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Chapter 14

Characters:
Dorian
Campbell
Servant Francis

Summary

Dorian is sleeping when his servant comes in with a tray holding a of hot chocolate. The servant pulls back the shutters and wakes Dorian. Dorian sips his hot chocolate and the memories from the night before where he had killed Basil Hallward came back to him. After half an hour passes, he gets out of bed and takes his time getting dressed, putting extra care in the outfit he puts together to wear. At breakfast, he takes his time, enjoying every dish then he opens his correspondence letters. He writes up two letters, one of which he places in his pocket, and the other he instructs his valet, Francis to take to a Mr. Campbell. Once Dorian is alone, he starts sketching and realizes all of his sketches carry a likeness of Basil Hallward. He gets frustrated and decides to read. He his determined to keep his mind off what happened with Basil Hallward until its absolutely necessary.

Dorian suddenly grows nervous. He starts to wonder about Alan Campbell, the man he sent the second letter to. He reminisces about their friendship. They had been friends for eighteen months, practically inseparable then their friendship came to an end. Dorian reminisces that Campbell is passionate about science and was devoted to the study of chemistry, even though his mother wished for him to have gone into Parliament. Campbell is a wonderful musician and can play both the violin and the piano. Music had been what brought Dorian and Campbell together as friends. But suddenly Campbell would avoid Dorian at parties and leave early at whatever party Dorian showed up to. Campbell was also acting melancholy and acted as if he longer wanted to her music and stopped playing music himself. Whenever Campbell was asked to perform he would use the excuse of being busy with science and everyone believed him because he often times was published in scientific reviews.

Favorite quotes:

“It is impossible for you to refuse now.
I tried to spare you. You will do me the justice to admit that.
You were stern, harsh, offensive. You treated me as no man has ever
dared to treat me–no living man, at any rate. I bore it all.
Now it is for me to dictate terms.”

“He felt as if an iron ring was
being slowly tightened round his forehead, as if the disgrace
with which he was threatened had already come upon him.
The hand upon his shoulder weighed like a hand of lead.
It was intolerable. It seemed to crush him.”

Questions:

1. Why do you think Campbell and Dorian ended their friendship so abruptly?

2. What do you think the secret is that could completely ruin Campbell’s career and social status?

3. If you were Campbell, would you be able to live with yourself knowing you helped destroy a murder victim’s body? Or would you rather have Dorian get caught and the secret being out in the open?

Read more of the summary and join our discussion here.