A Level The Picture of Dorian Gray: The Gothic Double

Summary

In this video, Harriet Fletcher, a PhD researcher in English literature, explores the gothic elements in Oscar Wilde's *The Picture of Dorian Gray*. Focusing on the role of doubling, the session delves into Sigmund Freud's concept of the uncanny and its manifestation in the novel, particularly through the portrait of Dorian. The video highlights how themes like monstrosity, identity, and influence illustrate the instability of Dorian's character and critique Victorian society. Aimed at improving essay skills, it encourages viewers to analyze and interpret gothic conventions and their significance within the text.

Takeaways

• 😀 The session explores the gothic characteristics of Oscar Wilde's *The Picture of Dorian Gray*, focusing on the concept of doubling and the uncanny.
• 😀 Gothic literature is defined by its disturbances of sanity, superstitious beliefs, and portrayals of vice, with a focus on negative aesthetics like ugliness and terror.
• 😀 The doubling convention in gothic texts is central to the *The Picture of Dorian Gray*, influencing the characters and narrative structure.
• 😀 Sigmund Freud's concept of the uncanny, which relates to feelings of something both familiar and unfamiliar, is applied to the novel's portrait as an object double of Dorian.
• 😀 The portrait in *The Picture of Dorian Gray* is described as uncanny, as it reveals the corruption of Dorian's soul while reflecting his external beauty.
• 😀 Gothic identity or 'subjectivity' in the novel is explored through the characters’ fragmented and shifting selves, with doubling playing a key role.
• 😀 Dorian's final death scene represents a moment of object doubling, where his unrecognizable corpse contrasts sharply with the youthful portrait.
• 😀 The novel critiques the inauthenticity of Victorian society, revealing the emptiness of Dorian's identity, as others mimic his fashion and persona.
• 😀 The influence of Lord Henry on Dorian demonstrates the collapse of individuality, with Dorian adopting an alternative persona that strips him of his unique identity.
• 😀 The session emphasizes the importance of developing and supporting interpretations through textual evidence and analyzing the significance of gothic conventions in literary analysis.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of Harriet Fletcher's research?

Harriet Fletcher's research focuses on the intersections of the gothic and celebrity, particularly exploring how gothic literary texts engage with celebrity cultures from the 19th century to the present day.

How does the first video relate to the study of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'?

The first video explores how Oscar Wilde's novel 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' can be read as a novel about celebrity, laying the foundation for a deeper exploration of its gothic characteristics in the second video.

What key aspect of the gothic tradition is being explored in the second video?

The second video focuses on the gothic concept of 'doubling,' specifically analyzing its role in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and how this concept is connected to the psychoanalytic theory of the uncanny.

What are some common characteristics of gothic literature as described in the video?

Gothic literature is characterized by irrational disturbances, supernatural elements, perversion, obsession, violence, and the blurring of the lines between the natural and supernatural worlds. It often involves themes of vice, terror, revulsion, and decay.

What does the gothic concept of 'doubling' refer to in literature?

In gothic literature, 'doubling' refers to the presence of two selves or identities within a character or between characters, often reflecting themes of duality, fragmentation, or conflict within the self.

How does Sigmund Freud’s concept of the 'uncanny' relate to the study of 'doubling' in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'?

Freud's concept of the 'uncanny' describes feelings of discomfort when something familiar is also strange or unsettling. In 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' this is embodied in the portrait, which serves as an uncanny object double of Dorian, revealing his inner corruption while maintaining a lifelike appearance.

What role does the portrait play in the 'uncanny' elements of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'?

The portrait in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' is an object double that becomes uncanny because it reflects Dorian's internal corruption and decay, things that should remain hidden. It evokes feelings of dread and horror as it deteriorates, while Dorian himself maintains a youthful exterior.

What is meant by 'gothic subjectivity' in the context of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'?

Gothic subjectivity refers to a fractured or unstable sense of self, often seen in characters whose identities are fragmented or shifting. In 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' Dorian’s identity is gothic because it becomes divided between his external beauty and the corrupted soul reflected in the portrait.

How does the relationship between Dorian and Lord Henry illustrate gothic doubling?

The relationship between Dorian and Lord Henry exemplifies gothic doubling because Dorian adopts Lord Henry's philosophy, losing his own individuality. He becomes an echo of Lord Henry’s thoughts, adopting his values and personality, thus becoming a borrowed identity.

What is the significance of Dorian's death scene in the context of doubling and identity?

Dorian’s death scene represents the culmination of his identity being eclipsed by his portrait. The doubling between his body and the portrait highlights the disintegration of his real self, where his physical appearance is unrecognizable, while the portrait remains a perfect, youthful representation of him.