This seems to me a most horrifying coming-of-age story.Being around Dorian Gray's age when he was first introduced in the story, I readily stepped into his mind and childish character. Youthfulness make us dream of most unsuitable things. We thought ourselves romantic. We wish to be adventurous. In this wild fancy we so often disregard the consequences.
For Dorian Gray, his portrait took the burden of sin for him. Deep down, I would envy him, except his fate had proven to be more dreadful than fortunate. For us, fated to be scarred by age and our wrong-doings, have been warned. It seems that fear of these scars can save us.
Still, it makes me shudder to think that one can so easily lose one's virtues. How can one choose the right path and not go astray? A sudden strike of fancy for danger, the desires to be extraordinary, or a moment of crazed temper.... Can we ever save ourselves from such menace?
This unhappy story has seemly planted a deep dread. It is so good it pierced my heart and left it groaning and moaning. Even though it has become one of my all time favorites. It has touched me so deeply that I wish never to visit it again. The only consolation is that it has served to caution me against romanticizing rackless evil. I pray that I am thus saved from a lifetime's worth of foolishness.
