The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapter 3-4

In these chapters the point of view shifts to that of Lord Henry. He is on his way to visit his uncle Lord Fermor in order to gain more knowledge about Dorian. Through the course of this visit he learns about Dorian's parents and the tragic story that surrounds them. Both of Dorian's parents are dead and he had to grow up with a bitter old man. It appears as though these tragedies have not affected Dorian, based on the previous descriptions of his personality. It is as if in spite of these tragedies Dorian was able to maintain his innocence. Lord Henry expresses his thoughts about this in the following quote "Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic." This shows that he believes that a beautiful exterior only hides a dark past.

These chapters also introduce many new characters. Whether or not these characters will play a major role within the plot of the novel is still yet to be seen. However, the scene at Lord Henry's aunt's house provides a perfect example of how easily he is able to manipulate people. By the end of the conversation Lord Henry has the majority of the guest agreeing with his views. The guest encourage him to keep voicing his opinions and eat up everything he says. Lord Henry has a "puppet master" type personality and this may prove to be a negative characteristic as the novel progresses. One negative outcome that has already ensued is that he has "stolen" Dorian away from Basil; if this behavior continues, there is no telling what the end result might be.

Chapter four starts off with a detailed description of the library in Lord Henry's home. Once again this type of description allows the reader to thoroughly visual the setting of the scene. The chapter also introduces another character, Sibyl Vane. However, it is clear that this character will play a large role in the plot of the novel. Dorian's fascination with Sibyl might end up causing conflict with his relationship with Lord Henry, even though Lord Henry states that he feels no jealously toward the situation. Also, it might cause an even bigger rift between Dorian and Basil. Another revelation is that Lord Henry views Dorian as a type of science project and this creates a whole new dynamic to be evaluated throughout the rest of the novel.