The Motif of the Doppelgaenger in “William Wilson” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray”

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 1,0, University of Duisburg-Essen (Anglistik), language: English, abstract: Poe was a writer of gothic novels and the influences of it can be seen in William Wilson. There are of course many different ways to interpret this story but this term paper focuses on the idea that Wilson's double functions as his own conscience as well as society's conscience. In order to have a better understanding of this concept, Freud's psychoanalysis will be used as a foundation to this analysis. The second chapter focuses on Oscar Wild's The Picture of Dorian Gray. In this novel, the double takes on a completely different shape but symbolises the same inner conflict. This novel was written in a time, when the motif of the double was already in decline and it will be interesting to see in how far these two stories differ. In order to compare the novel to Poe's short story the focus will be similar to William Wilson in so far as the role of the double will be analysed. Does Dorian Gray's portrait act as a conscience as well? Here again Freud's psychoanalysis as well as his essay the Uncanny will be regarded as a source. The Picture of Dorian Gray can be analysed in many different ways. There is the topic of Art and aestheticism as well as a "cult of the senses". It is, however, the topic of the double, realised through a portrait of the Self, which is the focus of this term paper. Other topics will only be discussed in connection to the main focus.