The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) by Oscar Wilde explores the division in 19th century London. The division between “East and West,” perpetrated through poetry and novels, reflects the duality in Dorian Gray. Dualism is “the condition or state of being dual or composed of two parts.” Wilde uses London to represent decadence, hedonism, sexual promiscuity, and shocking violence throughout the novel. The East End is a place where Dorian can seek new, stimulating sensual experiences and escape from the confines of bourgeois society. The West End represents aesthetics, wealth, the establishment and aristocratic society. The East End represents Dorian's corrupt soul and his decadence. The idea of ​​decadence is defined by the OED as “the process of abandonment or decline (from a previous state of excellence, vitality, prosperity, etc.); rot; altered or deteriorated state. The duality of his soul is what leads to his demise. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In The Picture of Dorian Gray , Wilde dramatizes the contrasting locations of the wealthy West End and the declining East End. Geographic differences highlight the wealth of the upper classes and the poverty of the working class. In Basil's workshop, we discover for the first time the luxury of the bourgeois class. There are descriptions of "Persian saddlebags" and "long tussore silk curtains" emphasizing the upper class's enjoyment of beautiful objects, thus showing the impact of the aesthetic movement on people's homes. Professor Joseph McLaughlin called them “sumptuously oriental interiors,” which I believe reflects the indulgent nature of the upper class. Furthermore, Wilde uses the simile “the faint roar of London was like the drone note of a distant organ”. The location of the “distant organ” separates the characters from the bustling life of London. At this point the reader has only discovered the west side of London, with its rules and riches. The other areas of London are completely separated physically and culturally. The contrast between Dorian and Henry's setting and the rest of London highlights their selfish and corrupt obsession with their own desires and pleasures. This reinforces the culture surrounding hedonism in the 19th century. In addition to the setting of the West and East End, Wilde explores the setting of Dorian's own house. For example, the painting of Dorian Gray has its own location in the house, the attic. The change in the beauty of the painting to reflect Dorian's corrupted soul brings into focus his duality. So, by hiding the painting, he tries to hide his double life. The setting of the painting is in his “old school” which is a place of innocence. Wilde uses this location to indicate Dorian's attempt to hide the corruption and duality of his soul behind the innocence of his childhood bedroom in the attic. There is an obvious tension between innocent childhood and corrupt adulthood. He tries to escape what's at home by heading to the East End, but only finds more corruption there. Dorian Gray begins to explore another side of London, the theater, closer to the East End. The theater is a setting that brings Dorian into contact with Sibyl Vane. At this point, we've only heard rumors about the East End that indicate how protected Dorian's life is. The trip to the theater is an adventure for him because it allows him to live another life. This is the beginning of his double life. Dorian learned to appreciate art and find beauty in everything. He does it first with the theater because he admires Sybil's acting. However,the East End setting begins to be revealed when he visits her again. In the theater, “the heat was terribly oppressive and the immense sun shone like a monstrous dahlia with petals of yellow fire.” The images of fire and heat indicate the uncomfortable feeling of being in a setting that Dorian's friends Basil and Henry are not accustomed to. The symbolism of the "dahlia" is a bond that lasts forever, which is ironic as Dorian and Sybil's relationship breaks down that night. The burning of the theater alludes to the corruption and damage that Dorian will soon commit. In the movement from the East End to the West End, we see the transition from Dorian's corruption to his identity as a gentleman. The West End, in the novel, is represented as the physical form of Dorian because it is perfect, beautiful and pure. Scholar Linda Dryden asserts that there are “localized illicit measures in the East; [and] social elegance in the West.” I agree that Wilde chooses to open the novel to introduce the elegance of the West. In the opening section, "the studio was filled with the rich smell of roses, and as the light summer wind stirred among the trees of the garden", we are immediately introduced to the theme of aestheticism . Sensory overload, especially the strong scent of flowers, highlights wealth and luxury. The choice to open the novel with sensual images is effective in introducing the theme of aestheticism and the concept of the new hedonism. The lightness of the wind represents Dorian's supposed innocence to this movement in the novel. After the theater disaster, Dorian rejects Sibyl and begins walking home. In this movement of mapping places, readers can see the clear division between places. Scholar Rosemarie Bodenheimer said that "Dickens pieced together