Questions and Answers for Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
The Happy Prince Summary
The story "The Happy Prince" is a moral and social allegory in that it places shallowness vs. altruism; idleness vs. sacrifice; and contempt vs. compassion under the perspective of the one person...
Oscar Wilde
The Nightingale And The Rose Analysis
To do a critical review of "The Nightingale and the Rose," start by looking at the themes of the story. Firstly, through the character of the nightingale, Wilde explores the theme of sacrifice. Her...
Oscar Wilde
Who are the characters of the story "The Happy Prince?"
The Happy Prince. The main character in this story. He used to live a happy life as a prince in the royal palace until he dies. A statue of him is then built and placed on a tall column high above...
Oscar Wilde
What is the moral of Oscar Wilde's "The Nightingale and the Rose"?
Arguably, the moral of "The Nightingale and the Rose" is that true love involves sacrifice and selflessness. Wilde makes this point through his characterization of the nightingale, the bird who...
Oscar Wilde
The Nightingale And The Rose Summary
The story is about the poignance and beauty of making a sacrifice even if it is wasted. In this story, a male student, who spends his time in his books, falls in love with a young woman. She says...
Oscar Wilde
How is figurative language used in "The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde?
In "The Selfish Giant," Oscar Wilde begins by using figurative language to emphasize the beauty of of the garden, where flowers stand out of the grass "like stars" in the sky. These flowers are...
Oscar Wilde
What is the summary of "The Young King" by Oscar Wilde?
It is the night before the coronation of the Young King, a boy of sixteen who has only recently become aware of his royal birth, having lived most of his life as a simple shepherd before...
Oscar Wilde
What are the moral lessons in "The Nightingale and the Rose" by Oscar Wilde?"
A sad story about undying and altruistic love, "The Nightingale and the Rose" is essentially a parable that reads like a romantic story, and is presented as a fairy tale. In typical Wilde style,...
Oscar Wilde
Describe the main characters of the story "The Nightingale and the Rose."
The nightingale describes the student who needs the red rose for his "true love" as follows: His hair is dark as the hyacinth-blossom, and his lips are red as the rose of his desire; but passion...
Oscar Wilde
In 1891, Irish author Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) observed, "Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is...
In this question, we are asked "to what extent" Wilde's claims are valid. Based on the examples of the readings you provided, it would appear that Wilde's claims are valid only to some extent....
Oscar Wilde
What are some literary devices in The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde?
In the short story “The Happy Prince,” Oscar Wilde uses many literary devices to create a fairytale that shows how generosity and compassion can alleviate sadness, illness, and poverty, even in a...
Oscar Wilde
What is the ending of “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde?
Oscar Wilde's short story "The Happy Prince" is a satire commenting on social class distinctions and the wastefulness and selfishness of the upper class, particularly the nobility. The story...
Oscar Wilde
What key issues and themes does Oscar Wilde convey through his texts? Also, any particular literary devices he uses...
Oscar Wilde's works include a wide range of nonfiction, plays, a novel, and poems. In these works he expresses a consistent ideological position that art should be independent of morality, and has...
Oscar Wilde
In Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, what is important about the scene where Lady Bracknell interviews...
The scene from act 1 in which Lady Bracknell interviews Jack is an excellent example of Oscar Wilde's satire. Just before this scene, Lady Bracknell has discovered that her daughter Gwendolen wants...
Oscar Wilde
The Selfish Giant Analysis
"The Selfish Giant" centers around a giant with his garden and the children who enjoy playing in it. The giant, when he returns to find the children in his garden, drives them out and builds a wall...
Oscar Wilde
What does the storyteller mean by the words "Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the...
In Oscar Wilde's text "The Model Millionaire," the charming and penniless Hughie Erskine is madly in love with Laura Merton, the daughter of a retired colonel who finds Hughie congenial but will...
Oscar Wilde
In Oscar Wilde's "The Nightingale and the Rose," what are the social backgrounds of the characters? How is the...
The object of the student's affections is clearly a member of the social elite, otherwise she wouldn't have been invited to the Prince's ball. We're not sure of the student's social background but...
Oscar Wilde
Explain the following paragraph from The Happy Prince: "I am covered with fine gold,"said the Prince, "You must take...
