Whitechapel is a hamlet, a village without a church of its own that belongs to another village’s parish and is located in the East End of London. Proximity to the street seems to be indicative of belonging to a higher socio-economic bracket, with the well-to-do and middle class living right next to the street and the less well-off living farther away.

As shown in records from The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, most of the crimes in Whitechapel were theft, with a smaller division of the thefts having been violent. Whitechapel is also known for prostitution and its high immigrant population.

Even before 1888, Whitechapel’s history is still shrouded by mystery and murder. British History Online gives background information about the namesake of the St. Mary Matfelon Church. Mary Matfelon was a devout widow to the church who was gruesomely killed by her new husband. After killing her and taking her most valued possessions, he attempted to run away, but was caught by Mary’s fellow wives; together, along with the police, they brought him to justice and the parish soon purchased Mary’s name for the church.

 

 

The mention of Whitechapel so early in the novel sets the tone for what important themes will soon be introduced. The East End is where Henry indulged himself with Dorian; it was also indicative of corruption and immorality, outwardly in the form of opium dens and brothels.

Self-awareness of one’s higher place in society is a shocking realization shown in a time when literature was commonly romanticized. Through his line “Still, the East End is a very important problem,” Sir Thomas shows that he is able to acknowledge the economic differences between himself and those of the less fortunate.

The exchange between Lady Agatha and Lord Henry highlights the latter’s purposeful ignorance of the poor’s struggles. Henry (or Harry) only values what has aesthetic pleasure: youth and beauty, two qualities that he observes that Dorian Gray himself has.