Episode 2.4: ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar Wilde
It’s that time in the season where we explore what we call a “Dark Academia Adjacent” title. For season 2 of The Dark Academicals, that’s Oscar Wilde’s memorable Gothic classic ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.
For an “adjacent” title we discuss how or why a certain title can be attributed the “Dark Academia” title, or recognise how it has influenced and informed the genre as it has grown and developed.
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ is a stunning piece of fiction that explores the morality of being human in a very darkly academic way. We also discussed some of the criticisms that arose from a re-read.
In this episode we discuss:
Why ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ can be considered a figurehead of Dark Academia
The Victorian Gothic
Misogyny and Anti-Semitism within the text
An indepth character analysis of Henry Wotten
You can listen to it here:
TEXTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar Wilde
‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare
‘The Secret History’ by Donna Tartt
‘The Importance of Being Ernest’ by Oscar Wilde
‘The Vampire Diaries’ by L. J. Smith
If you want a copy of ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ for your own, you can purchase one through the link below. We’re affiliated with bookshop.org who support local booksellers, and in turn buying through them supports us too!
