The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Universidad Autónoma Popular de Veracruz

Sintesis del libro: The Picture of Dorian Gray

by Oscar Wilde

Maestro: Ramón

Alumna: Gabriela Huerta Muñoz

Grado: 3er cuatrimestre de la Lic. en Inglés

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Vo.Bo.

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY BY OSCAR WILDE

CHAPTER 1:

In this chapter Lord Henry Wotton and his friend Basil Hallward go inside a luxurious studio and they are amazed by Mr. Howard’s last masterpiece, he is an artist and he has painted the picture of a very handsome man , it happens to be Mr. Dorian Gray

Henry starts to get obsessed with Mr. Gray; he wants to know more about him

The friends go out into the garden, and Henry announces that he has to leave. Before he goes, though, he asks one more question: why won't he exhibit Dorian's portrait?

Basil protests that he already told Lord Henry the real reason. He explains further, that it's not the sitter that the portrait reveals, but the artist himself. Basil is afraid that showing the picture would reveal a secret.

Basil then relates how he met Dorian at a party at Lady Brandon's. As he chatted with various boring nobles, he realized someone was looking at him someone so fascinating that it terrified him.

He tried to leave, but Lady Brandon grabbed him. He suddenly found himself face to face with the handsome young man who scared him: it's Dorian Gray.

Lord Henry remarks that it's amazing that Basil now cares for something more than his art, but Basil insists that Dorian is his art now; apparently, meeting Dorian has changed the whole way he sees the world, Basil thinks Dorian likes him, but isn't sure. Lord Henry remembers that he's heard the name Dorian Gray before, from his Aunt Agatha.

Suddenly Mr. Dorian arrives and they go to meet him.

CHAPTER 2:

In this chapter both friends return inside and they find Mr. Dorian playing the piano, they get introduced and then Henry and Mr. Dorian start chatting for a while and Basil gets jealous so he asked Henry to leave. But Dorian raises a fuss begs him to stay. Basil gives in and allows Henry to stay, but warns Dorian (not entirely jokingly) not to listen to everything Henry says, since he's a bad influence over everyone except Basil himself.

Basil starts painting Dorian and as he poses for the painting Basil, who's wrapped up in his painting, notices a new look in the boy's face for the first time. Dorian gets back into picture pose, and Basil continues his work – soon enough, he's actually done with the painting. Henry comes over to admire it exuberantly, and calls Dorian over.

Dorian is overjoyed by the recognition of his own beauty. Lord Henry's words opened his eyes for the first time to just how gorgeous he is. This just makes him afraid of the day when he'll grow old and lose his beauty, and he breaks down in tears.

Basil doesn't understand Dorian's reaction, and asks if he doesn't like it, Dorian explains his sadness in seeing the beauty of the portrait. He can't believe that he himself will grow older every day, but the painting will never age, and he wishes it was the other way around

Lord Henry proposes that they all go to the theatre that night. Dorian said yes, but Basil says he has to stay home and Basil begs Dorian not to go to the theatre with Lord Henry, but the boy says that he must. We get the feeling that this is rather more symbolic than it Dorian and Henry leave Basil in the studio, alone suffering.

CHAPTER 3

In this chapter, the next day, Lord Henry goes to visit Uncle George, to find out about Dorian's background. Dorian's the grandson of one Lord Kelso, an old acquaintance of Uncle George's; Dorian's mother, Kelso's daughter, was Lady Margaret Devereux, who was very beautiful. Lady Margaret apparently fell passionately in love and married a guy below her social rank, and rumor has it that Lord Kelso arranged for his son-in-law to be killed in a duel.

Lord Henry notices that, in his thoughtful daze, he's passed his aunt's house. When he finally reaches his destination, he's late, and gets told off by Aunt Agatha.

The dining room is full of visitors, including the Duchess of Harley, Sir Thomas Burdon (a politician), and Mr. Erskine (an intellectual), among other luminaries. Dorian is there. Lord Henry takes control of the conversation, and entertains the people with his extravagant ideas.

