Question

Should Dorian Gray still be read today? Or should Dorian Gray be a banned book from high school classrooms? Explain

Answer 1

Dorian Gray should absolutely be read today. Its themes of morality, narcissism and guilt are more relevant than ever. Youth has never been valued more highly: our society is one in which old age is almost always portrayed in a negative light, in which many products and services are sold with the goal of delaying or desguising the signs of age. There is no natural acceptance of the cycles of life, of old age as a worthwhile stage with its own particular pleasures. The only pleasures and virtues are those of youth: beauty, energy, impetuousness are valued while wisdom and serenity are not. Dorian Gray's story is the story of a man who sought to keep his youth and beauty at the cost of his morality. It's also the story of someone who could live life with no consequences: despite his crimes, his face preserved an angelical beauty, while his portrait paid the cost of his actions. Due to ever growing inequality, the rich nowadays can emulate Dorian Gray in more than one way, which makes his story all the more relevant.