Summary
and
Analysis
Chapter 17
Summary
Dorian Gray is hosting visitors at his country estate, Selby Royal, one week later. Lord Henry interrupts his conversation with the Duchess of Monmouth. To address the unpleasantness of names in the current world, Lord Henry has decided to start calling everyone Gladys. He starts a clever conversation with the Duchess about women and morals in general. The Duchess mentions Dorian's bad complexion at one point. He doesn't appear to be feeling well. Dorian tries but fails to keep up with their discourse. Finally, he agrees to go to the conservatory and pick her some orchids for her evening gown.
When he is gone, Lord Henry informs the Duchess that she is indiscreetly flirting with Dorian. She responds by joking with him. He mocks her by saying she has a rival in Lady Narborough. She requests that Lord Henry define women as a gender. He calls women "Sphinxes without secrets".
When they hear a crash, she notices Dorian is taking his time and proposes going to find him. They race into the conservatory, only to discover Dorian unconscious on the floor. They transfer him into the sofa, where he gradually awakens. He inquires of Lord Henry whether they are secure inside. Lord Henry informs him that he has just fainted and must remain in his chamber rather than coming down to dinner. Dorian insists on coming down for dinner. He is quite friendly at dinner. Every now and then, he gets a jolt of horror as he recalls the face of James Vane staring at him through the conservatory window.
Notes
James appears to have tracked down Dorian at his remote country estate. Dorian seemed to have lost all ability to reconcile past misdeeds with present pleasures. In company, he remains distracted and anxious. It appears that his "sins" and his unscrupulous adventures are finally catching up with him. The face of James Vane represent the guilt he has been hiding.
Chapter 18
Summary
Dorian Gray stays in his residence the next day, frightened to go for fear of being shot by James Vane. The second day brings its own concerns, but on the third day, Dorian wakes up and realizes he has been dreaming. He tells himself that James Vane has left on his ship and that he will never see him again.
After breakfast, he spends an hour in the garden with the Duchess before joining the shooting party. As he approaches, he notices Geoffrey Clouston, the Duchess's brother. He goes for a walk with Geoffrey. Suddenly, a rabbit appears from the brush, and Geoffrey takes aim. Dorian tells him not to shoot, but Geoffrey does. Instead of the rabbit, a man who had been hiding behind the bush falls. The two men believe it was one of the batterers (the men hired to beat the bushes so the wildlife will run and the hunters will be able to shoot at it). Geoffrey is irritated with the man for getting in the way of the bullets. Lord Henry approaches Dorian and advises him to call off the shooting for the day in order to avoid appearing cruel. Dorian is deeply disturbed by the shooting. Lord Henry comforts him, saying the man's death is unimportant, albeit causing Geoffrey some hardship. Dorian interprets it as an ominous omen. He believes he will be shot. Lord Henry laughs his anxieties away, telling him that destiny does not exist.
When they arrive at the house, the gardener greets Dorian with a note from the Duchess. He accepts it and walks away. They talk about her. Lord Henry claims that the Duchess adores him. Dorian wishes he could love, but he is too focused on himself to love anybody else. He claims he wants to go sailing on his yacht, where he will be safe.
The Duchess approaches them while they speak. She is worried about her brother. Lord Henry claims it would be far more interesting if he had deliberately killed the man. He expresses a desire to know someone who has committed murder. They show concern about Dorian's health as he suddenly becomes pale. He says he's going to lie down and rest.
Lord Henry and the Duchess continue to converse. He inquires as to whether she is in love with Dorian. She avoids responding. He inquires whether her husband will notice anything. She claims her spouse never notices and that she sometimes wishes he would.
Dorian is practically unconscious on his sofa in his room upstairs. At five o'clock, he summons a servant and instructs him to gather his belongings for his departure. He sends a note to Lord Henry, requesting that he entertain his visitors. The head keeper is introduced just before he is about to leave. He claims that the man who was shot was not one of the beaters, but rather a sailor. Nobody knew who he was. Dorian is overjoyed at the prospect of meeting James Vane. He dashes out the door to find the body. When the sheet is removed off his face, he rejoices because it is the face of James Vane. He rides home, weeping with relief that he is safe.
Notes
At the end of this chapter, Dorian Gray is foolish enough to believe that the death of James Vane marks the end of his anxieties for his own life. The reader is undoubtedly starting to suspect that Dorian Gray's anxieties will stick with him since his remorse about killing his friend Basil Hallward will not go away.
Dorian Gray's unyielding exterior had already begun to fracture. It's only a matter of time before his career of pursuing pleasure at the expense of others ends.
Oscar Wilde appears to be an impending moral writer after all.
