Khóa luận tốt nghiệp tiếng anh: MORAL LESSONS IN SOME OF OSCAR WLDE’S FAIRY TALES

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRANING
TAY BAC UNIVERSITY
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KHONG QUYNH HUONG

GRADUATION PAPER
MORAL LESSONS
IN SOME OF OSCAR WLDE’S FAIRY TALES

SON LA, 2015


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRANING
TAY BAC UNIVERSITY
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KHONG QUYNH HUONG

GRADUATION PAPER
MORAL LESSONS
IN SOME OF OSCAR WLDE’S FAIRY TALES

FIELD: ENGLISH LITERATURE

SUPERVISOR: MRS. BUI THI THU HIEN M.A

SON LA, 2015


Comment [1]: trang này cho lên đầu tiên nhé

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For the fulfillment of my Graduation Paper, I would like to express my
gratefulness to all of the people who have stood by my side and helped me
enthusiastically.
My special thanks would go, first and foremost, to MA. Bui Thi Thu
Hien, my supervisor, for her valuable lecture and suggestions. She gave me her
invaluable

comments,

instructions

and

whole

-

hearted

assistance,

encouragement as well as supplied me with helpful advice. Without the
supervisor‟s help, this thesis could not be completed.
I am extremely grateful to my teachers and friends, who have directly or
indirectly helped me with encouragements and provision of documents related to
the theme of my thesis.
I am especially indebted to my family for their indispensable support and
applaud during the process of writing this Graduation Paper.

And last but not least, my sincere thanks would be reserved to Tay Bac
Library which supplied me with the version of the book and other books related
on which I did my thesis.
Son La, 7th May, 2015
The researcher

Khong Quynh Huong


TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1
1. Rationale of the study........................................................................................ 1
2. Aims and objectives of the study ...................................................................... 2
3. Methods of the study ......................................................................................... 2
4. Scope of the study ............................................................................................. 3
5. Research question .............................................................................................. 3
6. Design of the study ............................................................................................ 3
CHAPTER II: THEORY OF LITERATURE ................................................. 4
1. Definition of Literature ..................................................................................... 4
2. Main functions of a literary work...................................................................... 4
2.1. Reflective function ......................................................................................... 4
2.2. Educational Function...................................................................................... 5
2.3. Aesthetic Function.......................................................................................... 5
3. Aspects of a fiction ............................................................................................ 5
3.1. Theme ............................................................................................................. 6
3.2. Plot.................................................................................................................. 6
3.3. Characters ....................................................................................................... 6
3.4. Settings ........................................................................................................... 7
4. British Literature in the second half of the XIX century .................................. 7
4.1. Social circumstances ...................................................................................... 7

4.2. Literature ........................................................................................................ 9
CHAPTER III: OSCAR WILDE’S BIOGRAPHY ....................................... 10
1. Life .................................................................................................................. 10
2. Career .............................................................................................................. 12
2.1. Noted works ................................................................................................. 12
2.2. Writing style ................................................................................................. 15
3. The Happy Prince and Other Tales ................................................................. 17
3.1. General introduction to the book.................................................................. 17
3.2. Summary of “The Happy Prince” ................................................................ 18


3.3. Summary of “The Selfish Giant” ................................................................. 19
3.4. Summary of “The nightingale and the rose” ................................................ 20
CHAPTER IV: MORAL LESSONS IN OSCAR WILDE’S FAIRY TALES
............................................................................................................................. 22
1. Sacrifice ........................................................................................................... 22
2. To share to get happiness ................................................................................ 29
3. To be wise and clear – sighted ........................................................................ 33
4. To appreciate the others‟ efforts ..................................................................... 34
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ........................................................................ 37
REFERENCES


ABSTRACT
The graduation paper concerns itself with a study of the moral lessons in
Oscar Wilde‟s some fairy tales.
Oscar Wilde is an Anglo – Irish playwright, novelist, poet and critic. He is
regarded as one of the greatest playwright of the Victorian Era. He writers great
many novels and short stories that sketch the society and human plights in vivid
and realistic details. A human nature is looming in his writings. “The Happy

Prince and Other Tales” (1888) is one of the finest works of Oscar Wilde,
which provides valuable moral lessons for people. By exploring three fairy tales
“The Happy Prince”, “The Nightingale and the Rose” and “The Giant
Selfish”, researcher would like to find out how the author conveys his moral
lessons to the readers.


CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale of the study
In the history of English literature, the English decadent literature and the
Aesthetic Movement in the XIX century are known together with the name of
Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde is a famous English writer who wrote the novel The
Picture of Dorian Gray and the play Salome at the end of nineteenth century. He
was not merely well known as the leader of the “Aesthetic Movement” as well
as faithful apostle to the “Art for art‟s sake” but a well-known decadent writer in
the second half of the 19th century English literature. His aesthetic attitude of
"art for art's sake" was well received and reported by scholars and researchers,
but some moralists and religious leaders said he was so immoral that they could
not accept and evaluate his work. Even if it was proper that they criticized him
in those days, that were the Victorian Age, researcher would never agree with
such an attitude toward his work. I am sure that one's work should not be
evaluated on the basis of one's behavior or character, but should be evaluated on
its worth.
Readers are not only fascinated by his rich and delicate vocabulary, by his
lucid and expressive style but his humanistic contents of his works as well.
Though Oscar Wilde used to state that he would remain faithful to the
principles of aestheticism throughout his life, though the young intellectuals
worshipped him as their cult and assured that each of his cells was full of
aesthetic concepts, his works especially the genres laid down earlier objectively

earned him recognitions as a writer of the works of realistic value. The idea of
having an animal as a main character is shown in many of Oscar Wilde‟s short
stories. He developed this theme as a reaction towards his age which lacked, in
his view, moral as well as human values.
In spite of being world famous, little is known about Wilde‟s life and
works in Vietnam. Oscar Wilde‟s works, his simplicity in plots, his wonderful
choice of words fascinate a lot of people. In this graduation paper, far from
perfect though it is, researcher works at the moral lessons that stand in his “The
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Happy Prince”, “The Nightingale and the Rose” and “The Giant Selfish”.
The title of the graduation paper is “Moral lessons in some of Oscar Wilde’s
fairy tales”.
2. Aims and objectives of the study
In the light of researching Oscar Wilde‟ biography and analyzing three of
five fairy tales in “The Happy Prince and Other Tales” by Oscar Wilde, The
study aims at:
- Finding related theories about Literature.
- Drawing significant knowledge about Oscar Wilde included: his life,
career and writing style.
- Finding out some moral lessons through three fairy tales.
- Analyzing and comparing the moral lessons based on founded
information.
3. Methods of the study
To carry out the study, some main research methods are applied:
- Reading document
The basis form of reading document is to search and read documents
relating to the study. Documents would be English or its translation in order to
understand deeply.

- Data collection
To find out the evidences in each story and synthesize them, then divide
them into suitable groups.
- Descriptive method
Descriptive method is concerned with the description of main areas of
moral lessons
- Data analysis
With founded data, researcher reorders and analyzes them. It is
concerned with the analysis of the texts.

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4. Scope of the study
Project work is advisable to study in all works of Oscar Wilde, with all
kinds. However, due to the limit of time, the researcher would focus on the fairy
tales. Besides, it would be taken a long time to do the project to all fairy tales, so
the researcher just devotes the research to the moral lessons in the three stories:
“The Happy Prince”, “The Nightingale and the Rose” and “The Giant
Selfish” in “The Happy Prince and Other Tales” (1888)
5. Research question
How moral lessons are conveyed in the three short stories?
6. Design of the study
The thesis is divided into five chapters, which can be generally
categorized into three main parts: Introduction (chapter I), Development
(chapter II, III, IV) and Conclusion (chapter V), each of which will be
respectively presented as below:
Chapter I deals with rationales, aims, research questions and scope of
study.
Chapter II discusses the theories of Literature: the brief view of

literature, its functions, fiction elements, and British Literature in the second half
of the XIX century.
Chapter III is about the author‟s life, career, writing style and the
summary of three fairy tales that researcher choose to do the thesis.
Chapter IV presents the analysis.
Chapter V covers the general conclusion of the whole thesis.

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CHAPTER II: THEORY OF LITERATURE
1. Definition of Literature
“Literature is life”. That is what people always say about Literature. It
all comes from the truth that Literature refers to anything happen in life, to
human beings and animals or “just everything” that are used to convey the
visions, the attitudes and the messages of writers. With the materials provided
and the in – depth meaning under the surface of letters, Literature is news that
stays new. It is always fresh and new every time the readers read and discover.
In Literature world, the people live in a new life, their minds are broadened, and
their souls are bred with meaningful and interesting ideas, mixed emotions and
adventurous feelings.
2. Main functions of a literary work
A literary works provides readers its author‟s vision of the world and of
human life. It brings about a sense of time and an understanding of the human
psychological as well as physical world in different perspectives. It is Literature
that betters the life of its readers, helps them improve their social behaviors and
thinking. Therefore, a literary works has many functions: Reflective function,
Educational

