What is ironic about Lord Henry's argument that influence destroys individuality?
The Picture of Dorian Gray
30 minutes total
ByOscar Wilde
Grade9-10
Time30 minutes
Essential question
What is ironic about Lord Henry's argument that influence destroys individuality?
Marked passage
Passage location
Chapter II
Start anchor
There is no such thing as a good influence, Mr. Gray.
End anchor
Yet they seemed to him to have come really from himself.
Passage focus
Lord Henry argues that influence is immoral
Ways to teach it
Listening
Listen to the exact passage; visual following is optional. Same question and evidence demand.
Solo
Read the exact passage independently.
Supported
Use narration and sentence highlighting while reading the same passage.
Teacher guide
Close
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and explain why.
Evidence
Use Lord Henry's claim about influence and Dorian's visible mental or emotional response to the speech.
Mark
Box Lord Henry’s claim about why influence is harmful. Underline the language showing Dorian becoming fascinated, bewildered, or mentally changed by Lord Henry. Write DOES THIS NOW beside the moment the behavior contradicts the theory.
Instructional move
Test an argument against the speaker's own behavior
Notice
• What does Lord Henry say influence does to another person’s individuality? • How does Dorian respond while hearing that argument? • Why is the contradiction especially sharp if Dorian experiences the new ideas as if they came from himself?
Strong answer
The irony is that Lord Henry condemns influence while actively influencing Dorian. His argument says influence destroys individuality at the exact moment his words are reshaping another person's thoughts.
Think
Answer provisionally: What is ironic about Lord Henry's argument that influence destroys individuality? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
Watch for
Do not identify the contradiction without explaining why the speaker's own behavior becomes evidence against his argument.
Why this passage
Lord Henry argues that influence destroys individuality while actively reshaping Dorian’s thoughts in the same scene. The irony is produced not by a hidden contradiction but by the gap between his theory and his immediate behavior.
Write
Write a short evidence-based response to: What is ironic about Lord Henry's argument that influence destroys individuality? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
Student tasks
Mark
Box Lord Henry’s claim about why influence is harmful. Underline the language showing Dorian becoming fascinated, bewildered, or mentally changed by Lord Henry. Write DOES THIS NOW beside the moment the behavior contradicts the theory.
Notice
What does Lord Henry say influence does to another person’s individuality? How does Dorian respond while hearing that argument? Why is the contradiction especially sharp if Dorian experiences the new ideas as if they came from himself?
Think
Answer provisionally: What is ironic about Lord Henry's argument that influence destroys individuality?
Write
Write a short response using at least two pieces of evidence from this passage. Use evidence from the assigned passage. Show what you noticed and how the text supports your interpretation.
Ready-to-teach lesson
TumbleTA 6-12 · TEXT-BASED LESSON
BATCH 02 · 9-10 · LESSON 44
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
What is ironic about Lord Henry's argument that influence destroys
individuality?
TOTAL TIME
PASSAGE
30 minutes
Lord Henry argues that influence is immoral
FIND THE ANCHOR TEXT
Use the Anchor Text Table of Contents in the Enhanced Reader to open the START anchor. Then use the dropdown to select the END anchor.
SECTION / LOCATION
Chapter II
START
There is no such thing as a good influence, Mr. Gray.
END
Yet they seemed to him to have come really from himself.
PASSAGE ID
sec-dg-02
THE MOVE
Test an argument against the speaker's own behavior
WHY THIS PASSAGE
Lord Henry argues that influence destroys individuality while actively reshaping Dorian’s thoughts in the same scene. The irony is produced not by a hidden contradiction but by the gap between his theory and his immediate behavior.
MARK
Box Lord Henry’s claim about why influence is harmful. Underline the language showing Dorian becoming fascinated, bewildered, or mentally changed by Lord Henry. Write DOES THIS NOW beside the moment the behavior contradicts the theory.
page 1
NOTICE
What does Lord Henry say influence does to another person’s individuality?
How does Dorian respond while hearing that argument?
Why is the contradiction especially sharp if Dorian experiences the new ideas as if they came
from himself?
THINK
Answer provisionally: What is ironic about Lord Henry's argument that influence destroys individuality? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
WRITE
Write a short evidence-based response to: What is ironic about Lord Henry's argument that influence destroys individuality? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
CLOSE
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and explain why.
STRONG ANSWER
The irony is that Lord Henry condemns influence while actively influencing Dorian. His argument says influence destroys individuality at the exact moment his words are reshaping another person's thoughts.
EVIDENCE
Use Lord Henry's claim about influence and Dorian's visible mental or emotional response to the speech.
WATCH FOR
Do not identify the contradiction without explaining why the speaker's own behavior becomes evidence against his argument.
SOLO
Read the exact passage independently.
SUPPORTED
Use narration and sentence highlighting while reading the same passage.
LISTENING
Listen to the exact passage; visual following is optional. Same question and evidence demand.
page 2
STUDENT PAGE · SAME PASSAGE, SAME THINKING
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
What is ironic about Lord Henry's argument that influence destroys
individuality?
START ANCHOR
There is no such thing as a good influence, Mr. Gray.
END ANCHOR
Yet they seemed to him to have come really from himself.
Use the Anchor Text Table of Contents in the Enhanced Reader to open the START anchor. Then use the dropdown to select the END anchor.
OPEN THE MARKED PASSAGE IN TUMBLELIT
SOLO: read independently. SUPPORTED: use narration + highlighting. LISTENING: listen to the exact passage. The question and evidence task stay the same.
1.MARK - Box Lord Henry’s claim about why influence is harmful. Underline the language
showing Dorian becoming fascinated, bewildered, or mentally changed by Lord Henry. Write DOES THIS NOW beside the moment the behavior contradicts the theory.
2.NOTICE - What does Lord Henry say influence does to another person’s individuality? How
does Dorian respond while hearing that argument? Why is the contradiction especially sharp if Dorian experiences the new ideas as if they came from himself?
3.THINK - Answer provisionally: What is ironic about Lord Henry's argument that influence
destroys individuality?
4.WRITE - Write a short response using at least two pieces of evidence from this passage.
Use evidence from the assigned passage. Show what you noticed and how the text supports your interpretation.
page 3
Original printable PDF
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