DG Ch. 5-6

"Her trusts make me faithful, her belief makes me good. When I am with her, I regret all that you have taught me. I become different from what you have known me to be. I am changed, and the mere touch of Sibyl Vane's hand makes me forget you and all your wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories" (82)

Sibyl's influence on Dorian is so profound that it overthrows the effect Henry has on Dorian at times. This realization could hurt Henry's experiment if Dorian is ripped away from him by his new love. Also, Sibyl's influence opposes Henry's strategy because Henry is trying to make Dorian be selfish and do anything he wants, while Dorian has so much love directed towards Sibyl that he feels tempted to be a better man through sharing, unselfishness, and fidelity. This sudden change in Dorian makes him realize how foolish he was to listen to Henry. Dorian was under a spell because of Henry's skills of persuasion. Henry is trying to steadily progress his influence on Dorian, and after Dorian's engagement, he has found another person to influence him besides Henry which throws off Henry's entire scheme.

"One's own life- that is the important thing. As for the lives of one's neighbors, if one wishes to be a prig or a Puritan, one can flaunt one's moral views about them, but they are not one's concern" (82)

This quote is a perfect example of how Henry acts and thinks on a daily basis. First of all, he only cares for himself and will never do anything to get himself in a tight situation. Since Henry is conducting an experiment, he obviously is unaware of what the result will be so he is unwilling to test it on himself. Also, Henry lures Dorian into his grasp by professing random arguments that sound very true to Dorian. Once Henry had his guinea pig, he set him off on the course without any regard for Dorian's life whatsoever. Henry is less concerned about how Dorian will turn up after the experiment is finished, and more about how well his theory works. Henry's indifference when dealing with Dorian is key because it allows him to be more focused on how he influences Dorian throughout the experiment and to separate himself from any emotional connection that could hinder his progress in the experiment.