The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde | Chapter 4

In chapter four of the Picture of Dorian Gray, It's a month later, and Dorian is sitting in Henry's library, waiting for his friend Henry.

Lady Victoria Wotton, Henry's wife, enters. Dorian refers to her as Lady Henry. She says she would recognize Dorian from the 17 photos her husband has of him, and because she also had caught sight of him at an opera he attended with Lord Henry.

Lady Henry recognizes Dorian's opinion of the music is one of her husband's opinions. In fact, she notes that she regularly hears his opinions quoted by other people.

Guess he's just kind of an early influencer. Henry enters. Once his wife leaves, Henry talks dismissively of marriage.

This leads to Dorian sharing his news. He's in love with an actress named Sybil Vane. Dorian claims she's a genius.

Henry says no woman is a genius and asks Dorian how he met her. Dorian had been walking through London looking for an adventure, when he sees what he calls a hideous Jew who lured him into an unimpressive, shabby theater.

There, Dorian watched a production of Romeo and Juliet, and while most of the production was unimpressive, Cybill, Dorian explains, was genius.

Since then, he's gone to the theater to watch her in different roles. He is madly in love with her, and he loves the fact that she's an actress.

She plays so many roles. She's never just Sybil Vane. When Henry asks Dorian to describe his relationship to Sybil, Dorian is offended they have met.

They met on the third night Dorian went to the theater, but they aren't involved yet. He says Sybil is very innocent and she calls him Prince Charming.

Henry watches Dorian talk about Sybil and thinks about how much he has changed. Dorian wants Henry and Basil to meet Sybil once Dorian leaves.

Henry sits alone and thinks about Dorian in love, treating him as an interesting study. He finds a telegram waiting from Dorian saying he and Sybil are to be married.

Lord and lady. Henry's marriage is depicted as not being very deep, let alone happy. Henry's dismissive comments after his wife leaves demonstrates this.

The male characters in this novel inhabit a largely homo social world, one entirely comprised of men.

However, Henry's disregard for Sibyl Vane's genius and his disparagement of women in general tips over into active misogyny on his part.

The things Henry said to Dorian the first time they met filled him, Dorian says, with a wild desire to know everything about life that set him walking the streets in search of experience.

And those walks led him to the theater where he met Sybil. Dorian finds beauty and innocence there in the tawdry theater, Dorian is already starting to sound like mean spirited Henry.

Especially he delivers lines such as ordinary women never appeal to one's imagination. They are limited to their century.