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Dorian Gray Theme Of Duality

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The theme of duality is explored through the ongoing push and pull that Dorian faces between the influence of Lord Henry and the influence of Basil. This is made apparent as Dorian ponders whose guidance he should listen to and thinks, "When I close my eyes, I hear them, and each of them says something different. I don 't know which to follow”. Wilde’s use of sensory imagery illustrates the physical toll that this mental conflict is taking on Dorian. The juxtaposition of visual and aural imagery shows Dorian’s internal battle, but the fact that Dorian cannot see them, only hear their voices displays the blind faith that Dorian has in two men who have completely contrasting moral ideals, displaying Dorian’s mercurial and conflicting morals. The lexical choice of “follow” expresses the way in which Dorian is still very young and easily influenced. This quote also shows the deteriorating mind set of Dorian and the ongoing internal battle he faces between good and evil. Furthermore, while Dorian does have conflicting morals, it is clear that the influence of Lord Henry is far superior to that of Basil, this is illustrated in Dorian’s outburst, “’Each of us has heaven and hell in him, Basil,’ cried Dorian with a wild gesture of despair.” The antithesis of heaven and hell is a clear manifestation of Dorian’s dual nature, Wilde’s clever use of religious imagery here dissects the parallels that exist between the dual nature of man and the duality that lives within the Victorian

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