Dorian Gray Passage Analysis

Dorian Gray Passage: Literary Analysis In this scene, Wilde creates a threatening atmosphere as he describes Dorian heading to the Opium House at night, a place that represents his sins. Dorian’s carriage â€Å"jerks† into a â€Å"dark† area, the sudden movement suggesting that the horse is instinctively nervous or scared. And the â€Å"low roofs and jagged chimney-stacks† that looked like â€Å"black masts† shrouded by a mist of â€Å"ghostly sails† paint a nightmarish image of hostility due to harsh words like jagged, and fear with mentions of ghosts; both add to the tension.In the next paragraph Wilde uses diction such as â€Å"hastily† and â€Å"quickly† to build the suspense with Dorian’s obvious discomfort in the situation and desire to get out of the open. Then, Wilde uses light imagery to illustrate a dark setting which would explain Dorian’s fear. The description that the night was lit by a â€Å"red glar e† and â€Å"lights [that] shook and splintered in the puddles† contributes to the uneasiness because red is often the color of evil and shaking lights can be associated with panic.Dorian’s anxiety heightens as he â€Å"hurried† and â€Å"[glanced] back now and then to see if he was being followed†. His actions suggest that he is paranoid and running from something, causing the environment around him to appear more threatening. And finally, Wilde’s description of â€Å"gaunt factories† completes the image of a foreboding neighborhood because even at night, factories are supposed to appear formidable, not desolate as if they couldn’t stand up to their surroundings.