ACTING OUT GENDER: PERFORMATIVITY AND BECOMING LORD HENRY WOTTON IN OSCAR WILDE’S THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
ACTING OUT GENDER: PERFORMATIVITY AND BECOMING LORD HENRY WOTTON IN OSCAR WILDE’S THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

Summary/Abstract: The paper examines performativity in the Nineteenth Century Victorian Novel, especially the resistance to dictated male performativity and its results, illustrated in novels by male authors such as Oscar Wilde, in his “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and its character Lord Henry Wotton. Trapped by the male roles dictated by society, Lord Henry finds relief in talking to other people about his desires. In a platonic teacher-student relationship, he leads Dorian into his desires and finds escape from his stereotypical gender through him.

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