The Supernatural Setting and Language in the Late Victorian Era: The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Hound of the Baskervilles

Abstract

This research aims at comparing two notorious literary works of supernatural literature written by two different authors during the late Victorian era, the period between 1837 and 1901. It investigates how different and similar the authors Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930), who wrote respectively The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (1901), decided to approach the portrayal of supernaturality in their novels. The research was conducted in the field of comparative literature and utilised qualitative data, obtained by the close-reading of the two books and selection of quotes which represented the supernatural theme, more specifically within the setting of the story. The results of the study are the illustration of the similarities and divergences in both portrayals. The predominant similarities in the two novels are the use of darkness in language by both authors to create mysterious settings; the representation of a pact with the devil as the main supernatural occurrence in each story and the corruption of humanity as the origin of this evil. The main divergence noticed in the portrayal of supernaturality among the two works was that Wilde’s novel is not part of the supernatural explained technique, whereas Doyle’s novel is a clear example of this literary device. All things considered, the information collected was enough to consider the main aim of this research to be reached.