Blog about Chapters 9 and 10 of The Picture of Dorian Gray

Blog about Chapters 9 and 10 of The Picture of Dorian Gray

In chapters 9 and 10, Dorian becomes increasingly more paranoid about others seeing his altered portrait. When Basil visits Dorian, he informs the lad that he plans to use the portrait for an exhibition of his work and that he would like to see it again before that time. Dorian cries out and insists that the painter not see the picture: “If you try to look at it, Basil, on my word of honor I will never speak to you again as long as I live. I am quite serious. I don’t offer any explantation, and you are not to ask for any. But, remember, if you touch this screen, everything is over between us” (115). Basil relents due to Dorian’s intense threat of ending their friendship, which means a lot to the painter who later confesses his utter adoration of Dorian. Later on, Dorian becomes more and more suspicious of his servant Victor, especially after Dorian has the picture hidden away in his old school room. He refers to Victor as being “treacherous” (123) and a “spy” (127), even though Victor has done nothing to suggest such a thing. After realizing the nature of the picture and what it reveals about himself, Dorian becomes incredibly paranoid due to the fear that someone will see his true self, which leads to him also becoming pugnacious and untrusting. 

In addition to paranoia, chapters 9 and 10 also show Dorian wavering in his plans about his future behaviors. At some times, he embraces the idea of a life of sin because he would be able to experience all the pleasures life can offer whilst not having his appearance affected by the sins. At other times, he is horrified by the cruelty shown in his picture and his soul. He goes back and forth between accepting and recoiling from the portrait: “Basil would have helped him t resist Lord Henry’s influence, and the still more poisonous influences that came from his own temperament. […] Yes, Basil could have saved him. But it was too late now. The past could always be annihilated; regret, denial, or forgetfulness could do that. But the future was inevitable. There were passions in him that would find their terrible outlet, dreams that would make the shadow of their evil real” (122-3). Despite earnest thoughts about redemption, Dorian ultimately chooses sin again and again. He cannot stop believing that a future of pleasure and sin is inevitable and will happen. Such a belief allows him to yield to his desires and claim that it is not his fault, but instead destiny’s fault. 

The combination of paranoia and desire for pleasure that is seen in chapters 9 and 10 leads to Dorian hiding his hideous portrait so that he can continue living a life of sin without anyone seeing it, though this will be a constant fear of his from henceforth and will lead to tragedy.