The Price of Everlasting Youth (0)

Maris Süld
The Price of Everlasting Youth
Everything in this life has a price, especially things you could not normally get – like the everlasting youth. In the book “The Picture of Dorian Gray“ by Oscar Wilde , a young man called Dorian gets it, but it does not come free.
To start with, the book is full of evil . It talks about the evil, that lies inside humans , and when it comes out, there is nothing we can do. Dorian Gray had the same problem. At the beginning of the book he was a very wealthy, intelligent man with a very high status . His beauty charmed others . Basil Hallward was inspired to draw his portrait in order to preserve his beauty and youth. With Lord Henry practically “ brain -washing“ Dorian, he recognised that as long as he remained as young as he was in the painting, he would be handsome . He feared the day he would age and start to form wrinkles. For that not to happen , he traded his soul for his youth. From the moment he becomes forever young, he begins to deteriorate. Even when he reaches his epiphany and sees his evil through the portrait, he simply denies seeing it and continues his malicious deeds.
He started off as one of the kindest, most innocent and modest men ever. But since he traded his soul, it all changed. It became easier and easier for him to sin, because he always had a defensive line – he does not have a soul. At first he wanted to be a greatness to others, but later he did not care about the oppinion of others at all. He was just so obsessed with his youth. He did everything he had to do, to stay forever young. For example, one night when Basil arrives to question Dorian about rumours of his indulgences, Dorian takes Basil to the portrait upstairs. The portrait is hideous as Dorian’s sins. In anger , Dorian blames Basil for his fate and stabs him to death . Dorians is also the reason , why his first love, a very beautiful and talented actress named Sibyl Vane kills herself .
The need to be different, superior to others, gets Dorian eventually killed. He wants to redeem his sins. Unfortunately, he lacks the feeling of quilt and fearing the consequences , he goes out for the painting – the only conscienceness he has (since the painting hides all his sins). He stabs the painting with a knife . Later, Dorian body is found with a knife in his heart . The painting had reverted to its original form.