Function,

Aesthetic

Function,

Entertaining

Function,

Communicative Function and etc. Among those functions, Reflective,
Educational, Aesthetic Function are viewed as the most important functions of a
literary works.
2.1. Reflective function
Reflective function is regarded as the first and basic function of a literary
work because literature is defined as a means to convey an author‟s visions of
life, the object of literature is rooted from man and his real life. Each writer has
his/her own method of writing and considers life and society in different aspects.
For example, Hemingway used the images of a war and human fates to express
his hatred to war, Jack London through his hero – Martin Eden – he wanted to
show his attitudes towards bourgeois society. Moreover, “a writer should write
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a truthful sentence” said Hemingway. Although novels, stories are imaginary,
“a true good book can speak of imaginary people so vividly that they seem more
alive than people we meet on the streets and can make us care more about its
characters as if they were close friends” said Alice Standey. At each period of
history, characters are described similarly to the prominent characteristics and
personalities of people. It is, therefore, believed that the real world is reflected
through literature.

2.2. Educational Function
Pantopxki – a Russian writer – once said: “literature shows us different
life – styles, helps us to understand the power of man’s soul, know what is right,
what is wrong, what is happiness, beauty and love.” Literature plays a quite
important role in forming personalities, educating and improving one‟s ideology
and feelings. In addition, literature create in one‟s mind the live for the beauty of
art, help them to understand law of human, of nature, of social and political
awareness and therefore, to broaden their knowledge of life. Characters in a
literature work are always the samples for readers to imitate positively and
negatively. Literature can educate people to live more meaningfully and
humanely.
2.3. Aesthetic Function
Literature holds within itself Aesthetic Function, which means the
function to satisfy the demand for beauty of human being. Beauty often lies in
the story‟s narration, in the noble senses and feelings of characters, in the
discovery of new and interesting or meaningful life. Sometimes, beauty even
lies in tragedy and sorrow. It is the desire for beauty in life that makes the
readers think about themselves, think about their life and their love. With its
own Aesthetic Function, Literature enriches human life.
3. Aspects of a fiction
When exploring a literary works, we should pay due attention to several
important aspects of it, which are Plot, Character, Settings and Themes.

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3.1. Theme
Theme is the central unifying element of the story, which ties together, all
of the other elements of fiction used by the author to tell the story. It indicates
the pivotal ideas around which the author was writing. In order to identify a

theme of a story, one must know the whole story.
3.2. Plot
The plot of a story is the series created by the author to tell the story. “A
plot is a narrative of event” said E.M.Foster, and is generally understood as an
author‟s choice and arrangements of events on time or sequence but not
compulsory for all kinds of fiction. Plot may be discussed in term of rising
action, climax, and falling action. The term rising action refers to the events
before a climax, while the falling action refers to the events which occur after
the climax. The climax may be defined as the highest point of interest in a story
and it is the point at which one (or more) of the conflicts is resolved. If there is
more than one conflict in the story, there may be more than one climax. In a
plot, the time – sequence is preserved, but the sense of causality overshadows it.
Events and activities which are initial elements of a plot must be well –
organized to attract readers‟ attentions and passion. The plot of a fiction is often
based on historical events or social situations and is developed based on author‟s
intention.
3.3. Characters
The performer of action in a fictional work called character play an
important role in forming an interesting work. Character is considered the soul
of a literature work and determines its vitality. Character might be anyone, any
being in real life. “A character is a fictional representation of a person – usually
(but not necessary) a psychologically realistic depiction” said Kirszner and
Mendell.
In general, characters fall on two categories: flat and round characters. A
flat character, according to E.M.Foster, “can be express in one sentence”. Flat
character is a minor character in a story, therefore, it is easy to describe,
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understand and identify that type of characters. In contrast, round characters are

