The Picture of Dorian Gray 8

"looking now at the evil and aging face on the canvas, and now at the fair young face that laughed back at him from the polished glass [...] He grew more and more enamored of his own beauty, more and more interested in the corruption of his own soul" (131)

Dorian seems now to not really care that much about his soul corrupting, he is more interested in it. Even when he looks at the picture and himself at the same time and sees the complete difference, and he sees his cruel soul, he still does not even care too much about it. It seems that he is just more curious in how it is all happening, how is soul is becoming so cruel and how the picture is aging and not himself.

"he would think of the ruin he had brought upon his soul, with pity that was all the more poignant because it was purely selfish. But moments such as these were rare" (131)

This quote shows again how Dorian does not really care much about his soul becoming very, very cruel. It says that he would sometimes look at the picture and know that he is being extremely selfish, but that would only happen on a rare occasion so, he really is indeed being selfish. He just loves the fact that he staying beautiful and young looking, while the picture is bearing is cruel soul and all his dark secrets where no one can see them. And that is prefect for Dorian because since they were in a place where no one can see them, it makes him look and feel more beautiful and younger. He seems perfect to everyone, and sometimes even to himself.

sojourn - a temporary stay
"for a house in which to leave, an inn that is but suitable for the sojourn of a night" (136)

debonair - courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm
"his frank, debonair manner" (145)