Summary
and
Analysis
Chapter 11
Summary
Dorian Gray feels the influence of the book Lord Henry gave him for years thereafter. He obtains additional copies of the book from Paris and has them bound in various colours. He considers the book to be the story of his life. He considers himself fortunate to be older than the novel's hero. While the novel's hero laments the loss of his youth, Dorian Gray never loses his youth. He reread the passages over and over, revelling in his distinction from the hero in this regard.
People in Dorian Gray's social circle regularly hear terrible things about him, but when they look at him and see his fresh, young appearance, they reject the rumours as preposterous. Dorian is frequently absent from home for extended periods of time without anyone knowing his whereabouts. He always arrives home and immediately walks upstairs to check on the progress of the portrait. He falls in love with his own beauty more and more. He spends a lot of time in a seedy tavern near the docks, lamenting the degradation he has imposed on his soul. Most of the time, though, he does not consider his soul. He feels "mad hungers that [grow] more ravenous as he [feeds] them."
He entertains once or twice a month with such sumptuous meals and magnificent surroundings that he becomes the most popular of London's young men. He is admired by all men who perceive him as a type of man who blends the true culture of a scholar with the grace of a cosmopolitan.
He lives his life as if it were a piece of art. His fashion sense sets the tone for all trendy stores.
He worships the senses in a variety of ways. He practices the new Hedonism that Lord Henry has described to him. He appreciates the Catholic Church for its ritual and tragedy. He never accepts any faith or system of thought, though, because he refuses to halt his intellectual evolution.
He is constantly researching new scents and experimenting with them. He devotes significant periods of time to the study of many musical styles from throughout the world. He even analyses the legends written about music, such as those concerning magic and death. For a time, he devotes himself to the study of jewels, acquiring rare and beautiful jewels from all over the world for the joy of gazing at and feeling them. He gathers stories about jewels that are part of animals, as well as stories about gems that inflict death and destruction. He studied various embroideries and the stories that go with them. He collects tapestries and embroideries from all around the world. He is particularly fond of church clothing. His collection of lovely things is one of his tactics of forgetfulness. He wants to get away from the fear that sometimes seems to consume him.
After a while, he is unable to leave London for any reason since he cannot handle being away from the portrait for an extended period of time. When he's out with friends, he'll often take a break and run home to see if the portrait is still where it should be and to make sure no one has tampered with the door. He becomes terrified that someone will steal the portrait and then everyone will know about him.
Most people are fascinated by Dorian Gray, yet some are wary of him. He is on the verge of being barred from two clubs. Some powerful guys have shunned him. People start telling strange stories about him hanging out at run-down taverns with foreign sailors and socializing with robbers and coiners. People have commented on his unusual absences. He never notices the glances people give him. Most of them see his boyish smile and can't believe the rumours are true. Nonetheless, the stories live on. Some people note that women who formerly liked him turn pale in humiliation or dread when he walks into a room. Most people think his mysterious charm is enhanced by the stories. According to Lord Henry, society values good manners over morals among its aristocratic members.
People, according to Dorian, have a variety of lifestyles and sensations that alter dramatically from time to time. Dorian enjoys looking through his country house's portrait gallery. He thinks about his forefathers and how their blood mixed with his. When he sees Lady Elizabeth Devereaux in her great beauty, he understands her inheritance to him lies in his own beauty and appreciation of all that is beautiful.
He also imagines his forebears as characters in books he has read. These people have inspired him more than his family members. His greatest influence has undoubtedly been the hero of his life's core novel. He also fantasizes about all the bad heroes he has read about, like Caligula, Filippo, Due of Milan, Pietro Barbi, the Borgias, and many others. He has a "horrible obsession" with all of them.
He has a "horrible obsession" with all of them. He is aware that the French Symbolist book has poisoned him. He regards evil as merely a means of experiencing the beauty.
Notes
Chapter 11 is a chapter about how time passes. It spans several years in Dorian Gray's life, encapsulating his artistic interests ranging from delicate stitching to the purchase of precious gems, while also hinting at his vices. The chapter's closing statement captures Dorian Gray's quest of the exquisite: " There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realize his conception of the beautiful. “It appears that by discounting Sibyl Vane's influence as nothing more than a play out of the aesthetic (the beautiful) in life, having nothing to do with his own culpability, he has fully abandoned the concept of virtue. Dorian's quest for the exquisite in life turns into a quest for the aesthetics of evil.
Nonetheless, Dorian is so enamoured by the image that he is unable to leave London even for short trips. The portrait image ages and becomes unsightly, yet he remains beautiful and innocent-looking. His greatest concern becomes the possibility of the portrait being taken. Dorian appears to feel that it is only the decay of the portrait that permits him to continue cutting himself off from moral restrictions.
Chapter 12
Summary
It's the ninth of November, not long before Dorian Gray turns 38. He spots Basil Hallward while walking home late one night. He becomes terrified of making contact with an old acquaintance he hasn't seen in months, but Basil spots him and stops him. Basil claims to have been waiting for him all evening and has given up. He insists on returning inside with Dorian because he claims to have crucial news to share with him.
Dorian acts bored and wants to go to bed on the inside. Basil is adamant about speaking to him. He claims he'll be leaving for Paris in an hour and will rent a studio there for six months. He informs Dorian that he has to defend Dorian's name everywhere he goes. He believes Dorian is a decent person since he is so attractive. He claims that he knows sin shows on people's faces after a while, thus he has difficulty believing the stories.
However, the proof has mounted and is pretty convincing. He lists other young guys who have ruined their careers after being too close to Dorian. He cites other young women who have ruined their reputations, including Lord Henry's sister. Lady Gwendolyn, Lord Henry's sister, has fallen so far that she is no longer allowed to visit her own children. He recalls reports about Dorian spending time in "dreadful houses" and "the foulest dens in London." He has heard stories about what happens in Dorian's country house.
Basil advises Dorian to have a positive influence on people rather than a negative one. He informs Dorian that he is reputed to corrupt everyone with whom he becomes intimate. He has even seen a letter written by Lady Gloucester on her deathbed, as handed to him by Lord Gloucester, one of his closest friends. Dorian Gray was implicated in her debasement. Basil concludes by noting that he no longer knows if he even knows Dorian. He claims he can't say anything without viewing Dorian's soul, which only God can do.
Dorian becomes white with horror as he says his final words, "To see my soul!" He laughs angrily and informs Basil that that night he will glimpse his soul. He will allow Basil to gaze upon the face of corruption. Basil is stunned and believes Dorian is blaspheming. He takes a step back and encourages Basil to continue what he's saying to him. Dorian, according to Basil, must respond to all of the stories about him that night. Dorian simply instructs him to accompany him upstairs. He claims to have kept a diary of his life, which he claims never leaves the room in which it is kept.
Notes
In this chapter, Dorian encounters Basil Hallward after many years, which could be a turning moment. He is now 38 years old and, according to Basil, has caused so many controversies and wrecked the reputations of so many young men and women that Basil has begun to question Dorian’s morality. Basil, the artist, believes that a man cannot sin as Dorian is said to have done and still be beautiful. Morality, according to Basil, is apparent on the skin's surface. People who are beautiful must be moral, whereas those who are ugly must be immoral.
Basil's perspective on beauty and goodness aligns with the novel's underlying ideas. Dorian will show him his portrait here. The reader must ponder whether Basil will be able to notice the ugliness that Dorian sees in the image or if the changes in the portrait are a product of Dorian's guilt-ridden imagination.