The Prince was looking over the city noticing how deprived he was of the truth: That while he was Prince and rich, the people of lesser birth died of hunger and disease in poverty at the slums....
Oscar Wilde
In the short story "The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde, the writer presents the idea that love and kindness could help...
Oscar Wilde’s story can be interpreted in general terms as promoting generosity as a path to eternal peace, but it is generally understood as a Christian allegory. The narrator presents the Giant...
Oscar Wilde
Name some of the figures of speech in "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde.
Figures of speech enhance a piece of literature by using words in ways that go beyond their literal meaning. Wilde uses euphemism in "The Happy Prince." Euphemism means putting something harsh into...
Oscar Wilde
What is the rising action in Wilde's story "The Happy Prince"?
The rising action in the story consists of the swallow helping the the Happy Prince to do good for his people. During his life, the Prince never ventured from his palace and had no idea that the...
Oscar Wilde
Why did the old man smile when Hughie gave him the gold coin in the story "The Model Millionaire"?
In Oscar Wilde's "The Model Millionaire," a young man named Hughie Erskine performs an act of kindness that yields him great reward. Although he is handsome and well-liked, Hughie does not come...
Oscar Wilde
How does the swallow die?
The swallow is a bird who needs to migrate to a warm climate in the winter months. The swallow in this story instead chooses to stay with the Happy Prince in order to fulfill the prince's request...
Oscar Wilde
What is the theme in "The Young King" by Oscar Wilde?
One of the main themes in The Young King is self-transformation. This young king who lives in opulence and extravagance has an ephiphany through a dream, realizing that the golden and expensive...
Oscar Wilde
How does the short story "The Model Millionaire" reflect the values and ideas of the Victorian Age?
The industrial revolution has widened the gap between the rich and the poor like never before in the Victorian era (1830-1900). The literature of the time reflected the growing disparity in the...
Oscar Wilde
What is the significance of the dandy in Oscar Wilde's social comedies (besides hinting at the author's sexuality)?
If we think about the various social comedies that Wilde wrote, it is clear that one ingredient he added to the form of comedy was the figure of the dandy. The dandy could be defined as a man with...
Oscar Wilde
Could you please name some metaphors in ''The Happy Prince'' by Oscar Wilde? I am writing a term paper on this topic,...
Rather surprisingly, Oscar Wilde does not use many overt metaphors in "The Happy Prince." He uses a plethora of similes as he describes the settings and characters of the story, but metaphors are...
Oscar Wilde
Compare and contrast Cecilyand Gwendolyn in the Importance of being Earnest
Cecily Cardew is Jack Worthing's ward. She is young, has inherited a fortune from her deceased parents, and she was left to the care of Jack and her governess, Ms. Prism. Although she has money,...
Oscar Wilde
What is the theme of "The Sphinx Without a Secret" by Oscar Wilde?
In "The Sphinx Without a Secret," Wilde explores the theme of love. This is shown from the beginning of the story when the narrator meets with his friend Lord Murchison, a man who is "troubled" by...
Oscar Wilde
How is figurative language used in ''The Devoted Friend'' by Oscar Wilde?
Oscar Wilde’s “A Devoted Friend” is an example of a type of story called a “fable.” Fables usually sound like children’s stories because they are meant to instruct or demonstrate a moral, and they...
Oscar Wilde
How does "The Nightingale and the Rose" highlight human selfishness?
This seemingly simple story, when examined closely, develops several meaningful themes in regard to human nature, one of them being that of blind selfishness. The student is selfish in that he is...
Oscar Wilde
How does the title of "The Remarkable Rocket" by Oscar Wilde relate to and justify its theme?
In short, the title "The Remarkable Rocket" illustrates the self-importance and distorted view of reality that the rocket himself embodies. (He's a plain old rocket, keep in mind, just a stick that...
Oscar Wilde
"Happy Prince" is a story based on love and humanity. Do you agree? Give reasons.
As a children's story, "The Happy Prince" is indeed meant to be read on the surface level and is, just as it seems, a story entirely about love and humanity. The beginning of the story shows the...
Oscar Wilde
In Lady Windermere's Fan, the fan has got a deep symblolic value.Can you explain its functon and its value?Different...
The symbolism of color is the same across the board in the Western culture, so you may see that, whether it is applied to a fan or to a ribbon, dress, or curtain, the color is what is sending out...
