The Picture of Dorian Gray is an 1890 novel by Oscar Wilde, considered the literary manifesto of Aestheticism. Dorian Gray is a very handsome young man, who is portrayed by the painter Basil in a portrait of incredible likeness. Fascinated by the tales of the cynical Lord Henry, Dorian becomes convinced that youth is the most important thing in his life to the point of being willing to give anything, even his soul, to remain eternally young and beautiful.
And that is what happens: it will be that portrait that ages in his place, while he dedicates himself to a dissolute life devoid of values. And in the end he will pay for his very serious mistakes.
Here are what they are and what we can learn from his story.
"Any publicity is good publicity" is evil
The abominable philosophy of "any publicity is good publicity" would seem to derive its origin from the phrase of the egocentric and superficial Dorian: “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about”. This way of thinking creates monsters. People who flaunt the worst part of themselves just to become famous; who ignore what decency and good taste are.
Thus entertainment, one "any publicity is good publicity at a time", becomes a garbage dump full of ego, vacuity and obscenity.
The soul is priceless
Dorian, in order to obtain youth and beauty, is willing to sell the most important thing he has: his soul. Although for a brief moment he receives what he desires, the portrait that ages in his place cannot hide how much this choice has made him horrible inside.
His portrait in fact is not only the representation of biological aging, but of an inner uglification. What strikes anyone who renounces the Good.
The body is not eternal, the soul is
There is nothing that can be done to stop time from passing. We can and must take care of ourselves, lead a healthy life and respect our body. But we must do all this while serenely accepting the passing of years. Because if we obsess over youth we not only miss the beauty that each age hides within itself, but we risk seeking the meaning of life in appearance, when instead the meaning of life is hidden among things that, to the naked eye, cannot be seen.
We must be very careful of conditioning
Dorian is influenced by a long conversation he had with Lord Henry Wotton. From that moment Dorian changes his perspective and his priorities. That’s why admiration for a person should never depend on their profession, the role they hold in society or the success they have achieved. What should make us admire someone is their moral integrity, their ethics, their inner kindness. The rest are just many beautiful labels devoid of real value.
There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known
Dorian, after an egocentric, dissolute, immoral life, begins to hate that portrait which, with every unjust act of his, becomes increasingly macabre. So he begins to feel the need to redeem himself and destroys the canvas with a dagger. And what does he get? The painting will return to portraying a young man and he will be found with the dagger stuck in his heart, old and almost unrecognizable. What we have inside is our true essence.
And there is no way to keep it hidden.
♥
“The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul”
(The Picture of Dorian Gray)