the major ones. In a fictional work they are well – developed, complex, closely
involved in and responsive to the plot. Hence, round characters are readers‟
main attentiveness in a literature work. Appearing together in a fiction, both
round and flat characters must be well – organized and combined, but cannot be
copied exactly all the details of real people.
3.4. Settings
Together with character, setting plays an important role in forming an
interesting plot. It is the times and places in which the events of the story occur.
An author may base on the social or historical setting to create a plot with
typical types of characters. There are two types of settings: natural setting and
artificial setting. To write for children – fairy tales – for example natural setting
does help so much. And artificial setting always reflects people who make them.
A house or a flat, for example, tells readers about people‟s tastes, economic
status.
4. British Literature in the second half of the XIX century
4.1. Social circumstances
Oscar Wilde lived and worked in such an age as the so – called “The end
of the century” or “Of no time”. In the second half of XIX century, all the states
in every field of Great Britain such as economy, politics…,etc. were threatened.
According to L. Corres in An anthology of English Literature XIX, a violent
economic crisis occurred, trading business saw no progress. Economic activities
in the whole country were stagnant. Meanwhile the working class movement led
by Trade Unions became stronger. Strikes and the demonstration took place
everywhere in Great Britain under the socialist ideas. Poverty and
unemployment swept over the country. The English bourgeois did not pay
attention to the miserable living condition of the common people. They launched
wars in order to look for ways of imperialist expansion in search of new markets
and they increased the oppression of the working class to better than their own
life. They exposed all the more the deep and uncompromising contradictions.
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The bourgeois society principles were shaken to the root. Life was full of
injustice, evils, wick-less, etc.
Hypocrisy seemed to be the striking feature of the English society
especially of the English bourgeois. V.I.Lenin remarked: “Hypocrisy can be
found everywhere but nowhere has such a terrible and subtle one as that in
England”.
The crisis in British economic and political life led to the crisis in England
culture. Artists, poets, novelists, musicians and all the intellectuals deeply hated
the bourgeois society which lacked of humanity and sundered the development
of human character and intelligence. They had the cultural depression, the
decadence in the spiritual life of bourgeois society, the alien ideology of
bourgeois escape, when could create attempts be tended to? Oscar Wilde wrote:
“We are born in war time. Where should we go in these unhappy, hopeless
minutes? Nowhere but the existence of everlasting beauty are we in? That’s the
only place that always brings us joy and oblivion as well”. Oscar Wilde‟s
restlessness, no doubt was the hesitation of his contemporary artist, but his
solution disclosed the way out of only a part of writers at that time.
The last decade of the 19th century saw of new ideas which gave birth to a
fresh set of force in economic - political and literary life and at the same time
witnessed a reaction against many of the old Victorian ideals.
- The first source of new ideas came from the growing class –
consciousness of the working class aroused by the progressive – minded
thinkers of the time. The growing class – consciousness of the workers made the
development of the working class movement possible.
- In 1883, a group of independent socialist from the middle class formed
the Fabian Society. The Fabians held that a better future for the people could
only be achieved on the basis of a scientific organization of society.
- It was also in this period that Carl Marx (1818 – 1883) and Frederick

Engels (1820 – 1895) were finalizing their system of ideas on political economy.

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Marx presented three vital economic theories on labor value, surplus value and
capitalist accumulation process.
- Meanwhile, British colonial expansion was going on abroad.
4.2. Literature
In English literature, N. Nikiforova considered that on the basis of such a
social background, various trends of literature developed at the end of the 19th
century. Broadly categorized, these trends fall into two divisions: progressive
and regressive.
- Belonging to the progressive trend were George Eliot, George
Mercedith, Samuel Butler, Thomas Hardy… These writers continued the
realistic traditions of their predecessor, the great writes of critical realism, and
presented in their creative works a truthful picture of their contemporary life.
- Writers belonging to the regressive trend with Oscar Wilde as their
representative severely protested against the description of reality in their works.
They tried to lead the readers away from life, into the world of dreams and
fantasy into the realm of everlasting beauty and became the “ivory – tower”
writers. They idealized the patriarchal way of life and criticized capitalism
chiefly for its anti – aestheticism. At the end of the century this reactionary
theory found its expression in decadent literature and art. They appreciated the
outer – form and a creative work rather than value of its content. They
meanwhile set up a new aesthetic conception in art, which was “Art for Art’s
sake”.

