Dorian Gray Blog #2

Lord Henry is a character that demands the attention of, not only Dorian and other characters in the novel, but of all those who read "The Picture of Dorian Gray". Lord Henry's blunt honesty and straightforwardness set him apart from all other characters. For some reason, human beings are fascinated by those who speak their minds and are unwilling to compromise themselves or the truth for anyone they meet, which is how we have seen Lord Henry act thus far. These characteristics quickly cause Dorian Gray to become completely enticed by Lord Henry, allowing what he says and does influence him directly. At this point, Lord Henry sees Dorian as a young man that he can easily manipulate. Due to Dorian's upbringing, manipulating him is not going to be a very difficult process. He will soon find himself pondering Lord Henry's outlandish views on certain subjects and letting them get to him. Lord Henry makes clear his belief that "Genius lasts longer than Beauty", which quickly makes Dorian fear what will come of him when his beauty begins to fade. This shows that Dorian allows Lord Henry's perspective affect him much more than a confident young man would, revealing that he is already being shaped into a victim dependent on the "intellect" of Lord Henry.