Well, certainly in any novel a whole host of rhetorical
strategies are used in every chapter, but I am going to focus on chapter thirteen and
how it reflects Wilde's interest in the Gothic novel. Certainly, this novel can be
viewed as a more "modern" version of its predecessors, focussing as it does on the
supernatural and many binary oppositions such as alive/dead and good/evil that are
explored in this work. However, a key part of Gothic fiction is setting, and how eerie,
supernatural and disturbing places are brought to life through
imagery.
The description of the attic where Dorian is just
about to show Basil his picture is no exception. Note how imagery is used to appeal to
the five senses and create a setting that is foreboding in its
intensity:
They walked softly, as men do instinctively at
night. The lamp cast fantastic shadows on the wall and staircase. A rising wind made
some of the windows
rattle.
Clearly, the
"fantastic shadows" combined with the onomatopoeia of the windows "rattling" serve to
create a spooky atmosphere. Note too how the picture furnishes a secret lair full of
damp, death and decay, and once Dorian has killed Basil, the "drip, drip, drip" of his
blood is loud enough to be heard as it falls and splatters on the
carpet.
So, in Chapter 13 Wilde shows why this novel is
considered as a modern Gothic by the setting and atmosphere he creates, which eerily
point towards the supernatural, the excessive violence within Dorian and the diabolic
pact that he has made.
No comments:
Post a Comment