"They wondered how one so charming and graceful as he was could have escaped the stain of an age that was at once sordid and sensual" (Wilde 131).
2.) enamor - (v.) to charm or captivate (dictionary.com)
"There are few of us who have not sometimes wakened before dawn, either after one of those dreamless nights that make us almost enamored of death, or one of those nights of horror and misshapen joy, when through the chambers of the brain sweep phantoms more terrible than reality itself, and instinct with that vivid life that lurks in all grotesques, and that lends to Gothic art its enduring vitality, this art being, one might fancy, especially the art of those whose minds have been troubled with the malady of reverie" (134).
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1.) "But it appeared to Dorian Gray that the true nature of the senses had never been understood, and that they had remained savage and animal merely because the world had sought to starve them into submission or to kill them by pain, instead of aiming at making them elements of a new spirituality, of which a fine instinct for beauty was to be the dominant characteristic" (133).This quote directly relates to Dorian's outlook on life. He seeks to study the senses so that he may exploit them for their ability to perceive the beautiful. He plans to do this by studying specimens of beauty imported from around the world. Over the next few years, he collects jewels, perfumes, tapestries, and other treasures from around the world that resemble luxury of any kind. He looks at all these things based on their face value and how exquisite they are. It is said that "For these treasures, and everything that he collected in his lovely house, were to be to him means of forgetfulness, modes by which he could escape, for a season, from the fear that seemed to him at times to be almost too great to be borne" (143). That fear that was implied was his aging, which was ultimately his loss of his beauty. Yet, he has the portrait of himself that Basil painted for him. It is described as bearing the toil of aging for Dorian, hence explaining his modes for escape.
2.) "It was remarked, however, that some of those who had been most intimate with him appeared, after a time, to shun him. Women who had wildly adored him, and for his sake had braved all social censure and set convention at defiance, were seen to grow pallid with shame or horror if Dorian Gray entered the room" (145).
This quote could be a foretaste of what is in store for Dorian. It makes mention that there are people out there who shun him. This makes sense, since his desire to indulge in every pleasure would derive competition from those striving to do the same. Yet, this pleasure has made him self-centered in the process. He rejected Sybil's death as the past and could not affect him at present. Basil thought that an outrage, yet, Lord Henry praised him. Perhaps there is not much left of the relationship between Basil and Dorian. They both stand for different values, and it seems inevitable that those values will clash at some point. As for Dorian's relationship with Lord Henry, the end may be near. Lord Henry believes in much of what Dorian believes in, and in living out those beliefs, they may come in conflict at some point. It is described towards the end of the chapter that "There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realize his conception of the beautiful" (150). With such an outlook, seeing hardships in Dorian's path is quite believable.
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