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CHAPTER III: OSCAR WILDE’S BIOGRAPHY
1. Life
Oscar Wilde, or better known as Oscar Wilde O‟Flahertic Fingal Wills
Wilde, was born in Dublin in October 16th, 1854 in a well – to – do family. He
had brilliant parents, both of whom adored wit and society and had solid
accomplishment to their credit. His father, Sir William was a surgeon (a famous
physician specialist) in the treatment of the eye. He also had a famous reputation
in such fields as ethnology, archaeology, and literature. On the other hand, his
private life created a sensation with love affairs. His mother, Mrs. Jane Francisca
Elgee, who was the daughter of a lawyer, excelled in many languages, including
contemporary French, German, and old Celtic. She was well known in Dublin as
a graceful write of verse and prose. Oscar Wilde‟s childhood was spent under
the great influence of his mother, an excellent woman. It was her who fervently
followed Irish nationalism and composed poetry and spent so much time
collecting folk tales. It was due to her active youth she published her burning
poems under the name “Speranza” in hope that it might hasten her people to
attack Dublin castle. She also wrote prose and imitative verse for the “Young
Ireland” party. In her there remained the contempt for the English arrogance and
insolence and she was inclined to make the narrow – minded ethical and the
trivial arrogance of the English bourgeoisie change for the better since then it is
sure that the disregard of bourgeois morality and the scornful attitude towards
cowardice which is inherited later in Wilde‟s character has begun. And he also
luckily inherited her beautiful style, his parents' literary talent, and their
educational interest. His mother, Jane, was eager to have a girl for her second
child when Oscar was born. She was so deeply disappointed to know that the
child was a boy that she began to bring him up as a girl.
Researcher is sure that such an experience in his infancy must have had a
great influence on his personality. Robert Sherard, one of the most reliable
Oscar Wilde biographers, insisted: "This fact must be regarded as pivotal by a

10


pathologist or a psychoanalyst (The Life of Oscar Wilde)." Sherard indicated that
Oscar had become homosexual because of experiences in his infancy. We know
today that there are other factors involved.
Coming from intellectual origin Wilde easily came to the fullest schooling
and that is why it is explained about Wilde‟s work that it is all became of his
inborn luck. He has gradually obtained a wonderfully humane education. He was
first educated at Port Royal School, Enniskillen from 1864 to 1871 which was
famous as the "Eaton School of Ireland." He excelled in the humanities and he
studied in the same class as his older brother, William.
When he was seventeen, he entered Trinity College in Dublin, and met a
famous professor called Mahaffy, who was an authority on Hellenism, or Greek
spirit. He learned of the marvelousness of Hellenism from Professor Mahaffy,
and was greatly absorbed in it. After that, he became attached to Hellenism and
was eager to become intimate with a beautiful boy like Adonis who was loved
by Aphrodite (Venus) or a handsome youth like Apollo, both Greek
mythological figures. After entering Maudarin College, Oxford University, at
the age of twenty, his inclination toward Hellenism became stronger and
stronger. Two professors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin, had a great effect on
Wilde during his Oxford days.
Later, when he was in jail, Oscar said, "There were two turning points for
me: one was that my father had sent me to Oxford University, and the other was
that a severe society had sent me to jail." Oxford University was a glory for him,
and it was simultaneously a passage to destruction. The biographer, Ellmann,
indicated that Oxford University, in those days, was one of the most prestigious
universities in the world, but it was also a very vulgar place where almost all the
students indulged in dissipation. He added that the Greek and Latin classics
promoted vices such as homosexuality or bisexuality.

There is one other thing that is significant in Oscar Wilde's character.
When Oscar left Oxford University in 1878, he called himself "a professor of

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aesthetic" and he thought that aestheticism was the creed that would be
attributed to him.
2. Career
2.1. Noted works
In 1884, he married Constance Uoyd, two sons were born of the marriage.
He had already published in 1881 a selection of his poems which however, only
attracted admiration in limited circle. 1888 appeared “The Happy Prince and
Other Tales” and this charming volume of fairy tales were followed up by a 2nd
selection of fairy stories “The House of Pomegranates” (1892), acknowledged
by the author to be “intended neither for the British child nor the British public”.
His fairy tales were imbued with great love for humanity, immense compassion
for the poor and profound sympathy with their sufferings. His only novel and
meanwhile his masterpiece “The picture of Dorian Gray” was published in 1891.
In the novel he touched upon many problems he seemed to be professed of. And
the most important one was the reciprocal relationship between art, beauty and
morality. Not only in “The picture of Dorian Gray” did he express his Aesthetic
view but also in his essay “The Decay of Lying”, “The Critic as an Artist” and
“Pen, Pencil and poison” which were taken together into “Intention”. In the
same year tragedy in blank verse “The Duchess of Padcia” was produced in New
York. His poems are elegant, charming but do not disclose any original
personality, in their impertinence or their pathos, they strike us as unequally
successful experiments in verse. His first articles and essays bear too obvious
marks of his inordinate desire for paradox. Wilde could not help seeing the evil
of contemporary life. He understood that social order was bad had to be replaced

