The chapter commences with, “A cold rain began to fall”. The use of pathetic fallacy reveals the change that may be stirring within Dorian’s soul. The mist represents the uncertainty of emotions with Dorian, where will lead himself? Combined with the cold rain, he is experiencing a mixture of feelings; sadness at the fact his life has taken these dark, corrupt corners, while also feeling guilt at the act of murdering Basil. The idea that for once, Dorian is feeling remorse for the killing his friend, creates feeling of sympathy; it seems that Dorian can be saved from eternal damnation. However, these feelings of sympathy are then washed away when Dorian states, “the memory of old sins could be destroyed by the madness of sins that were new”. He doesn’t want to repent; he simply wants to disguise his sins. This shows that Dorian is not seeking penance at all, giving the perspective of an evil young man. This is then reinforced by when the moon is said to act as, “a yellow skull”. Wilde could be to said to try and illustrate the opposite ends of the spectrum that Dorian is feeling. The yellow, representing hope, but then it is contrasted with the highly emotive skull representing both death and darkness. This foreshadows future actions within the novel, Dorian may have a glimmer of hope within him, but the symbolic skull overtakes any chance of salvation.
“Ugliness that had once been hateful to him because it made things real, become dealt to him now for that very reason. Ugliness was the one reality.” Dorian now reflects on the fatal deal to sell his soul for eternal youth. Dorian went to extreme lengths to prevent himself from feeling the physical appearance that old age brings. Now, he has realised that although he may not age physically, he will and has aged mentally. The short sharp sentence of, “Ugliness was the one reality”, allows the reader and Dorian to realise that the acts that he committed in his life have encapsulated him as ugly; the one thing he sought to escape from. Also, Dorian is exposed as a person who is trying to escape his own reality. The opium den and all its squalor is a complete contrast from Dorian’s indulgent lifestyle. By turning to the ugliness represented here, he wants to escape from his own reality and what he has become. Wilde here is depicting a character who despises himself, again showing the audience that he may be feeling some amount of remorse for his past actions while also mentally breaking down.
Dorian is breaking down, not only mentally, but also physically. “From cell to cell of his brain crept the one though; and the wild desire to live…quickened into force each trembling nerve and fibre.” Just as he was paranoid all the time about someone finding out about his pact, he is now paranoid with the death of Basil, “from time to time he seemed to see the eyes of Basil Hallward looking at him.” If Dorian is so disordered both physically and mentally, the reader believes he should realise what he is doing and stop. However, the reader also knows that Dorian lacks a moral conscience and instead, he continues to act as the evil person that he is.
The foreshadowing of James Vane making an appearance in this chapter (the previously indications of, “A sailor sprawled over a table” and “the black masts of ships.”) comes to a front as Dorian leaves the den. James has been hunting Dorian to avenge his sister Sibyl’s suicide, in which he blames Dorian for. Sibyl’s suicide was the initial act that commenced Dorian’s life of corruption. Dorian had just stated he wanted to escape, by introducing James Vane, Dorian is allowed the chance to seek repentance, to admit to James Vane that, if not directly, he did indeed play a part in Sibyl’s death. However Dorian’s words seal his fate, “I never knew her.” The reader now feels confident in the fact that Dorian will never be able to escape himself and atone. James even clearly states, “You had better confess you sin”, but the childlike Dorian cannot comprehend he has to admit responsibility, therefore he truly cannot be saved, James, Dorian’s final chance to redemption, is wasted. To escape the clutches of James, Dorian uses the one thing he has, the one thing that has charmed so many others in his life, his looks. “The face of the man he had sought to kill had all the bloom of boyhood… it was obvious that this was not the man who had destroyed her life.” The make the reader’s opinion of Dorian already lower than it is, Dorian continues to, ‘dig his own grave’. He seems to act as a position of authority to James, “looking at him sternly, let this be a warning to you not to take vengeance into your own hands.” This again frustrates the reader; the feelings of remorse and guilt now seem to be gone and Dorian acts in this pompous and callous attitude, as if he has done nothing wrong at all. He has failed at his last chance of redemption, lying to James and to add insult to injury, acting better than him. At this point, Wilde illustrates Dorian as a heartless character who has no shred of moral fibre in his body; his last chance at salvation has been shattered.
Chapter sixteen initially presents Dorian as a confused character, however by the end, it is indicated to the reader that he has no chance of escaping his impending doom. As we progress into the climax of the novel, chapter twenty provides a different analysis on Dorian, it seems he wants to be saved.
In conclusion, chapter sixteen initially gives the impression that Dorian has a chance at repenting, but by the end, all hope is dashed by his inability to confess to James Vane. As we move to the climax of the play, Dorian is presented as desperate man who wants to escape his own conscience. The ending to his life is morbid, but receives no sympathy from the reader, but instead a feeling of frustration. Dorian Gray is put across as a selfish, vain individual, who in his failure to accept responsibility, he is unable to escape his own sins and leaves this world to proceed to a lost one.
