AP LIT: Dorian Gray Test Review Flashcards | Knowt (2024)

Whose home is the setting of Chapters 1&2?

Basil Hallward's

What piece of art is being made in Dorian's image?

A portrait

What does Dorian look like?

He has bright gold hair and blue eyes

How do Dorian's hair and eyes help to indirectly characterize him?

They are symbolic of his innocence because these features are often associated with cherubs / angels

What does Dorian say he'd be willing to sell his soul for?

Youth

Which of the following descriptions accurately sums up Dorian's backstory (as told to Lord Henry by his uncle)?

Dorian's mother married a poor man, so her rich father, Lord Kelso, paid to have him killed in a duel

Who is being referred to (i.e. who is the "him) in the following quote: "Talking to him was like playing upon an exquisite violin. He answered to every touch and thrill of the bow"?

Dorian Gray

Who argues that the way to become young again is to commit the same mistakes / sins you did when you were young because "the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes"?

Lord Henry

Which of the following depictions refers to Lord Henry's wife?

"She laughed nervously as she spoke, and watched him with her vague forget-me-not-eyes. She was a curious woman, whose dresses always looked as if they had been designed in a rage and put on in a tempest [...] Her name was Victoria, and she had a perfect mania for going to church"

What Shakespearean play does Sibyl star in when Dorian first sees her?

Romeo and Juliet

What shocking news does Lord Henry discover via telegram at the end of chapter four?

Dorian is engaged to be married

Sibyl refers to Dorian as "Prince Charming." Which of the following synonyms of "charming" is most appropriate based on what we know of Dorian?

bewitching

Sibyl's brother James approves of her engagement to a "gentleman":

False

The dominant element of the conversations between James and Mrs. Vane is ...

a growing sense of distrust and frustration on James' part

What shameful secret does James uncover about his parents?

His father was a wealthy man who was never married to his mother

James tells his mother, "if this man wrongs my sister, I will find out who he is, track him down, and kill him like a dog. I swear it." How does Wilde characterize Mrs. Vane based on her reaction to this statement?

Melodramatic - she enjoys the scene without seriously considering its implications

Which traits do Sibyl and Dorian share up to Ch.5 & 6 in the novel?

Youth, Innocence, Beauty

Which character says the following quotation: "You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit."

Lord Henry

Based on his arguments in Ch. 6, which character would most likely agree with the sentiment expressed in the following quotation from Shakespeare's 'King Lear': "The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices make instruments to plague us"?

Basil Hallward

Which quote accurately best encapsulates Sibyl's performance in chapter 7?

"She showed no sign of joy when her eyes rested on Romeo [and she spoke] with the painful precision of a school-girl"

Which of the following is one of Dorian's critiques of Sybil? Select ALL that apply:

"You have killed my love"
"You make yourself ridiculous. My friends were bored. I was bored"
"What are you now? A third-rate actress with a pretty face"
"You have disappointed me"

trampled flower

Which Greek myth is alluded to in Chapter 7?

Persephone

What decision does Dorian make upon first seeing this change in the painting?

He will resist temptation, avoid Henry's influence, and marry Sibyl

Which part of Dorian's portrait has changed when he returns home from the theater?

the mouth has a touch of cruelty in it

When talking to Dorian in Ch. 8, what does Henry claim would have made him "in love with love for the rest of [his] life"?

Having someone kill themselves for love of him

cruelty, cruelty, dominated

Where did Basil assume Dorian went after hearing about Sybil?

He assumed that Dorian went to see Sybil's mother to grieve with and comfort her

martyr, martyrdom

When Dorian asks Basil about why he never exhibited the painting, Basil asks, "Have you noticed in the picture something curious? - something that probably at first did not strike you, but that revealed itself to you suddenly?" What does Dorian THINK Basil is referring to?

He thinks Basil has noticed the magical / changing properties of the portrait

What is Basil ACTUALLY talking about?

