Some of the characters named in this passage include Lord Henry and Basil
Hallward. They are also some of the main characters in the story. From their names, the reader can tell that Basil is a good person. The name Basil means royal or chivalrous; therefore, the reader can assume that Basil Hallward is a chivalrous person (Wilde, 1993). For example, his disappearance led to public excitement. On the other hand, from the name Lord Henry, one can tell that an individual is a respected person in the society. In the first eight paragraphs, the author reveals minimal details about the characters. Nevertheless, the author notes that at some point, Basil Hallward disappeared for some time. On the other hand, the author reveals that Lord Henry is a habitual smoker, and this is widely illustrated when he notes that he smoked innumerable cigarettes (Wilde, 1993).
Based on the passage, I am interested I reading the story to comprehend the theme of good versus evil that the author seems to focus on. Furthermore, reading the book will enable me to understand the way the author has developed the theme of morality throughout the story (Wilde, 1993). From the language, the story does not take place in modern time. Specifically, the author uses a descriptive langue that is not common in contemporary communications. Besides, the story has many instances of witty dialogues that are characteristic of the classic era (Gould, n.d.). A clear example of descriptive language is evident in the first paragraph when the author tries to describe the ambience of the room.
Dorian is telling the story; however, it also sips into the minds of other characters such as Vane and Lord Henry. The point of view is an omniscient narrator, as Dorian guides the reader through past tense between different places and can illustrate some of the activities of the primary characters (Aubrey, 2005).
References
Aubrey, Bryan. (2005). Critical Essay on The Picture of Dorian Gray. Michigan: Thomson Gale
Gould , E. (n.d). Another World of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Criticism. Available at: https://leslilasblancs.wordpress.com/criticism/ Accessed on February 10, 2016
Wilde, O. (1993). The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Dover Publications
