When I first starting searching Bond Street, I noticed that it was split between New Bond Street and Old Bond Street. Old Bond Street is closer to the Royal Academy of Arts, while New Bond Street is closer to Dorian Grey’s home in Grosvenor Square.

According to the Charles Booth Archive, both streets were predominantly middle class, with the surrounding areas being occupied by upper class families. When searching the Old Bailey, I found that majority of the crimes had been theft,  which ranged from pick pocketing to burglary.  Only five murders occurred on New Bond Street, suggesting that it was a fairly peaceful area. However, when I simply typed in the phrase “New Bond Street”, I got 271 hits. Out of those 271 hits, 182 of them belonged to the Theft category.

Bond Street is mentioned at the end of Chapter 15. Before Bond Street is mentioned, Dorian is showed to be on edge. After killing Basil, he becomes nervous when Lord Henry casually asks him what he had been doing the previous night. Dorian then goes home to escape any more questioning that may cause him to reveal anything suspicious, and then proceeds to burn Basil’s belongings in a fire. After almost taking some opium, he then leaves his home and hails a hansom on Bond Street. He gives the driver an address that is so far the driver initially refuses to take him there, and after money is offered, we are left with Dorian heading to this unknown location.

Bond Street’s proximity to the Royal Academy of Art suggests the theme of art in the novel. Dorian in Chapter 11 was seen to be the go-to person to consult on the subject of art and culture. In this scene, he is leaving not just Bond Street, but the area, as he is heading towards the river. Areas along the river often had a high level of criminal activity. Since Dorian is leaving Bond Street and heading towards the river, it’s being suggested that Dorian is beginning the process of shedding the idea of him being a person who belongs to the society that cares about art and culture. The inclusion of Bond Street also shows how out of place Dorian is becoming. Since on Bond Street there were very little murders, showing Dorian (who had just recently murdered Basil) on Bond Street may foreshadow his secret being revealed.

Works Cited

“Booth Poverty Map. Charles Booth Online Archive. New Bond Street.  Web. 30 November 2015.

“The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891)/Chapter 15.” – Wikisource, the Free Online Library. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.

“The Proceedings of the Old Bailey.” Results. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.