by another system. He even spoke about socialism and wrote an essay “The Soul
of Man under Socialism” (1891) but the work shows the inconsistency of the
author‟s conception Wilde had a very vague ideas on the subject. Socialism
remained a beautiful dream to him. In his earlier work “Vera on the Nihilist”
(1882) Wilde wrote about Russian revolutionaries. The melodrama is primitive
and native, but is shows the people‟ belonging for freedom and happiness. With
12


intention, however, the serious bearing of what might have seemed a mere
affection grows manifest. In all directions, the criticism and the analysis here are
singularly far reaching. Nothing can be more intelligent.
But Wilde‟s first rate success with the larger public as dramatist was with
lady Windermere‟s Fan (1882) followed by “A Woman of No Importance”
(1893), “An Ideal Husband” (1895) and “The Importance of Being Earnest”
(1895). In his play, Wilde directs his satire against various aspect of
contemporary life: marriage relations, morality and class privileges. He reveals
the corruption of the upper classes. He shows the very way people can come to
power in English bourgeois. The wit and brilliance of these helped them to keep
the stage and they occasionally revived. Wilde‟s plays are remarkably successful
and stand out through their exceptional merit against the most unrelieved
mediocrity of theatrical production for a whole country. In 1893 appeared his
Salome, in which the cruelty of sensual passion is studied in a realistic manner,
has more unity, through his art might be more delicately shaded. Though his
books made him famous not only in England he was not very satisfied. He
wanted to create a work of art which comes from his own life, from himself. His
elegant look an appearance. His intelligent, acute, playful speech, his active
advocacy for hedonism that led to the explanation of selfishness, his almost
sinful admittance to morality: all these things have brought him reputation and at
the same time this was considered humiliating and doubtful. His successes as

dramatist hand by this time gone away to disabuse hostile critics of the
suspicions as regards his personal character which had been excited by the
apparent looseness of morals which since his Oxford days has always pleased to
affect, but to the consternation of his friends who ceased to credit the existence
of any real moral obliquity. At last, all these things fall into oblivion of humane
laws and morality and he then appeared in the place of defendant. In 1895 came
fatal revelations as the result of his bringing a libel action against the marquis of
Aucensberry. But is came from his ill – fated relationship with lord Alfred
Douglas, which culminated his arrest, 2 years imprisonment of homosexual
13


immorality in Reaching Gaol, not far from London with hard labor for offenses
under the Criminal law Amendment Act. He went bankrupt soon after. It was a
melancholy end a singularly brilliant career. After his release in 1897, he left
London for Paris to avoid all his ill – fame and commercial bankruptcy. He lived
mainly the rest of his life in Italy and France under the name Circadian Menmot.
In 1897 “Epistolary in Carrere et Vinculis” (letter from prison) was published by
his friends under the Title “De Profeendis”. A year later he wrote “Ballad of
reading Gaol”. His most sincere piece of writing was his swan song. It is the
traditional of the old English ballads and the Ancient Mariner but with a deep –
felt emotion that could arise only from the poet‟s bitter experience. While in
prison he wrote an apology for his life which was placed in the hands of his
executor published in 1905 – along bitter letter of recrimination to lord Alfred
Douglas. He died on November 11th, 1900. He left behind a precious legacy of
fairy tales, poems dramas and a marvelous novel. He too left lavish praises and
severe criticism. It is obvious that his literary road is not very smooth. His fame
is world – wide but rather bitter. His paradoxes hurt the citizen likings of the
middle class, broke the religious concepts and principles which had been built
for some ten years.

It is known to everybody that Oscar Wilde‟s name ever shines on any
papers of English literature as well as the history of English literature as the
leader of “English Aesthetic Movement” in the XIX century and a faithful
apostle of “Art for Art‟s sake” school. Many bourgeois literary critics affirmed
that “Oscar – Wilde was a decadent writer to the core”. They welcomed Wilde‟s
works with open hostile attitude. In the 90s of last century when his talent was in
blossom many of his works became objects of ridicule, poems imitated absurdly
and Oscar Wilde himself was a topic for cruel caricature.
It is necessary for everybody to mention Oscar Wilde‟s paradoxes.
Wilde‟s paradoxes, no exaggeration, brought perfection to his works. It
differentiates him from other writers. And up till now, there has been almost no
writer who outshines him in this field. It is no doubt that Oscar Wilde is a man
14


