2 minute read
WILDE-LY SELFOBSESSED
from Jerk March 2023
A love letter to the narcissist that changed my life.
Words by Gray Reed
Art by Freddy Toglia
Dear The Picture Of
,
I have a feeling that when you were written by Oscar Wilde, he had no idea how profound you would become. Yet here you are centuries later, continuing to leave a mark on my heart.
When my sophomore English class first picked you up, I was unsure. I was a fan of bildungsroman and modern fiction, so the idea of reading a Victorian novel left me skeptical. However, you opened my eyes to new possibilities, and I will forever be grateful.
At the risk of coming across as a snobby literary critic, the way you explore the theme of youth and beauty will forever leave me in awe. Your deconstruction of the toxic nature of purely aesthetic mindsets has forever changed my view of the world, showing me that living purely in a material state is simply not the answer.
For there is more to life than appearances; you’ve taught me this through your gothic tale. You also revealed the metaphorical benefit of life imitating art. As Dorian’s portrait slowly revealed his true colors, it became so much easier to grasp how one’s attitude can ultimately affect their dayto-day life and their interactions with others.
I have come to the realization that without the curriculum requirement to read you in high school, I may never have had the honor to meet you. For that, I am grateful. However, I worry about what this means for students across the country who may never get to read their favorite books due to increasing bans.
Thankfully, you have not been removed from the shelves, but I fear for your high-art literary cousins such as The Great Gatsby, which continuously goes through rounds of bans. In Florida, all books must now be approved by qualified school media specialists before they can be introduced in the classroom. It’s also worth noting that a lot of these bans are targeted at books by BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors, but that’s for a different article.
Books such as yourself, and others like you, give students the opportunity to confront their morals and view life from different perspectives. Without proper exposure to such pieces of literature in their formative years, many students will be unable to gain these crucial pieces of knowledge that are granted through exploring such complex themes.
Furthermore, banning books due to their problematic nature is the equivalent of sweeping a massive problem under the rug. I feel it would be more beneficial to unpack why these issues are harmful in a safe environment than never to be exposed to these problems in the first place.
Literature classics such as yourself are a form of high art as they allow us to learn by viewing the world through lenses previously unexplored. Thank you, The Picture of Dorian Gray, for expanding my mind through such a thrilling tale. I will forever be in your debt.
