any wrong done to Sibyl by Dorian is a strong foreshadowing of his potential actions, should harm befall his sister.
Q & A
What is significant about the absence of Dorian and Lord Henry in Chapter 5 of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'?
-Chapter 5 introduces and describes the Vane family characters, setting up events that will be developed later in the story.
What does Mrs. Vane emphasize to her daughter Sybil regarding their financial situation?
-Mrs. Vane emphasizes that they are very poor and that Sybil must focus on her acting career to make money, as they owe Mr. Isaacs, the theater manager, a debt.
How does Sybil refer to Dorian Gray, and why is this significant?
-Sybil refers to Dorian Gray as 'Prince Charming,' highlighting her infatuation and naive perception of him. This name becomes significant as it symbolizes her idealized view of Dorian, which contrasts with the reality of his character.
What change in attitude does Mrs. Vane exhibit regarding Sybil's potential marriage to a rich man?
-Initially, Mrs. Vane insists that Sybil should focus on acting, but when she considers that the young man might be rich, she entertains the idea of marriage to improve their financial situation.
What warning does James Vane give about Sybil's relationship with Dorian?
-James Vane repeatedly warns his mother to watch over Sybil and not let her come to any harm, expressing his concern over Sybil's infatuation with a man she barely knows.
How does James Vane's view of his mother affect his concerns for Sybil?
-James perceives his mother as shallow and vain, recognizing that her inability to protect Sybil places Sybil's happiness in peril.
Why does James Vane hate Dorian Gray despite not having met him?
-James hates Dorian Gray because he associates him with the gentleman status that he despises due to his father's abandonment of their family.
What foreshadowing occurs regarding James Vane's intentions towards Dorian Gray?
-James vows to kill Dorian if he harms Sybil, foreshadowing his future pursuit of revenge against Dorian for Sybil's eventual fate.
What is the significance of Sybil seeing Dorian in a carriage on Houston Road?
-Sybil's fleeting sight of Dorian in a carriage and James's inability to see him reinforces the elusive and mysterious nature of Dorian's influence over Sybil.
What ultimate fate befalls Sybil Vane, and how does it relate to James's earlier warnings?
-Sybil Vane ultimately commits suicide, unable to cope with her heartbreak over Dorian. This tragic outcome validates James's earlier warnings about Dorian's negative impact on Sybil's life.
Outlines
💔 The Intricacies of the Vain Family Dynamics
In this chapter, the focus shifts from Dorian Gray and Lord Henry to the Vain family, introducing their vanity and financial struggles. Sibyl Vane, infatuated with Dorian, sees him as her Prince Charming, despite her family's dire financial situation. Mrs. Vane initially prioritizes Sibyl's acting career over romance but reconsiders when suspecting Dorian's wealth. Sibyl's brother, James, skeptical of Dorian's intentions, warns his family about the potential dangers of Sibyl's infatuation. James's cynicism is rooted in his father's abandonment, which fuels his disdain for gentlemen like Dorian. The chapter ends with James's promise to protect Sibyl, foreshadowing future conflict.
🚶♂️ James Vane's Protective Resolve and Sibyl's Innocence
This paragraph delves deeper into the relationship between Sibyl and James Vane, highlighting James's protective nature and Sibyl's naivety. Sibyl's innocence is evident in her dreamlike infatuation with Dorian, whom she only knows as Prince Charming. James, more mature for his age, expresses concern over Dorian's intentions and the lack of knowledge about him. A walk down Houston Road leads to a missed encounter between James and Dorian, leaving James in the dark about his sister's love interest. The chapter culminates in James's vow to avenge any harm done to Sibyl, setting the stage for potential tragedy and reinforcing the protective brother theme.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Dorian Gray
💡Lord Henry
💡Vane Family
💡Sibyl Vane
💡James Vane
💡Prince Charming
💡Theater Manager
💡Vanity
💡Suicide
💡Foreshadowing
💡Maturity
Highlights
Chapter 5 introduces and describes the Vane family, setting up events that will be developed later in the story.
Sybil tells her mother and brother about her love for a man she refers to as Prince Charming, who they later find out is Dorian Gray.
Mrs. Vane insists that Sybil focus on her acting career to support the family financially.
Mrs. Vane considers the possibility of marriage if the man is rich, despite initially advising against falling in love.
James Vane, Sybil's brother, expresses his dislike for London and concern for his sister's well-being.
James warns his mother to watch over Sybil and protect her from harm.
James learns about a gentleman visiting Sybil at the theater regularly and is skeptical of his intentions.
Sybil's infatuation with Dorian Gray is highlighted by her referring to him only as Prince Charming.
James expresses his maturity and insight by questioning how Sybil can be in love with someone she barely knows.
James vows to protect Sybil and threatens to kill Dorian if he harms her.
James's animosity towards his mother stems from her inability to protect Sybil and their family's past with a gentleman who abandoned them.
James never sees Dorian's face, which later complicates his quest for revenge.
Sybil's naivety is emphasized by her dreamlike perception of her relationship with Dorian.
James's determination to protect Sybil foreshadows future events as he promises to find and kill Dorian if necessary.
The chapter ends with a dramatic and ominous tone, indicating that James Vane will seek revenge if anything bad happens to Sybil.
