A critical analysis of Oscar Wilde's only novel would demonstrate that it is in fact a homosexual allegory of a condemned and forbidden passion. The relationship between Lord Henry and Dorian, as well as between Basil and Dorian, is clearly homoerotic and must have shocked Victorian society. Although Wilde stops short of stating that Basil and Lord Henry have sexual feelings for Dorian, the language he uses to describe their relationship and devotion to Dorian is unmistakably the language of deep, romantic intimacy. “Tell me more about Mr. Dorian Gray. How often do you see him?". "Every day. I couldn't be happy if I didn't see him every day. It is absolutely necessary for me." This common motif of homoerotic bonds between men plays an important role in the structuring of the novel. Basil's painting arises from his adoration of Dorian's beauty, comparatively Lord Henry is overwhelmed by the desire to seduce Dorian. This sense of camaraderie between men fits Wilde's aesthetic values, as it takes him back to his past where the philosophy of beauty was not only the basis of society but fundamental to culture. As a homosexual living in an intolerant society, Wilde asserted this philosophy to justify his lifestyle. It is quite obvious that men have relationships with women in the novel: Dorian falls in love with Sibyl and Lord Henry himself is married, but these heterosexual relationships are short-lived. Victoria Wotton, like most of the women in the novel, is depicted with no real depth, is introduced briefly, and is never heard from again. Made clear in Lord Henry's remark of Sibyl, "women are a decorative sex," her character is also of little substance, as becomes clear in later chapters when she so easily gives up her greatest talent to pursue an affair with Dorian..