of paradoxes. Paradox can find its full expression both in his works and his life.
As the leader of the “Aesthetic Movement” in England and the apostle of “Art
for Art‟s sake” Oscar Wilde maintains that art stands above all.
The deeper we go into the analysis of Oscar Wilde the better we realize
his talent. It is true to think of him as a versatile writer and a monster of
omniscience. Through his works, he is regarded a realistic writer than decadent
one and he is an apostle of “Art for heart‟s sake” rather than that of “Art for art‟s
sake”.
2.2. Writing style
Oscar Wilde had often spoken of his belief that, in artistic matters, style
outweighed sincerity or substance. As such, in his novel The Picture of Dorian
Gray, his attention was therefore paid to form and the nuances of wording in his
novel. If the novel was an “essay on decorative art”, it was also a piece of
decorative art composed of carefully selected phrases. In fact, Wilde was so
determined to have perfection in his works, when he was asked to write a story

of a hundred thousand beautiful words, he complained that “there are not one
hundred thousand beautiful words in the English language.”
Oscar Wilde had a phenomenal ability to incorporate aspects of both
fantasy and realism into his works. Through thoughtful imagery and realistic
dialect, he successfully merged two contradicting genres into a fascinatingly
morbid tale. Wilde also excelled in his use of imagery. He vividly described
people and situations with many types of literary devices though his favorite and
therefore most frequented is morbid imagery. He commanded an astonishing
mastery of the art of morbidity, describing in unusual detail images of corpses
and blood and a murder that would rival anything in modern cinema. “He
[Dorian] rushed at him [Basil], and dug the knife into the great vein that is
behind the ear, crushing the man‟s head down on the table, and stabbing again
and again. There was a stifled groan, and the horrible sound on someone
choking with blood. Three times the outstretched arms shot up convulsively,
waving grotesque stiff-fingered hands in the air. He stabbed him twice more,
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but the man did not move. Something began to trickle on the floor. He waited
for a moment, still pressing the head down. He could hear nothing, but the drip,
drip on the threadbare carpet” (Wilde p.126). This passage describes in
haunting detail a gruesome murder and paints a terrifying picture in even the
most unimaginative mind.
However, most readers are divided in their response to a style and
atmosphere which early reviewers found deeply distasteful. Richard Elman
wrote of „a certain gaminess‟ about Wilde‟s favorite poem „Charm ides‟ (Elman,
p.135), and the phrase could also pertain to The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Another style that is prevalent in Oscar Wilde‟s novel is the presence of
dialogue rather than action. He prefers his characters to engage in casual
conversation in a sitting room much more often than actual action. Through his

writing, Wilde seems to be striving to stimulate the visual and musical arts
through language primarily.
Whether descriptive or dialogic, Wilde‟s writing in the novel is
characterized by the use of paradox (a statement or proposition that seems selfcontradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth). It is his
favorite stylistic device. Contemporary reviewers were quick to identify the
technique and belittle it, or argue that it only played on „the convertibility of
terms.‟ However his style was soon accepted by the vast majority of British
reviewers. Writing in the Free Review (June 1, 1895), literary critic, Ernest
Newman hailed Wilde‟s style saying, “To hear one of Mr. Wilde‟s paradoxes by
itself is to be startled; to read them in their proper context is to recognize the
great fact on which I have already insisted, that a paradox is a truth seen round a
corner. There is not one of his paradoxes that does not argue our straightly and
squarely, and we rise from the perusal of them with a self-conscious wisdom
that we had not before.”
Another style familiar to Oscar Wilde is his incredible talent for morbidity
and evil. He had an astonishing grasp on the reality of human nature and the
darkness that resides in every one's soul. Unlike most writers of his time, Wilde
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was particularly in tune with the darker side of things. He recognized the lust
for immortality that is built into every human being and exemplified it in his
novel. Dorian‟s greed for eternal youth results in the deterioration of his soul as
seen in his portrait. He had an insight into evil that few authors of his time
period could claim and he mastered this insight and put it into writing with
incredible ease.
Few authors have successfully written with a skill to rival that of Oscar
Wilde‟s. Though Stephen King mastered morbidity, he fails to grasp the
eloquence and rhetoric of Wilde‟s style. Likewise, the eloquence of text can be
closely matched by an author such as Charles Dickens, but Dickens cannot be

