I Would Give My Soul For That

'Youth is the only thing worth having. When I find that I am growing old, I shall kill myself.'

Oscar Wilde

Today's theme was a long time coming.  Like so many, I've long been a fan of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.  I also love spotlighting a famous character, and researching all of the actors, models, dancers and performers who have stepped into the role.  A few weeks ago, inspired by a series from  JBDI Photography, I thought it was finally time to take a deep dive into Dorian.

The themes of the novel are haunting, with the pursuit of youth and pleasure at the expense of one's soul and morality.  Of course, with those stake, things can't help but lead to self-destruction. The novel shows that a life of unchecked vanity and indulgence ultimately corrupts a person, with the consequences of their actions manifesting not on their physical body, but on their mind, and on their soul. 

It's an intertest contrast to the focus of FH.  For models, actors and performances, their bodies and faces, as with all of us, ultimately change and age.  Their photos and films however, freeze them at them at the moment they were taken.  There's a reason so many are fascinated by celebrities who die young, keeping them and their films and images, forever young.  

Despite being written in the 1800's, the themes are as relevant today than ever before.  The money, time and energy some put into maintaining their youth is seen everywhere we look.  A few manage to delay aging, but none can stop it completely.  Most, end up actually speeding the process on, with surgeries and procedures exposing not only their aging, but their insecurities and the ultimate sacrifice with their souls.

Artwork by ihonolulu on DeviantArt