Basil is referring to the idolatry / worship of Dorian evident in the portrait

At which point is Basil able to realize that he "had been foolish in imagining that [he] had seen anything in it, more than that [Dorian was] extremely good-looking and that [Basil] could paint"?

once the painting is gone from his studio

The physical heaviness of the painting is an example of which type of irony:

situational irony

In chapter 10, what is Dorian's implication in pointing out that "Hour by hour, and week by week, the thing upon the canvas was growing old. It might escape the hideousness of sin, but the hideousness of age was in store for it. The cheeks would become hollow or flaccid. Yellow crow's-feet would creep round the fading eyes [...] There would be the wrinkled throat, the cold, blue-veined hands, the twisted body, that he remembered in the grandfather who had been so stern to him in his boyhood"?

If it's going to get old and ugly anyway, the painting might as well grow hideous with sin too

When Dorian tells Henry that he's late for dinner because of the yellow book, Henry tells him, "Yes: I thought you would like it," but Dorian replies, "I didn't say I liked it, Harry. I said it fascinated me. There is a great difference." Which of the following meanings of "fascinate" best describes Dorian's reaction to the book?

to hold spellbound

In Henry's yellow book, what is the young Parisian hero afraid of?

mirrors

The narrator tells us that even though Dorian "has mad hungers that [grow] more ravenous as he [feeds] them," he is not "reckless" when it comes to his position in society. How does Dorian stay in the good graces of upper class society? Select ALL the details that apply to the parties he throws:

he has the most celebrated musicians of the day play for the guests
he is careful in selecting which guests he invites
he makes sure the flowers, table cloths, and dish-ware on the tables are exquisite

Which definition best describes Dorian's philosophy of Hedonism?

The goal is to value all experiences without worrying about whether those experiences have good or bad outcomes

Which type of communion does Dorian attend?

Catholic

People do start talking about Dorian after he turns 25 and rumors start to spread. How do many people react to these whispered scandals?

The scandals only increase his strange dangerous charm

evil, beautiful

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways Wilde builds suspense / tension early in chapter 13?

Dorian turns the key in the lock after they both enter the attic, shutting them in

What does Dorian do right before telling Basil the backstory of the painting's corruption?

He takes the flower from his button hole and crushes it in his hand

How does Dorian kill Basil after his portrait is revealed?

He stabs him in the neck with a knife

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways Dorian refers to Basil after he murders him?

"Basil's long hands looked like a wax image"

The morning after the murder, what does the narrator say Dorian looks like as he sleeps?

a boy who had been tired out with play or study

What does Dorian need Alan to help him do?

He needs him to use his scientific knowledge to dissolve the body in acid and dispose of it

What's buzzing around the room as Dorian and Alan wait for the valet?

flies

When Dorian goes to cover up the painting before Alan sees it, what new change has appeared on it?

The hand is now smeared with blood

When Dorian dines at Lady Narborough's, his body shows signs of stress (a throbbing headache, wild nerves, etc.), but it says his manners are as graceful as ever, and the narrator comments, "Perhaps one never seems so much at one's ease as when one has to play a part." Which of the following thematic motifs (patterns) does this quotation best exemplify?

Illusion vs. Reality

When Lady Narborough says, "Everybody I know says you are very wicked," who replies, "It is perfectly monstrous the way people go about nowadays saying things against one behind one's back that are absolutely and entirely true"?

Lord Henry

Dorian's trip to the opium den symbolizes ...

the underworld

To whom is Wilde alluding when the narrator states that "When that high spirit, that morning-star of evil, fell [...] , it was as a rebel that he fell"?

Lucifer

Who calls Dorian "the devil's bargain" and states that he "made me what I am"?

a prositute

After Dorian successfully tricks James, how does he [Dorian] behave?

He has the audacity to lecture him sternly

Flowers show up yet again in this chapter. Who tells the Duchess of Monmouth, "I was thinking chiefly of flowers. Yesterday I cut an orchid, for my buttonhole. It was a marvellous spotted thing, as effective as the seven deadly sins. In a thoughtless moment I asked one of the gardeners what it was called. He told me it was a fine specimen of Robinsoniana, or something dreadful of that kind. It is a sad truth, but we have lost the faculty of giving lovely names to things"?

Lord Henry

beautiful / good / good / ugly

Why does Dorian faint at the end of chapter 17?

