Sunday, March 9, 2014
Alan Campbell
In chapter 14, the character, Alan Campbell, makes a brief appearance to unwillingly assist Dorian in the disposal of Basil's body. In order to gain Alan's help, Dorian threatens him with blackmail about information that is never revealed: "I have written the letter already...If you don't help me, I will send it. You know what the result will be" (332). Even though the secret is unexplained, given the time period and "intimacy" of the relationship, it can be inferred that Alan is gay. In Victorian England, homosexuality was a crime punishable by imprisonment, Wilde himself was found guilty in 1895. While it isn't a huge threat by today's standards, revealing Alan equivocates Dorian's crime of murder. The ruthlessness of Dorian's threats are further evidence of how he has devolved from a decent person over the years by being willing to destroy the lives of close friends. Alan Campbell is not only a plot device used to benefit the story, but also a social political statement of the time.
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