Dorian Gray Chpt 14

“Whatever my life is, he had more to do with the making or the marring of it than poor Harry has had. He may not have intended it, the result was the same” (173).

Dorian Gray is constantly trying to defend Lord Henry. Everyone blames Harry for Dorian’s new attitude and Dorian decides to shift the blame on someone who seems to not have been an influence to Dorian. At the beginning of the novel, we see how Dorian subconsciously influences Basil, yet Basil did not have the same effect on Dorian. At this point in the novel, Dorian decides to say that Basil has had an influence on his life, simply because the portrait painted by Basil has taught Dorian more about moral decisions than life itself.

“I had intended never to enter your house again, Gray. But you said it was a matter of life and death” (171).

In this chapter, we have been introduced to a new character by the name of Alan Campbell. There’s not much that we know of him besides that music drew him and Dorian together, he is very passionate about science, and for some unknown reason Dorian and Alan’s friendship failed. Though Dorian was no longer friends with Alan, Dorian still decided to seek his help. Dorian slipped Alan a note. Saying what? We don’t know. I’m guessing that it has something to do with their previous friendship. Or it can also be Dorian threatening to frame Alan for the murder of Basil.

Contralto
–noun
1. the lowest female voice or voice part, intermediate between soprano and tenor.
2. the alto, or highest male voice or voice part.

“tell of that curious statue that Gautier compares to a contralto voice” (169).

Precipice
–noun
1. a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face.
2. a situation of great peril

“while he by monstrous winds was being swept toward the jagged edge of some black cleft or precipice” (171).