Wilde’s approach to showing the mistreatment of homosexuals could have been improved. The two main characters in Dorian Gray: Dorian, and Lord Henry, who were portrayed as homosexuals in the novel, were also gluttons, drug abusers, and murders. This portrayal could have been harmful to the gays of the time because very little was known about the homosexual lifestyle at the time and society at the time might have applied the portrayal of Dorian and Lord Henry to the gays at that time. It would be logical to think if Wilde wanted to help the gays of the time, he would have wanted to portray them as angelic, not as devious members of society.
At the time, Wilde wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray members of the British Government felt that it was necessary and moral to outlaw homosexual behavior and lifestyle. Even today over 200 year’s later lawmakers are still debating over the rights of homosexuals. Today homosexuals are not put into prison for there actions as in to late 1700s' but homosexual’s do not have the same number of rights and benefits that heterosexual's have available to them. For example, a homosexual couple cannot legally get married, while a heterosexual couple can. Through marriage, heterosexuals receive tax and insurance breaks, benefits that homosexual couples cannot receive. In Dorian Gray Wilde was hoping that homosexuals in his time would receive better treatment and that they would have rights in society not to be treated as an outcast. Wilde also wanted to bring some of societies downfalls to light and that society alter its behavior.
Veneration of youth and beauty is a theme that Wilde explored in his novel. His main character Dorian traded his soul to remain forever young and beautiful. Wilde was saying that people would do anything to remain young and beautiful. Society today also adores youth and beauty. Women are constantly squandering money on cosmetic surgeries to have their breasts enlarged, their noses reshaped, or having their flab removed through liposuction. Through dialect in Dorian Gray, Wilde gave us a glimpse at what he felt societies view of youth and beauty and how it is adored. “To get back my youth I would do anything in the world…” Lord Henry. This quote holds true today over 200 years later, women of all ages are having cosmetic surgery to look more beautiful or younger so they will be pleasing to the eye. Women and men alike put themselves in grave danger just to get their cosmetic “youth” back. People are more worried and put a higher value on their looks than the positive aspects that come with age such as wisdom, admiration, and respect. Dorian did just that in the novel, he gave his soul to remain eternally youthful like as the painting represented him. Dorian might not have shown the wear of age and his deceitful actions but the painting did. The body of Dorian represents the façade that many people put on while they are in public, while the painting represents a person’s true character, which only shows in private. Cosmetic surgery today is a way for people to cover up the visible scars and imperfections of their past, but just as in Dorian Gray everyone has a “painting” hidden away in a closet or a corner that shows a persons past and misjudgments.
“I choose my friends for their good looks…” Dorian, this quote shows that people pick with whom they associate by the way they look, and that people would preferably associate themselves with a good-looking person than unattractive people. There is no mention in the quote about choosing a friend because of their principles and morals. This holds true today, the more popular people and celebrities tend to be attractive people who others want to be associated with. In movies and popular culture, the geeks or the unattractive people are often the root of malicious pranks or ridicule initiated by the popular attractive star of the movie. For example on MTV, there are never unattractive or fat people on the Real World, Road Rules, and any MTV’s dating shows, it is always athletically fit attractive people appearing on these shows. The reason for this that society does not look highly upon unattractiveness, and overweight people, society does not wish to watch unattractive, overweight people’s lives on TV. Our society needs to change in this way of thinking; everyone should be treated equally no matter if they are fat or skinny, ugly or attractive. People should not be judged solely on looks, a persons character and morals should be the main factor, in deciding if they are a good person or not.
Even though The Picture of Dorian Gray was written over 100 years ago, the certain issues Wilde addresses still hold true today. Homosexuality was taboo when Wilde wrote about it in 1890 and even today, it is a touchy subject. Homosexuals rights were non-existent in Wilde’s time, and since then there has some progress pertaining to the rights of homosexuals. When lawmakers can agree that, everyone should have equal rights regardless of their sexual preference. But it is not only the lawmakers that have to realize this it is also heterosexual society that must accept that homosexual’s should be treated as equals. Veneration of youth and beauty has existed for centuries and will exist for centuries to come unless people realize that youth is not the only form of beauty. There is beauty that comes with old age; it might not be a physical beauty, but the beauty of wisdom, and reverence that comes with age. When society realizes this, beauty will fall from its pedestal, and people will be more comfortable with who they really are, and people will be accepted for their ideals not their appearance. Until society changes these undesirable aspects, The Picture of Dorian Gray will remain relevant to society and its shortcomings.