The luncheon ends when the Duchess, followed by the other ladies, leaves. Mr. Erskine pulls Lord Henry aside, asking why he doesn't write a book, he invites Henry to come visit him at his home.

Even though he's supposed to hang out with Basil, Dorian asks if he can accompany Lord Henry, so he can listen to Henry talk some more. Henry agrees, but says that he's talked enough for today ,the two friends go to the park.

CHAPTER 4

In this chapter Dorian meets Henry’s wife Victoria, she seems to be stupid, sloppy and clumsy compared to Henry. Henry tells Dorian never to get married, and Dorian starts talking about his girlfriend Sibyl Vane, he met her 3 weeks ago , and Henry gets angry , but he doesn’t say anything.

Dorian and Henry go to the theater and the play is Romero and Juliet, the actress is Sibyl Jane making Henry angry again, Dorian starts going to the theatre every night, and she falls in love with him.

One day Henry asks Dorian to dinner but he doesn’t want to go, all he wants to do is going to the theatre to see Sibyl.

Henry thinks is just an affair and he doesn´t care too much, but later that night he finds a telegram on the table saying that Dorian and Sybil are now engaged.

CHAPTER 5

Sybil and her mother are in home and we can see how Sybil is in love , but Sybil’s mother has other interests than love, she’s looking for money and a life full of luxuries.

They don’t know Mr. Gray’s name yet, so James, Sybil`s brother starts getting suspicious of about Mr. Gray, so he wants to know more about him.

James is going to Australia to get some money .the sibling take a walk, have a conversation and then they go to bed.

After leaving Sibyl in her room, James goes to see his mother. He wants to know if she was married to their father, she wasn't. We find out that he was also a gentleman, like Dorian, and he couldn't make an honest woman of her he died without leaving them anything.

James ask his mother to take good care of Sibyl, and says that if her suitor does anything to hurt her, he'll come back and kill him.

Mrs. Vane (as they call Dorian) is secretly thrilled by the melodramatic ring of this threat she feels happy despite the fact that her son is leaving home for a strange country. She feels like things are good

CHAPTER 6

Basil and Henry discuss about Dorian’s engagement, Basil disagrees but Henry thinks it is fine, while they are talking Dorian appears, then he tells them about the engagement and the weeding.

Dorian promises that Henry will feel different about all of this once he's seen Sibyl Vane. Henry demurs, admitting that it's possible that he'll be really taken with her. They leave in Henry's carriage, and poor Basil has to follow in a cab.

During his solitary ride, Basil is saddened by the feeling that Dorian is lost to him forever – the marriage will drive them apart. However, he reasons, it's better than some things that could have happened to his young friend.

CHAPTER 7

The three men met at the theatre and then they get amazed by Sybils beauty, but not for her acting, because she’s acting worst than ever.

Sybil apologizes and Henry and Basil leave and then Dorian tells Sybils that she doesn’t love her anymore.

Doran leaves disconsolate and as he is distracted, he doesn`t see where he is going so he ends up at the flower market, and then he takes a cab to g home.

He goes inside and he sees something strange in the picture that Bassil painted, it seems like he is getting old and he gets scared, so he wished that the portrait could change and grow old, while he stayed the same.

CHAPTER 8

Dorian wakes up, gets dressed and has breakfast , suddenly he starts thinking about the change that he saw on the portrait last night and went to see the picture , an when he looked, the picture looked older ,he was scared and he couldn’t explain it.

Regarding his altered image, Dorian feels terrible about what he's done to Sibyl. He decides to go back to her and devote his life to loving her – the portrait's embodiment of his sins serves as a kind of conscience. He immediately sits down to write her a long, melodramatically passionate letter; when he's done, he already feels forgiven.

At that moment, Lord Henry shows up. He wants to make sure Dorian's not too worried about the whole Sibyl thing; Dorian tells him that he's not sorry for any of it, and that it's taught him more about himself. He announces that he wants to be good from now on to keep his soul from growing hideous, and says he'll start by marrying Sibyl Vane.

Sybil Vane poisoned herself the night before, because she broke up with Dorian.

Dorian can't get over the shock, and hashes out all of his feelings – he's guilty and

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