PODG Chapter 3

Stephen Simmons-Uvin
Ap English/Mr. Player
3/8/10
PODG ch. 3

"I can stand brute force, but brute reason is quite unbearable. There is something unfair about its use. It is hitting below the intellect"(42).

Despite his constant urge to influence the minds of other people and instill his ideologies into their brains, Lord Henry is a very well spoken man who is very skilled in the art of persuasion. He constantly preaches thoughts and ideas which he does not stand by, but promotes some of the most intellectual statements and philosophies I have ever heard. At the luncheon, every attending member gets a piece of Harry's influential persona who brings up the interesting topic of beauty/one's physical features versus intellect and reason. Harry so convincingly states that intellect poses a greater threat than brute force because reason and ones intellect can do wonders to the mind; poison it and manipulate it to believe the unimaginable. Unfortunately I agree with Harry, even though he will probably be defending the other side later on in the novel, simply because the world is made up of ninety nine percent reason and one percent logic, in my opinion. Reason and intelligence is everywhere and everything. They are our security systems, our newspapers, our weapons for warfare, but most importantly, they are our identity, and what we chose to make ourselves. I cant believe I am admitting this, but I think for once Harry might be right, and although reason is something greater than this novel I believe that reason is defined through this novel and what may occur in this novel.

"I would sooner come with you; yes, I feel I must come with you"(47).

Sometimes it is simply frightening how quickly friendships develop. We have only just begun the novel and Dorian is already beginning to fancy Lord Henry over his initial friend, Basil. Unfortunately when humans tend to rush things or when people tend to rush relationships, hearts get broken, as well as some bones, but oddly enough this does not seem to be the case with Dorian and Harry. Dorian possesses something very valuable to Henry, an ear to listen, and naivety. Lord Henry, in compensation, possesses something that Dorian so passionately desires, the secret to eternal youth and beauty. It seems as though their relationship is going to continue growing and Basil is going to continuously become more frustrated until he reaches his boiling point, as we have seen in many characters in the novels we have read thus far. Furthermore, I think it is important to note Dorian's wish in the beginning of the novel to have his portrait age as opposed to himself in relation to Harry's "secret." Perhaps the two could be related.