Dorian Gray Chpt 3

“Yes, he would try to be to Dorian Gray what, without knowing it, the lad was to the painter who had fashioned the wonderful portrait” (40).

By the way Basil describes the portrait of Dorian Gray, it is evident the influence that Gray has left on Basil’s life: “Some subtle influence passed from him to me, and for the first time in my life I saw in the plain woodland the wonder I had always looked for, and always missed”(12). Lord Henry’s wish is for himself to have the same influence on Dorian Gray. Basil is under the impression that Lord Henry is a bad influence upon everyone that he meets. That means that if Lord Henry influences Dorian Gray, Dorian Gray would be influencing Basil in a negative manner.

“As he was passing out of the door, Dorian Gray touched him on the arm. ‘Let me come with you,’ he murmured” (47).

Previously Basil practically begged Dorian Gray to not go out to lunch with Lord Henry and Gray refused to not attend. Now, without even being asked to, Gray is standing up Basil because he desires to be with Lord Henry. This can be the beginning of something very bad because what Lord Henry wanted was actually going to happen. And as Basil said before, “He has a very bad influence over all his friends, with the single exception of myself”(19).

Keen

–adjective, -er, -est.
1. finely sharpened, as an edge; so shaped as to cut or pierce substances readily: a keen razor.
2. sharp, piercing, or biting: a keen wind; keen satire.
3. characterized by strength and distinctness of perception; extremely sensitive or responsive: keen eyes; keen ears.
4. having or showing great mental penetration or acumen: keen reasoning; a keen mind.
5. animated by or showing strong feeling or desire: keen competition.
6. intense, as feeling or desire: keen ambition; keen jealousy.
7. eager; interested; enthusiastic (often fol. by about, on, etc., or an infinitive): She is really keen on going swimming.
8. Slang. great; wonderful; marvelous.

“seemed to give his wit keenness, and to lend color to his imagination”(45).



Quail
–noun, plural quails, (especially collectively ) quail.
1.a small, migratory, gallinaceous game bird, Coturnix coturnix, of the Old World.
2.any of several other birds of the genus Coturnix and allied genera.
3. any of various New World gallinaceous game birds of the genus Colinus and allied genera, esp. the bobwhite.
4. Slang. a woman or girl.

“helping himself to some quail”(41).