The Picture Of Dorian Gray 9

'"Sin is a thing that writes itself across a man's face. It cannot be concealed. People talk of secret vies. There are no such things"' (153-154)

Basil has heard bad things of Dorian and has heard that Dorian has sinned, but he does not believe it from the beginning, because he loves and cares for Dorian so much he does not want to believe it and he is very naive. With the very clear fact that Dorian's face is still perfect, it has not aged, it has no lines, Basil is not being naive, he really does not believe, how can he? He knows that if a man has sinned it would show in their face and Dorian does not show any signs of sin, and Basil knows that there are no vices to get rid of them. Little does he know, but will soon find out, that there is one, and it lies within his greatest work of art yet.

"'You are the one man in the world who is entitled to know everything about me. You have had more to do with my life than you think"' (159)

Dorian clearly says that Basil how influenced him, when earlier he was just talking and wondering about what it was like to have someone influence you so much and here Dorian says that Basil is the one and only person in the world who can now everything about him, so clearly Basil has dominated Dorian. It seems that Dorian starts to ask questions and wonder things before even looking into them. He does not realize when something is happening to him and it seems that he does not even really care too much about anything happening to him, because nothing shows on his face, that he doesn't take notice to things happening to him, but then he later inquires about them. He does not even realize himself that he really does not care.

petulant - moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, esp. over some trifling annoyance
"'What is it all about?" cried Dorian in his petulant way, flinging himself on the sofa" (153)

debauchery - excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures; intemperance
"'Did I teach the one his vices and the other his debauchery?"' (155)