Victorians! discussion

Chapter 7
Dorian, Basil, and Henry are at the theater watching Sibyl perform, and she has a less than stellar night. Basil and Henry leave early, Dorian stays and after the performance sees Sibyl. Sibyl is radiant, for she knows her acting was awful, but her outlook on life has totally changed. She is no longer satisfied with the two-dimensional world of theater once she experienced the flesh and blood reality of being in love. Dorian is repulsed by her. She had value to him as long as she breathed life into fictional characters, now she is just a third-rate actress. He dismisses her cruelly and leaves. Upon returning to his house, he notices that his portrait had changed. Around the mouth is “a touch of cruelty.” At first he was rather puzzled, but quickly realizes that the portrait will continue to change as long as he would continue to sin. He resolves to sin no more and make amends with Sibyl.

Chapter 8
Dorian wakes late and stays home. The mail that arrived also has a letter from Henry, but he puts it aside. The events of the previous day gnaw at him, he realizes how cruel he had been to Sibyl, and writes her a letter to make amends. It is a cathartic exercise, but as we shall see, nothing more. Henry arrives, and informs him Sibyl is dead. At first Dorian is shocked, yet after a while it seems to him nothing more than the resolution of a sticky situation. And what about the portrait?

”This portrait would be to him the most magical of mirrors. As it had revealed to him his own body, so it would reveal to him his own soul. And when winter came upon it, he would still be standing where spring trembles on the verge of summer. When the blood crept from its face, and left behind a pallid mask of chalk with leaden eyes, he would keep the glamour of boyhood. Not one blossom of his loveliness would ever fade. Not one pulse of his life would ever weaken. Like the gods of the Greeks, he would be strong, and fleet, and joyous. What did it matter what happened to the coloured image on the canvas? He would be safe. That was everything.”

He picks up where he left off, going to the opera to join Henry and his sister.

Chapter 9
The next day Basil visits to comfort his friend. To his astonishment he finds Dorian not in mourning, but annoyed the subject of Sibyl’s tragedy to be raised. He dismisses all sentimentality. ”To become the spectator of one’s own life, as Harry says, is to escape the suffering of life.”
Basil announces that the portrait is to be exhibited in Paris. Now it is Dorian who is shocked, he won’t even let Basil see it, and for good reason. He doesn’t want him to find out about it being the mirror of his conscience. Now Basil had idolized the painting, and he confesses as much when prompted by Dorian. To Dorian Basil’s words are mere trifles, not the baring of the soul it was for Basil. He is glad Basil hasn’t uncovered the real reason. After Basil leaves he resolves to move the picture away from the room where he entertaines friends.

Dorian and Henry are certainly a nasty pair of characters. Dorian’s treatment of Sibyl after her performance is inhuman. Although a child (16?) she beautifully explains that now that she knows what real love is she can’t mimic it on the stage. He responds cruelly, “You are nothing to me now. I will never see you again. I will never think of you. I will never mention your name.” He reminds me of a 4 year old having a temper tantrum.
Also, I think her name is significant. Sibyl—one who can predict/see the future and Vane like a weather vane (although the other vain plays a big part here, too). After the brutal exchange in chapter 7, it is pretty easy to predict where Dorian’s story is heading. I’m sure Henry will enjoy the study.

I can't even begin with how awful this week's reading was. Henry and Dorian both going on about how right/artistic it was of Sibyl to commit suicide. That it was "redeeming". It was all sickening. Dorian's immature tantrum because Sibyl didn't live up to his expectations. Dorian's shameful and tacky actions after her death. His ego growing to an idol like state over his looks. Henry's comment about women being slaves that want to be dominated. It was all just wretched.

Isn't it? I agree with you JJ. Going to the opera as if nothing had happened takes an amount of callousness few people could muster.

It is too bad that Sibyl was too young to understand what a horror her life would have been if Dorian had married her. He was so cold to her after her last performance, and when the shock of the moment when he heard about her suicide had passed, he wasted no time getting on with his hedonistic lifestyle.

I was disturbed by these chapters of the book. I thought for a while that Dorian was young, and just easily influenced. But it seems there is something devious and dark within his character that Lord Henry is only bringing to the surface. Why would he go to the opera after the love of his life just committed suicide?!

Also, after Dorian treated Sybil so badly after she deliberately performed poorly--he changes his mind! Dorian wants to tell her he's sorry for treating her so bad and that he wants to marry her. The thing that struck me was how could he change so abruptly from--treating her poorly, to feeling bad/wants to make amends and marry her, to forget her I'm going to opera with Henry! Dorian is superficial as a whole and lacks any sense of morality! I don't think he's just influenced, but Henry is playing on these negative qualities that are transforming Dorian!