He believes that he sees James Vane looking at him through the window

When Dorian considers the powerful effects of the imagination, he wonders, "What sort of life would his be if, day and night, shadows of his crime were to peer at him from silent corners, to mock him from secret places, to whisper in his ear as he sat at the feast, to wake him with icy fingers as he lay asleep!" (Wilde 147). Dorian thinks this is a fantastical, horrific possibility, but what normal human emotion does this passage BEST describe?

remorse / guilt

How does Oscar Wilde foreshadow the death that will occur in chapter 18?

The ground is covered in frost, and the lake is edged with a thin film of ice

What type of irony is Wilde using when Lord Henry states, "I should like to know some one who had committed a real murder"?

Dramatic Irony

What example does Dorian give for how he's reforming his evil ways?

He breaks up with Hetty Merton rather than ruin her reputation / destroy her innocence

What is the seasonal setting for the final two chapters of the novel?

Late spring / early summer

What does Dorian believe will be the result of his change for the better?

He thinks the painting will slowly start to revert back to its beautiful original version

What does Dorian attempt to do to the painting?

He tries to stab it

What's the twist at the end?

The painting looks just as it did at the beginning, but an old man lies dead on the floor

Summary: Chapter One

Lord Henry admires the painting, the subject of which is a gorgeous, golden-haired young man. Believing it to be Basil's finest work, he insists that the painter exhibit it. Basil, however, refuses, claiming that he cannot show the work in public because he has put too much of himself into it.

The first chapter sets the stage for the coming struggle between artist Basil Hallward and decadent aristocrat Lord Henry Wotton over young Dorian Gray. How do the two men differ and why might those differences matter?

While Basil is both humble and selfless, Lord Henry opts to live the selfish side of life, doing things that solely please himself.

It's important to notice Wilde's use of sensory details throughout the novel. In this chapter, choose one of the following elements to analyze: flowers, cigarette smoke, or bees.

The bee represents Dorian's choice to move into different circles and to try new things that Lord Henry has opened him up to

What might Basil mean when he says he won't exhibit his portrait of Dorian because he has "put too much of [himself] in it"? In other words, what does Basil the painter claim art should be or do, and why does he appear to consider Dorian a threat to this claim?

Basil does not want to exhibit his painting because he feels there is too much of himself in the painting and it reveals the secrets of his soul.

Chapter 2 Summary

Dorian Gray proves to be every bit as a handsome as his portrait. Basil introduces him to Lord Henry, and Dorian begs Lord Henry to stay and talk to him while he sits for Basil. Basil warns Dorian that Lord Henry is a bad influence, and Dorian seems intrigued by this idea.

Basil introduces Lord Henry to Dorian. Consider this chapter as a seduction scene. Which of Harry's arguments are most effective in captivating Dorian's attention/interest?

Lord Henry influences Dorian in several ways. His way of talking convinces Dorian to value pleasure, art, and beauty over goodness. He further awakens Dorian to his own beauty by explaining to him the power youth holds over society.

"All influence is immoral [...] because to influence a person is to give him one's own soul. He does not think his natural thoughts, or burn with his natural passions. His virtues are not real to him. His sins, if there are such things as sins, are borrowed. He becomes an echo of some one else's music, an actor of a part that has not been written for him. The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly - that is what each of us is here for. People are afraid of themselves, nowadays" (Wilde 13).

Influence can control and overtake our own thoughts and feelings and lead us to be afraid of our own thoughts and feelings.

What effect do Harry’s arguments have on Dorian? Describe the Faustian (selling one’s soul to the devil) bargain he makes.

Dorian's viewpoint of aging changes and suddenly he tries everything in his power to keep his youth, which is his power

Chapter 3 Summary

He relates that Dorian's mother, a noblewoman, eloped with a poor soldier; the woman's father, a villainous old lord, arranged to have his daughter's husband killed just before Dorian was born. The grieving widow died soon thereafter, leaving Dorian to be raised by a loveless tyrant.

What do we learn about Dorian's backstory based on Lord Henry's conversation with his uncle, Lord Fermor? Why does this backstory increase Henry's fascination with Dorian?

Intrigued by the ways that Dorian has been shaped by his family's past, Henry now believes that people are very susceptible to outside influences. This encourages him to exert greater influence on Dorian, since he believes that he can make Dorian into whatever kind of person he wants him to be.