Transcripts
the fifth chapter of The Picture of
Dorian Gray and we'll see in this
chapter that it's quite interesting
because Dorian and Lord Henry who have
been dominating the novel up until this
point um are absent in this chapter but
really chapter 5 is going to introduce
and describe the vain Family characters
um and of course you can make a comment
on the fact that their surname is vain
although spelled differently but anyway
um and it really sets up the events that
will be developed uh a little bit later
on in the story so we start off page 71
where it's all about now syil
telling her mom and her brother about
this man that she's met um and how much
in love she is with him and all that Mrs
vain says You must not think of anything
but your acting because we very very
poor right we're very poor you need to
act you need to make money because Mr
Isaac's Mr Isaacs who is like the
theater manager he's been very good to
us so we owe him money okay Cil ve says
well Prince Charming rules life for us
now and it's very important I put that
in pink that she knows Dorian as Prince
Charming and the family will only know
Dorian as Prince Charming and she's so
infatuated and in love with Dorian that
she says well he rules our life now he's
everything unfortunately the events that
follow mean that he actually kind of
does rule their lives from that moment
onwards but anyway coming back to that a
little later um page 72 this young man
might be rich if so marriage should be
thought of so Mrs vain sort of changes
her attitude a little bit when she
thinks to herself okay well you know you
should focus on your acting Cil but at
the same time if this man is rich well
then maybe you should get married to him
and then we know we won't be so poor
anymore we could
benefit Mrs vain says on page 73 my
child you have far too young to think of
falling in love besides what do you know
of this young man you don't even know
his name which she is correct all right
James vain who's 16 years old and cble
is 17 years old James vain is um going
to be a sailor he's going to go to
Australia and um the mom was a little
bit annoyed with syil that you know syil
you focusing on yourself in this man
when we should be really um sending off
you know your brother and saying goodbye
and all that James Van says I don't
suppose I shall ever see this horrid
London
again and uh he doesn't like where he's
staying he doesn't like the
circumstances we kind of get a little
bit of a cynical view out of him
attitude um I've put there unfortunately
you will because we'll find out that
James will definitely be back and will
stick around for many many years for a
particular reason page 75 James says all
I say is to his mother watch over don't
let her come to any harm because now
he's going to Australia and uh he's
worried about
Cil uh his insight into his mother's
inability to look after syil is is quite
accurate cu the mother doesn't look
after
civil he says I hear a gentleman comes
every night to the theater and goes
behind to talk to her that being Dorian
of course Mrs vain says the young man in
question is a perfect
gentleman well no he's not because even
at this relatively early stage in the
novel we know that Dorian is not
actually really a perfect gentleman is
he James says you don't even know his
name so that's reiterated again James
maybe a year younger but he has more
maturity and insight into saying how can
you be in love with this guy and have
him come talk to you every night and you
don't even know his name and then he
again warns his mother watch over
watch over her page 77 he was a
gentleman and he hated him for that
James says you know Dorian Gray is a
gentleman supposedly and he hates him
for that so James hates the fact that
he's a gentleman and we discover that
it's because James's father was a
gentleman and and left them the family
um didn't even marry the mother excuse
me and so he hates his father for that
and so therefore hates Dorian as well
also on page 77 James was conscious also
of the shallowness and vanity of his
mother's nature and in that saw infinite
Peril for Cil and cil's happiness um yes
there is definite Peril coming on its
way for syil and cil's happiness because
she dies she commits suicide she's so
unhappy um James says you have a new
friend to Cil who is he wants to find
out who this guy is and he immediately
says to his sister he means you no good
he's correct you
know why you don't even know his name
the third time now all right and it's a
Pity that James doesn't know his name
syil says he is called Prince Charming
and that shows how um innocent childlike
naive she is that she could be in love
with somebody and only referred to him
as Prince Charming it's almost as if
she's living in a a dream world or in
one of the plays in which she acts like
it's all make believe page 79 James says
he wants to enslave you this guy I want
you to be aware of him good advice
unfortunately syil doesn't listen page
80 syil says he is gone I wish you had
seen him okay so what happens is is that
Cil and James they leave the house they
go for a walk walk right they go for a
walk down this street Houston Houston
Road dreary street right and they're
walking down there having a having a
conversation and then suddenly Cil sees
a carriage go past and um Dorian is in
the Cabbage cabbage carriage and um just
before James is able to turn around in
time and have a look The Carriage
disappears and James never actually sees
dorian's face so he's got no idea what
this guy looks like which again is a
Pity because it would have helped James
a great deal a little bit later um
anyway James says well I wish I had seen
him well we wish you had too for ass
sure as there is a God in heaven if he
ever does you any wrong I shall kill him
that's foreshadowing in a sense not not
so much because it comes true but
because of the the um promise that he
makes right also on page 80 James says I
am 16 and I know what I'm about I know
what I'm talking about so he's a lot
more mature than civil and he's saying
mother is no help to you he has that
knowledge he can see that which is true
I wish now that I was not going to
Australia at all yeah it's a pity you
actually didn't stay page 82 James says
mother I have something to ask you tell
me the truth I have a right to know were
you married to my father and that's
where there's a bit of animosity between
him and his mother and uh doubting his
mother's ability to look after syil that
s of sits there where the mother admits
that no they weren't
married um and of course the irony of it
all is that Cil doesn't actually marry
Dorian either and well it turns out
badly for civil page 83 James says
believe me that if this man this Prince
Charming wrongs my sister I will find
out who he is track him down that's
foreshadowing cuz James does do that and
kill him like a dog well we'll have to
see whether that comes true or not I
swear it all right so that is reiterated
a number of times by Oscar wild to show
us that James is very hellbent or will
be very hellbent on getting revenge
against Dorian should something bad
happen to Cil and well if you've read
the next chapter you'll know that
something bad does in fact happen to Cil
she kills herself right so we know that
after we've read that syil kills herself
and is dead we must not forget about
James vay he will be
back page 83 right at the bottom um of
the three threat that James makes Mrs
vain said nothing it was vividly and
dramatically expressed you know James is
just being overly dramatic she felt that
they would all laugh at it someday no
they definitely will not be laughing at
it at all okay trust me on this one and
that ends chapter 5
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