Oscar Wilde
Why was Oscar Wilde known as having a flamboyant style?
Oscar Wilde was known for having a flamboyant lifestyle because he used his wit and intelligence to pursue a life of pleasure. He adopted a carefully-crafted public reputation which included an...
Oscar Wilde
Who is the author in "The Nightingale and the Rose," and what is the story's setting?
"The Nightingale and the Rose" was written by Oscar Wilde, an Irish author of the 19th century. In the story, the young man is identified only as a student. He is a good student, being very well...
Oscar Wilde
Study the opening paragraph of "The Model Millionaire." Which phrase do you think describes Hughie Erskine best? Why...
I believe the phrase that best describes Hughie Erskine in the first paragraph of "The Model Millionaire" is he had every accomplishment except that of making money. This best describes Hughie...
Oscar Wilde
The Nightingale And The Rose Theme
In "The Nightingale and the Rose," Wilde deals with the principal theme of what constitutes true love. To find this out, he compares and contrasts two types of love. In the first, Wilde presents...
Oscar Wilde
What are some figures of speech in ''The Remarkable Rocket'' by Oscar Wilde? I am writing a Term Paper on this topic,...
SIMILES: Comparisons that use the word "like" or "as." a) "The sledge was shaped like a great golden swan..." b) "she was as pale as the Snow Palace in which she had always lived." c) "'"She is...
Oscar Wilde
What are the characterization of the student, the young girl and the Nightingale in The Nightingale and the Rose by...
The nightingale describes the young student as a "true lover", and admires him for : His hair is dark as the hyacinth-blossom, and his lips are red as the rose of his desire; but passion has made...
Oscar Wilde
Three adjectives to describe "The Young King" by Oscar Wilde.
Three adjectives to describe "The Young Prince" by Oscar Wilde are: 1. Repentant (because he now sees how the town lived in the times when he was alive and loaded with everything while his subjects...
Oscar Wilde
Discuss how Oscar Wilde has brought out the theme of class divide's prevalence in society in his story "The Happy...
The city in which the story is set gives the impression of being a place where material wealth is considered all-important. The opulent statue of the Happy Prince, with its gold leaf and precious...
Oscar Wilde
What is Wilde’s attitude toward the Victorian preoccupation with philanthropy?
In The Importance of Being Earnest, philanthropy is mentioned once: when Gwendolen Fairfax goes to the country estate of Jack Worthing, who she believes is really called Ernest, because she wants...
Oscar Wilde
What are your views on the story, "The Nightingale and the Rose" written by Oscar Wilde?
While we generally associate Wilde with witty comedies of manners, this story, despite its dark and ironic ending, is heartfelt and sincere. My view is that Wilde believed in true love and was...
Oscar Wilde
What are the steps the nightingale takes to help the boy solve his problem?
When the nightingale hears the boy speaking of his need for a red rose, she immediately decides to help him. First of all, she flies to the centre of the grass plot to a rose tree. She asks the...
Oscar Wilde
Discuss the theme of manipulation in The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The other answer to this question does a great job of describing the foundations of manipulation as a theme in Dorian Gray, illustrating how Lord Henry manipulates Dorian, who in turn manipulates...
Oscar Wilde
What is the theme of "The Doer of Good" by Oscar Wilde?
Reading this poem twice is a good idea. If you have no familiarity with the Bible, then the story may not come as easily. This is the difficulty with allusions: if someone is unfamiliar with what...
Oscar Wilde
What is the setting of ''The Young King" by Oscar Wilde?
To determine the time period and location of Wilde's "The Young King," the reader has to look at context clues. Various locations are mentioned for trading—Egypt, Persia, India, and Italy—so these...
Oscar Wilde
In "The Nightingale and the Rose," what do you think the color of the rose might symbolize?
Oscar Wilde uses his short story "The Nightingale and the Rose" to satirize Romanticism. Literature of the Romantic period focused on the individual and placed value in intense emotions above...
Oscar Wilde
Explain the relationship between the Swallow and other characters in "The Happy Prince."
In Oscar Wilde’s “The Happy Prince,” the Swallow initially shares superficial relationships with other characters; through the course of the short story, however, the bird develops a deeper, more...
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