![]() ![]() ![]() Dorian is supposed to be Sybil’s “Prince Charming.” (Wilde 46) The connection shown is that Prince Charming saves his damsel in distress, a beautiful young woman who requires a hero to rescue her. ![]() The women suffer all the more because they are often abandoned, left alone (either on purpose or by accident), and have no protector at times. A lonely, pensive, and oppressed heroine is often the central figure of the novel, so her sufferings are even more pronounced and the focus of attention (Junger). He eventually realizes that he wants to be normal again, but fails, and receives his punishment: death.Īs an appeal to the pathos and sympathy of the reader, the female characters often face events that leave them fainting, terrified, screaming, and/or sobbing. Unknowingly, Dorian sells his soul to the devil. “I would give my soul” in exchange for the privilege of staying youthful for the rest of his life (Wilde 19). This appears to refer to “Old Harry”, another name for the devil (Zakes). An interesting piece of evidence to this is that Henry is often called Harry. Lord Henry represents the devil by using his wisdom and the poisonous yellow book to corrupt Dorian, who loses his innocence and later becomes a murderer. Throughout the story, the most obvious example of a Gothic novel is the use of the devil as a symbol. Most people would not prefer to be in such a setting because it is often spooky and leads to death. The room contains old books, mice, faded tapestries, and an odd smell of mildew. In others, drunkards brawled and screamed.” (Wilde 128) Another eerie environment from the novel is the secret room in which the yellow book is locked. From some of the bars came the sound of horrible laughter. The public-houses were just closing, and dim men and women were clustering in broken groups round their doors. “A cold rain began to fall, and the blurred street-lamps looked ghastly in the dripping mist. When Dorian attempts to visit the opium den to get rid of Basil’s body, we can clearly see an example of this. Gothic novels tend to take place in gloomy settings such as old buildings (particularly castles or rooms with secret passageways), dungeons, or towers that serve as a background for the mysterious circumstances (Andersson). ![]()
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