Tuesday, February 3, 2009

To Page 110

1.) lurid - (adj.) gruesome; horrible; revolting (dictionary.com)

"But you must thing of that lonely death in the tawdry dressing-room simply as a strange lurid fragment from some Jacobean tragedy, as a wonderful scene from Webster, or Ford, or Cyril Tourneur." (Wilde 107).

2.) desecrate - (v.) to divest of sacred or hallowed character or office (dictionary.com)

"A feeling of pain crept over him as he thought of the desecration that was in store for the fair face on the canvas" (109).
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1.) "'Dorian,' he said, 'my letter - don't be frightened - was to tell you that Sybil Vane is dead'" (101).

In the quote, Dorian receives a truth that must be tough to accept. According to Lord Henry, Sybil is dead. Dorian was then plunged into a guilt trip for the rest of the chapter. He was awful to Sybil the night before, and decided to make amends. Yet, before he could do so, she committed suicide by taking in poison in a dressing-room. Considering that Sybil was Dorian's wife to be, of course he would feel awful. Perhaps it was his carelessness with his emotions that got the greater of her. Lord Henry attempts to console Dorian, mostly by telling him not to get involved or by inciting thought that women are inferior to him, since he could get another very easily with his good looks. Going back to chapter five, James Vane was correct in saying, "Sybil, yo are mad about him" (72). With Dorian telling Sybil never to see him again she took him too literally. She could have waited a few hours and been forgiven by Dorian. Also, if James finds out about Sybil's death, that would mean trouble for Dorian. James vowed that if Dorian harmed Sybil, he would kill Dorian.

2.) "Conscience makes egotists of us all" (106).

This quote is a part of Lord Henry's consolation for Dorian. Hearing about Sybil's death, Dorian is deeply troubled. Yet, Lord Henry tells him not to worry, since minding one's conscience would only yield trouble for oneself. Dorian is told not to mind his sins, such as that he committed towards Sybil. That is because it would make him boastful in the sense that he can never forget his sin. It would be more like boastfulness to himself. Lord Henry takes the above philosophy and uses it many times an to achieve different purposes. For example, when Lord Henry said "A new Hedonism - that is what our century wants. You might be its visible symbol," (25) he is telling Dorian that he is to live as carefree as he wishes, as when he said that he is not to let conscience govern himself when it holds such a burden as Sybil's death.

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