"The Picture of Dorian Gray," Vocabulary from Preface-Chapter 4

The adjective also means "conforming to accepted standards of social behavior." This definition is not the same as the chosen one. Many Victorians thought that the characters and ideas within the novel are immoral, but modern readers might not use the same standards of ethical behavior for their judgments. In defending his work, Wilde argues: "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written."

The participial adjective also means "capturing interest as if by a spell." While describing Dorian, Basil emphasizes his terrifying recognition that another man could have such power over him. A sense of evil magic is suggested here, but Basil is not afraid that he would be tempted into immoral action (his life is focused on creating art); rather, he is afraid that Dorian would take control of his heart and soul (which others would see as immoral).

The chosen definition connects to Basil's view of the world. Indirectly influenced by Dorian's presence, Basil approaches art in a different way. The noun also means "a power to affect persons or events." This definition is more important to the novel, as Lord Henry (Harry) directly influences Dorian into using his influence to live as fully as he can.

The prefix "sub" means "under" and can be seen more clearly in this definition: "the quality of being difficult to detect or analyze." Something that is subtle can also be "working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way." While this sense of underhandedness does not apply to Basil's description of colors, it can apply to the nature of Lord Henry and Dorian's influence over others.

This is how Lord Henry explains his point: "Because to influence a person is to give him one's own soul." Despite realizing that it is immoral, Lord Henry enjoys watching how his influence can turn someone else into his echo or into "an actor of a part that has not been written for him."

Lord Henry would expand the chosen definition to include every feeling, every thought, and every dream. In the phrase "fresh impulse of joy" he refers to "an impelling force or strength," or from a scientific point of view, "the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber."

A literal impression is the result of pressing a stamp down onto a surface to print or engrave an image. While the noun is used figuratively in the example sentence, the sense of physically molding something (here, that would be Dorian's brain) into a definite shape is suggested. This can also be seen in the description of words as being "able to give a plastic form to formless things."

While this adjective is used only once in the novel, the similar "languid" is used several times (mostly as an adverb) to describe Lord Henry and later, Dorian too. The languor could be a physical lack of energy brought on by the summer heat, but it is mostly meant to emphasize that Lord Henry is rich (he doesn't need energy to work) and bored (he's done and seen everything his status in society allows him to).

The pronoun "it" refers to beauty, which Lord Henry also describes as higher than genius because it is a powerful, visible fact, like sunlight, that does not need to be explained.

While the ancient Greeks who practiced hedonism also believed that pursuing physical pleasures is a good thing, they recognized that social obligations and altruism can be pleasurable too. Thus, they would not agree with Lord Henry's new vision of the philosophy that sees helping the poor people of East End as a hopeless giving away of your life.

While Dorian's fascinating personality terrifies Basil, Lord Henry is enthralled by his own ability to fascinate Dorian. Both participial adjectives describe an emotional or mental hold, but they have roots that connect to a physical sense of binding: "fasces" means "bundle of rods containing an axe with the blade protruding" and was used by Romans to symbolize the power to whip or behead; a thrall is a slave, serf, servant, or anyone under the control of another.