Hetty Merton's Innocence Spared

Dorian Gray's brief romance with a village girl leads to his one attempt at goodness, sparing her from his corrupting influence.

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The Country Encounter

The Country Encounter The Simple Girl Dorian, weary of London society, goes to a small village and meets Hetty Merton, a young farmer's daughter. She is pure and innocent, reminding him of Sibyl Vane. He begins a courtship, pretending to be poor. The Renewal of Feeling Dorian feels a genuine affection for Hetty. He enjoys her simplicity and the absence of his usual cynicism. He considers leaving his old life behind.

The Planned Elopement

The Planned Elopement The Decision to Run Away Hetty agrees to run away with Dorian. They plan to leave at dawn. Dorian believes he is in love and that this new life will redeem him. The Last-Minute Change On the night before, Dorian looks at the portrait and sees that it remains unchanged despite his good intentions. He realizes that his motive was partly vanity. He decides to spare Hetty and not ruin her life.

The Renunciation

The Renunciation The Good Deed Dorian leaves Hetty a letter, then rides past her house and sees her white face at the window. He does not take her away. He tells Lord Henry later that he spared her, that he left her as flower-like as he found her. The Ambiguous Motive Dorian is unsure whether his act was genuine goodness or a desire for a new sensation. The portrait shows no change, suggesting that his sacrifice was not truly selfless. Hetty is heartbroken but unharmed.

Lord Henry's Mockery

Lord Henry's Mockery The Cynical Interpretation When Dorian tells Lord Henry about sparing Hetty, Lord Henry laughs and says Dorian probably broke her heart and that she will now be miserable. He dismisses the act as a sentimental whim. The Doubt Instilled Lord Henry's words plant doubt in Dorian's mind. He begins to question whether his action had any moral value. This doubt contributes to his final despair and his decision to destroy the portrait.

The Fading Hope

The Fading Hope The Last Look at the Portrait Before destroying the portrait, Dorian goes to the locked room, hoping to see that his good deed has erased the signs of evil. Instead, he sees the face more hypocritical than ever, with a fresh bloodstain on the hand. The Final Despair Dorian realizes that he cannot escape his past. His attempt at goodness has failed to change the portrait. In a fit of rage and hopelessness, he stabs the canvas, causing his own death. The sparing of Hetty becomes meaningless.

During the spring of Dorian's thirty-eighth year

The night before the intended departure

Dawn, the day of the planned elopement

Later that evening, Chapter XIII

The night of Dorian's death