Discuss Henry's assertion that there's "something terribly enthralling in the exercise of influence [...] He would seek to dominate [Dorian] - had already, indeed, half done so. He would make that wonderful spirit his own. There was something fascinating in this son of Love and Death" (Wilde 26 - 27).

Henry sees Dorian as an experiment that he does not care if his influence will destroy him or not he just wants to see what happens.

At Aunt Agatha’s luncheon, Henry launches into a witty extended metaphor in which he personifies and glorifies folly (much in the style of Alexander Pope’s satirical poem The Dunciad in which the Goddess Dulness sits on a throne wearing a dress covered in fishmarket slang while at her feet Science groans in chains, Logic is gagged and bound, Rhetoric lies naked and unconscious, Morality has been stretched to death, and Math alone is unchained. but only because she’s been driven mad). Based on this scene, what role does Dorian fill for both Henry and Basil? What’s appealing about him besides his good looks?

Dorian fills Basil's artistic desires and Lord Henry's malicious desires.

Chapter 4 Summary

Dorian visits Lord Henry, and meets his wife. He tells Lord Henry that he is in love with a brilliant young actress, Sibyl Vane.

Dorian tells Harry how he entered an "absurd little theatre" and got his first look at Sibyl Vane. In what play and role is Sibyl cast, and why might the choice of plays on Wilde's part be important?

Romeo and Juliet, which could foreshadow a tragic love story between Dorian and Sibyl Vane

How does Dorian respond to Sibyl's performance? Examine his behavior upon being introduced to Sibyl. Does he recognize her as another human being? What does his reaction to her tell us about him?

Dorian is appalled by Sibyl's performance while Lord Henry and Basil watch, while originally he was fascinated, putting her on a pedestal and treating her like a goddess. He then breaks her heart with very cruel words, revealing that he never really loved her in the first place, he loved her talent or the idea of her.

Let's talk about names. You can choose to analyze EITHER the first and last names of Dorian Gray OR Sibyl Vane. Why might Wilde's name choices here be important / symbolic?

First of all, Sibyl Vane's name can be broken down into two component parts: "sibyl" means prophetess, which kind of is true, if you think about it—Dorian's treatment of Sibyl "predicts" in a way all the relationships that will follow. "Vane," her family name, applies more clearly to her mother, Mrs.

Chapter 5 Summary

Sibyl tells her mother about "Prince Charming" where she is unphased, but her brother is cautious. James is going on a trip to Australia and worried about leaving Sibyl alone and their mother never married their father.

Does Sibyl understand her relationship with Dorian in a mature way? Does she see him for what he is? Why or why not?

No, because she describes him only as "Prince Charming" and does not even really know his full name, which shows this is all of more a fantasy to her rather than true love

Examine the following quotations about Sibyl and explain Wilde's purpose in using this motif:
"The joy of a caged bird was in her voice"
"She did not listen. She was free in her prison of passion"
(In reply to James' statement: "He wants to enslave you") "I shudder at the thought of being free"

Sibyl is described as free, but also caged in her passions. The "love" she feels for Dorian is entrapping her into this false relationship that will end up being the demise of her

What does Sibyl’s brother James appear to have against Dorian, whom he has never met? Pay attention to the secret that James’ mother reveals to him about his birth. *Bonus* Did you notice how the bees from the initial chapters turn to flies in this one? Can you connect Wilde’s use of these contrasting insects to your analysis of Dorian and James?

James is against Dorian because his father was an upper class citizen and abandoned them so he fears that Dorian will abandon Sibyl just as his father did to him. James doesn't like how Sibyl barely knows the man that she is to marry and only knows him as Prince Charming.

Chapter 6 Summary

During their meal, Henry informs Basil that Dorian is engaged. Basil is skeptical, and Henry clarifies that being engaged isn't the same as being married. Worried, Basil asks about the girl, not wanting Dorian to marry someone unsuitable.

This book has made quite a few allusions to Greek mythology and art. In chapter 1, Henry refers to Dorian as a “young Adonis [...] made out of ivory and rose leaves,” and “a Narcissus.” In chapter 3, Henry thinks of Dorian as having “the white purity of boyhood, and beauty such as old Greek marbles kept.” Dorian refers to Doric, a dialect of Greek. Dorian falls in love with a girl named Sibyl. The theatre Sibyl works in is covered in cheap Cupids. Finally, in this chapter, Dorian says that when he kisses Sibyl, she trembles and shakes all over like a “white narcissus.” What is Wilde’s purpose in his use of this motif of Greek gods/goddesses/art?

