An Analysis Of The Gothic Elements In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde was a very controversial writer in the late Victorian period. Influenced by the gothic tradition, Wilde touched upon gothic writing and showed his consummate skills in his works, especially in The Picture of Dorian Gray. It was a gothic narrative of destruction and self-destruction of Dorian Gray. During his journey to decadence, Dorian’s inward monstrosity was reflected on the picture regardless of his sustainment of superficial beauty in reality. In a word, Dorian was a complicated paradox who enjoyed praise from society for his beautiful appearance but turned out to be a devil at odds with social regulations.As the sole novel of Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray has attracted much attention since its publication. Therefore, a lot of criticisms have been made from different perspectives. However, the analysis from gothic perspective is rare. The thesis mainly gives a detailed analysis of the gothic elements including gothic plots, gothic characters and gothic themes, which aims to find out how these gothic elements were applied to express the author’s attitudes toward life, art and morality. In addition, the gothic narrative not only shows the author’s concern for the life of the metropolitan people but also expresses his condemnation on the decadent Victorians. The thesis mainly consists of three chapters. Chapter one focuses on the grotesque metamorphosis of the picture, the horrible murder and dissection of the painter. The novel is believed to be profound in skills and themes resulting from Wilde’s employment of supernatural elements in the portrait of the protagonist for revealing the protagonist’s grotesque change in soul. In addition, horror is intensified by murder plot with modern gothic features. In the second chapter, the thesis discusses the gothic characters, Lord Henry and Dorian Gray, and the unfortunate actress, Sibyl Vane. Through portraying the gothic monsters, Wilde presents the corruption beneath the decent lives of the upper-class in the Victorian society. The girls like Sibyl become preys to them. Furthermore, Wilde makes it clear that art is superior to life by portraying the actress. The third chapter centers on the homosexual relationship among male characters and the conflict between good and evil. Through analysis of these contradictions and conflicts, the thesis infers Wilde’s moral attitude from his condemnations of oppression on the homosexuals and his emphasis on the victory of good over evil through the death of Dorian. The conclusion points out that Wilde deploys the gothic narrative of the novel to emphasize the moral aim of the novel.