Dorian Gray #2

In this section of the novel, Dorian Gray's relationship with art and beauty play a large role in his character. He tells Basil "A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions", as he explains his feelings about the death of Sibyl Vane. He claims that this allows him to ignore view her death as simply another beautiful thing. However, Dorian shows himself to be very susceptible to the influence of art and beautiful things. He is so consumed by the book that Lord Henry sent him that he imagines himself living the life of the main character.  Throughout his pursuit of so many different types of art and beauty, he projects much of what he finds onto himself. He says, in relation to figures he has read about,  "It seemed to him that in some mysterious way their lives had been his own." Though he says that he will not be influenced by emotions, his suggestible and self absorbed personality is just as easily influenced by art.