closely compared to Wilde in his sense of imagery. Wilde had the whole
package and no writer, even to this day, has been able to mimic his distinct, and
slightly disturbing, writing style.
3. The Happy Prince and Other Tales
3.1. General introduction to the book
The Happy Prince and Other Tales (sometimes called The Happy Prince
and Other Stories) is a collection of stories for children by Oscar Wilde first
published in May 1888. It deals primarily with love and selfishness. These
stories are generally sad, with a moralistic message. It is most famous for its title
story, “The Happy Prince”, the short tale of a metal statue who befriends a
migratory bird. Together, they bring happiness to others, in life as well as in
death. This book contains five stories, "The Happy Prince", "The Nightingale
and the Rose", "The Selfish Giant", "The Devoted Friend", and "The
Remarkable Rocket".
Wilde himself said little of the book, but a passing remark of his about
one of the tales could be applied to all of them as well: “The Happy Prince,”
he wrote in a letter, “is an attempt to treat a tragic modern problem in a form that
aims at delicacy and imaginative treatment; it is a reaction against the purely
imitative character of modern art.” The “form” Wilde chooses is fantasy, which
he clearly prefers to realism or the “purely imitative character of modern art”:
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Wilde can treat a tragic problem even in a fairy tale that is unconcerned with
sordid details or with a fidelity to everyday occurrences, Wilde also said that the
tales were not intended for children.
The tales examine a number of vices and virtues. Most of the tales expose
and criticize selfishness and insensitivity. The Selfish Giant will not permit
children to play in his beautiful garden. The Star - Child rejects “inferiors” as
well as his own mother. The Infant makes fun of a deformed dwarf who dances

for the Infant's pleasure on her birthday. Big Hugh the Miller, ironically styled
“The Devoted Friend,” hypocritically steals from his neighbor, little Hans. The
Young King embraces an unaccustomed life of luxury and lives entirely for
pleasure. The Roman Rocket in “The Remarkable Rocket” considers himself
inexpressibly superior to lesser fireworks.
In a few of the tales, the main character recognizes his error, is repentant,
and achieves something like a state of grace. This process occurs in “The
Selfish Giant,” “The Young King,” and “The Star-Child.” In other tales,
characters like Big Hugh, the Infant, and the Remarkable Rocket remain blinded
by their conceit and consequently unregenerate. Two of the tales, “The Happy
Prince” and “The Nightingale and the Rose,” deal with self-sacrifice and love
and portray, unlike the other stories, virtues rather than vices.
The stories convey an appreciation for the exotic, the sensual and for
masculine beauty.
3.2. Summary of “The Happy Prince”
The protagonist of the story is a gilt and bejeweled statue of a prince, who
stands on a tall column overlooking a city. A swallow, who has delayed his
migration to Egypt for the love of a reed, rests on the statue's plinth; the Prince
is crying at the injustices he can now observe, having been isolated from the
realities of his society while he was alive. The Prince asks the swallow to
remove the ruby that adorns his sword, and give it to a poor seamstress with a
sick child; the swallow does so. The swallow stays with the Prince over the
ensuing weeks, distributing the jewels and gold from the Prince to the poor of
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the city. When the Prince is completely lack of gold, the swallow realizes he is
dying from cold; the Prince asks the swallow to kiss him on the lips. The
swallow dies, and the Prince's lead heart breaks. The next day, the Mayor of the
city observes the state of the statue, and orders it to be removed and melted

down. The Prince's heart does not melt in the furnace, and it is discarded on to
the same dust-heap where the swallow's body is lying:
"Bring me the two most precious things in the city," said God to one of
His Angels; and the Angel brought Him the leaden heart and the dead bird.
"You have rightly chosen," said God, "for in my garden of Paradise this
little bird shall sing for evermore, and in my city of gold the Happy Prince shall
praise me."
3.3. Summary of “The Selfish Giant”
“The Selfish Giant” moves around a person who is very selfish by
nature. He is tall, massive and looks ugly. He doesn‟t like the children who are
to playing in his Garden.
On the giant's return from visiting an ogre, he takes offence at the
children, and builds a wall to keep them out. As a consequence of this, the
garden is condemned to perpetual winter. One day, the giant is awakened by a
linnet, and discovers that spring has returned to the garden, as the children have
found a way in through a gap in the wall. He sees the error of his ways, and
decides to destroy the wall - however, when he appears from his castle, all the
children run away, except for one boy, who is crying so much that he does not
notice the giant. The giant helps this boy into a tree that he wants to climb; the
boy kisses him in return. The giant announces: "It is your garden now, little
children," and knocks down the wall; the children once more play in the garden,
and spring returns. But the boy that the Giant helped does not, and the Giant is
heartbroken. Many years later, the Giant is old and feeble, and awakes, one
winter morning, to see the trees in one part of his garden in full blossom. He
descends from the castle, to discover the boy that he once helped lying beneath a
beautiful white tree that the Giant has never seen before. The Giant sees that the
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