Forever Young

 As I’m reading The Picture of Dorian Gray and looking back on some our class discussions, the prominence of themes including Greek mythology, aestheticism, and the symbolism of flowers stick out. But, one aspect of this book that I probably most relate to is Dorian’s persistent desire to preserve his young innocence.

In the book, Dorian is on a quest to become externally young, fearing aging and losing that “white” purity. As he continues his friendship with Lord Henry, Dorian is becoming more and more aware of the collegial affects of growing up. After being gifted an astonishingly well-made painting by Basil, Dorian states “How sad it is… I shall grow old and horrible and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young”. This is when he becomes jealous of the painting, wishing it was he who could remain beautiful for an eternity. From that point on, Dorian practically sells his soul to preserve his young beauty, sacrificing whatever he can to achieve his desire, and fall through the grasps of his temptations.

As we are all approaching adult hood, we too are going to lose some of that childish innocence. The responsibilities will wear on us, and our beauty may begin to flitter away with our childhood. Like Dorian, I too desire to remain young forever. However, it is because of this limited time that makes life so beautiful. Knowing that our teenage lives will close and a new chapter begins let’s us appreciate the moment even more. Those late nights hanging out with friends and being free of adulthood responsibilities are now more cherished and remembered. What Dorian misses is the fact that being eternally young would be quite lonely. Seeing your loved ones age while you remain unchanged for decades will have some toll mentally. The old adage that “nothing lasts forever” rings true, and we should all cherish the present, as it will son become the past.