different parts of London simply by describing the walking routes his characters took." Here Wilde used a similar technique to create a greater understanding of place, but he chooses to use this technique to exaggerate the setting of his aesthetic novel. Dorian describes “having wandered through dimly lit streets, past gaunt arcades with black shadows and houses with an evil appearance.” It's obvious that by destroying Sibyl Vane's life, Dorian was taken to a darker, more corrupt place, which is reflected in the gothic setting. London has become dark and menacing with “dimly lit streets” and “gaunt arcades with black shadows”. The absence of light suggests Dorian's lack of morality and innocence. Then, as soon as Dorian enters Covent Garden, the scene shifts from his corrupted soul to his youth and beauty. Dorian notes that “the darkness dissipated and, lit by faint fires, the sky hollowed out to form a perfect pearl. Huge carts filled with nodding lilies rolled slowly down the empty, polished street. The tone changed to become more optimistic. The metaphor of the sky as a pearl evokes purity, thus reflecting Dorian's desire to remain young and beautiful. Wilde uses "lilies" to symbolize death, because Sibyl has committed suicide, although Dorian does not yet know it. Despite the ominous interpretation that “the scent of the flowers and their beauty seemed to bring him some relief for his [Dorian’s] pain.” The rich sensual imagery of flowers brings Dorian a sense of calm and peace. The flower refers to the aristocratic's aesthetic appreciation for art and their desire to find pleasure in beauty. This allows Dorian to forget his argument with Sibyl for a brief moment. The contrast between the darkness of Dorian's corruption and the moment when "the darkness rose" highlights the duality of his soul. Dorian plays witha double life and tries to maintain his innocence while hidden in the dark, terrible things happen. The “polished, empty streets” of this West End are directly juxtaposed with the streets of the East End because they are “like the black web of a tentacled spider.” Again, the contrast between light and darkness represents Dorian's outer beauty and corrupted soul. In contrast, the East End is represented as animal and categorized as the “Other”. The exploration of opium dens represents Dorian's dualism. Wild relies on animal imagery when Dorian returns home after breaking up with Sibyl: “The drunkards were staggering from swearing and chattering like monstrous apes. Wilde refers to the drunken men as “monstrous apes” to represent that the East End is regression to a more animal state. The verbs "curse", "chatter" and "scream" echo animal noises, therefore implying that they are wild and depict the degradation of Dorian's double life. Scholar Paul Newland acknowledges this in his novel and states that "in accounts of a threatened and decadent bourgeois London culture, for example, individuals who were spatially positioned within a conceptual 'East' tended to be represented as outsiders or “Others”. ''. Therefore, Wilde currently uses the metaphor of “monkeys” to reflect the cultural anxiety of the “Other.” Late Victorian society was afraid of what it might reveal. The animalistic imagery/nature represents how Dorian tries to identify with something more than his wealthy establishment and his role as a gentleman, but it ends up revealing his bestial urges, which leads him to live his life as a hedonist. The East End of London is depicted as monstrous. Dorian wonders through the streets: “I felt that our gray and monstrous London, with its myriads of people, its sordid sinners and its splendid sins […] must have something in store for me”. Here, dramatic irony is used, as we are aware that London has something bad in store for Dorian, but he interprets it as something thrilling and exciting. London became a place of growth with “myriads of people”. However, Dorian desperately attempts to escape the growing city, as well as himself, through the exploration of the East End. “This gray and monstrous London” is a reflection of Dorian’s inner soul and the corruption resulting from Lord Henry’s influence. Despite the growth of the city, Dorian feels more pressured by the values ​​of the old aristocratic society. Wilde uses the East End to provide a space for Dorian to escape these restrictions. The East End represents freedom for Dorian at first, as the "monstrous" idea of ​​London is glorified as something new and exciting. However, as the novel progresses, Dorian desperately tries to maintain this double life but fails. As he becomes corrupted this is reflected in the setting, the setting of London and he as a "monstrous body" becomes strange, grotesque and reflects the aesthetic of the deceased. Despite the corruption and horrors seen in the East End, Dorian is constantly drawn there. The East End provides a sense of freedom for upper-class men, like Dorian, because it allows them to break away from the strict rules of the bourgeois class. The duality of the setting allows Dorian to explore the two different sides of his life. He has the freedom to explore his morality while maintaining his status as a gentleman through the concealment of the portrait. Dorian admires “the crude brawl, the loathsome den, the gross violence of disorderly life.” This part of London is depicted as 16.12.18.