Dorian enjoys a life of eternal youth, with only his portrait aging in parallel with Dorian's immorality; so, as Dorian sinks into the depths of narcissism, he maintains his external beauty, and his portrait degenerates instead. Eventually, as in the myth of Narcissus, such egotism has its consequences. Greek tragedy is often a human being rewarded by a God, but layer on punished by that very thing.

Under Sibyl's spell, Dorian's opinion of Harry appears to have changed, at least for now. How has Dorian redefined pleasure, and what might Henry find disagreeable about this new definition?

Dorian sees pleasure as less of a sinful thing and more of a gentle thing like love, while lord henry sees pleasure as sinful and something one should pursure.

Henry tells Dorian, "you will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you have never had the courage to commit" (Wilde 58). Why do bad-influence friends sometimes have a unique power or sway over the other people in their friend group?

Because humans are naturally curious and the things we've never tried even if its bad still interests us

Chapter 7 Summary

Dorian continues to wax eloquent about Sibyl's beauty, and Basil assures Dorian that he will support the marriage wholeheartedly since Dorian is so obviously in love. When the play begins, however, Sibyl is terrible, and her acting only worsens as the evening wears on.

Why does Sibyl perform badly? What do these reasons tell us about her?

Sibyl explains to Dorian the reason for her poor performance in the play. She has acted for her entire life, never knowing real relationships or experiences in the world. Now that she has felt real love with Dorian, she find cultivating pretenses meaningless.

Why does Dorian reject her afterwards? What do his reasons tell us about him?

He was disappointed that the real Sybil was not the goddess that he envisioned, but it was totally unnecessary to treat her the way he did. He could have let her down gently. Somerandom Dorian's rejection of Sybil, I think, highlights the cruel and brutal nature of Lord Harry's teachings.

Consider what happens immediately after Dorian leaves the theater. What connections can you make based on the following details: 1) a darkly lit street, 2) an abundance of flowers, 3) fruit that has been offered for free? What does this allusion reveal about the consequences of Dorian's behavior with Sibyl?

This is a similar story to that of Persephone's trip down into the underworld, which shows that Dorian's actions were so low that he basically went to hell

Chapter 8 Summary

Dorian looks at his picture again. Feeling guilty, he decides to write to Sibyl asking forgiveness and renewing his offer of marriage. Lord Henry arrives to tell him that Sibyl has killed herself. He persuades Dorian not to reproach himself, and Dorian comes to see Sibyl's death as a beautiful romance.

How does Dorian spend his morning? What decision does he make?

Dorian wakes very late. He ignores a letter that has arrived from Lord Henry, takes a bath, has breakfast and steels himself to look at the picture. It still wears a cruel expression. Having decided that he must make amends to Sibyl, Dorian writes a long letter asking her forgiveness.

No sooner has the ink dried on Dorian's contrite letter than Lord Henry shows up with shocking news. Follow Henry's attempts to turn Dorian away from grief and remorse. What arguments does Henry use to make his point?

Henry decides that its beautiful that Sibyl killed herself for Dorian and should be seen as romantic

Discuss Dorian’s decision in the last two or so pages of the chapter (p.100 - 102). How has he totally gone against the decision he made before he talked to Henry? What do you make of his reasoning?

He decided to forget the situation

Chapter 9 Summary

Basil visits Dorian, and is shocked that he is not grieving for Sibyl. He tells Dorian that he wants to exhibit the portrait, and tries to look at it. Basil mentions that the picture has a strange quality, and prompted by Dorian he confesses his love.

One previous writing prompt begins this way: "Works of literature often depict acts of betrayal. Friends and even family may betray a protagonist; main characters may likewise be guilty of treachery or may betray their own values." Examine the portion of Dorian and Basil's conversation concerning Sybil (p.102 - top of 106). Is this a scene of betrayal? If so, how? If not, explain.

I would say Dorian is betraying Sibyl by not acknowledging his wrongs or mourning for her.

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