The burly sailor brother of Sybil Vane and very different from his sister in experience and appearance. He is rough looking but very decent and seeks above all else to protect his sister. He threatens to kill whoever hurts her, and, avenging her suicide, follows and haunts Dorian. His face becomes a symbol of the goodness that Dorian has destroyed.
James ‘Jim’ Vane Quotes in The Picture of Dorian Gray
The The Picture of Dorian Gray quotes below are all either spoken by James ‘Jim’ Vane or refer to James ‘Jim’ Vane. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 5
Quotes
Mrs. Vane fixed her eyes on him, and intensified the smile. She mentally elevated her son to the dignity of an audience. She felt sure that the tableau was interesting.
Related Characters:
Mrs. Vane (speaker), James ‘Jim’ Vane
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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James ‘Jim’ Vane Character Timeline in The Picture of Dorian Gray
The timeline below shows where the character James ‘Jim’ Vane appears in The Picture of Dorian Gray. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5
...young, that she doesn’t even know Prince Charming’s real name, but also that her brother James Vane is leaving for Australia, and it is inconsiderate to overwhelm the occasion.
(full context)
Jim arrives on cue. He is a thick-set young man, very unlike his fine-featured sister. As...
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...the difficulty of his choice to go to sea instead of working as a solicitor. Jim dismisses the issue. His real concern is Sybil. Mrs. Vane assures him that she will...
(full context)
As Jim and Sybil take their walk, Jim is conscious of the difference in their appearance. Sybil...
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Jim asks Sybil about her ‘new friend’ and Sybil tells him everything, saying that now she...
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They sit and watch the passers-by and Jim begins to talk of his own plans, but Sybil suddenly thinks she sees ‘Prince Charming’...
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The atmosphere is tense between Jim and his mother at dinner until Jim asks his mother outright whether she and his...
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Chapter 17
...eating with his guests. As he dresses he remembers that it was the sight of James Vane ’s face at the window that had caused him to faint, and terror fills his...
(full context)
Chapter 18
The sight of James Vane tortures Dorian the next day. Every sound and sight seems to suggest his coming doom....
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...the face of the body is revealed, Dorian sees for certain that the body is Jim Vane’s. Tears of relief come to his eyes.
(full context)
