1.
The Happy Prince
Oscar Wilde
Summary
The
story is a parable. It gives us heart touching lessons. The prince in the story
is no living prince. He is the statue of a dead prince decorated with gold
leaves and precious stones. When the happy prince is alive, he lives in a
palace where sorrow is not allowed to enter. He lives a life of happiness.
That’s why he was called happy prince.
However,
when he dies his courtiers set his statute on a tall column in the middle of
the city. The statue of the happy prince sees all the misery of the city. He
weeps when he sees people in trouble. He wants to help them.
The
little swallow acts as his messenger, and he gives away all his wealth. The
Swallow was on his way back to his homeland when the prince had detained him to
help the poor. He still wished to go back but now it was too late. The intense
cold killed him. Thus the little swallow lost his life in helping the poor. His
death broke the prince’s heart. So the swallow and the prince perished for a
noble cause. But their death was not the end. It made them immortal. That is
why the angel selected the dead swallow and the lifeless heart of the prince as
the noblest things on earth. The story teaches a very useful and very true
lesson. We learn that God loves those who love their fellow human beings. (245
words)
What did the Swallow tell the Happy Prince about the city and the
people?
What did the Swallow report to the Happy Prince about human misery
or suffering?
Discuss the role of the Swallow in the story.
The
little swallow plays a very important role in the story. He told the Happy
Prince about the condition of the rich and the poor. In the dark lanes, he saw
the white faces of starving children and reported to the Happy Prince.
He
told the Happy Prince a very miserable thing. He told him about the two boys
who were hungry and homeless. He told the price about the poor helpless
matchbox girl. He told the prince about the fatigued writer. He told him about
the hungry and ill child.
He
carries gold leaves and precious stones to the poor people who need these
things. He does the noble work of rescue and relief. He stays with the happy
prince to help the poor in the city. He stays on till it is too late. The cold
kills him. The angle of God carries away his dead body as one of the most
precious things on earth.
The
role played by the little swallow has a lesson for us. We learn that even a
little bird can help the poor and the needy if he gets a chance. Why not human
beings? (193 words)
“The Happy Prince” is a
fairly tale. Discuss.
In
a fairly tale we find unreal characters like fairies, giants, witches and
talking animals. It is a story, which is hard to believe. The events of a fairy
tale do not happen in real life. The most important quality of a fairy tale is
that it always has a happy conclusion. So, The Happy Prince is also a fairy
tale as we can read the swallow talking to the happy prince and we read a
statue having the feelings and talking to others. HE even cries on the
suffering of the poor. The swallow picks of ruby, sapphires and gold covering
without any tool.
The
end of the story is also makes it a perfect fairy tale. The swallow will always
sing in the garden of paradise and the Happy Prince will always praise God in
the city of gold. This is quite a happy ending and fulfils the most important
requirement of a fairy tale. Therefore, we can conclude that the story “The
Happy Prince” is a perfect fairy tale. (172)
How has the writer brought out poverty in the story “The Happy
Prince”?
How has the writer brought out exploitation in the story “The
Happy Prince”?
The
write has illustrated the vivid poverty, exploitation and hypocrisy in the
story. We find various examples of these highlights of the writer in the story.
We read that the son of the tailor is suffering from fever, but she cannot
attend to him. She is embroidering passionflowers for the Queen’s
made-of-honour to wear at the next court-ball. The poor are working hard, but
they cannot buy even oranges. This is the worst kind of exploitation.
On
one side, some people are so poor that they are starving and on the other hand
the rich are making merry and the Jews are weighing out money on copper scales.
The writers of that time are also being exploited. They are cold and cold with
hunger. The Mayor and the Town Councilors are exploiting their powers. Each one
of them himself wants to have built statue. The Mayor even issues a
proclamation that birds are not to be allowed to die there. This is purely an
exploitation of power. (167 words)
How has the writer brought out hypocrisy in the story “The Happy
Prince”?
The writer has brought out hypocrisy in the
story “The Happy Prince” in a very beautiful manner. One of the town councilors
does not have artistic taste, but he wants to show that he has that artistic
taste. He praises the beauty of the Happy Prince in the most inartistic way. He
says that the statue is as beautiful as a weathercock. His simile shows how
ignorant he is. He is so hypocrite that he adds that he is not quite useful for
the fear of the people. Because in those days people believed that art must
have had some usefulness, otherwise it was bad art.
The
town councilors are the worst example of hypocrisy. They always agree with the
Mayor just to get his favour. They are so hypocrites that they even repeat the
words spoken by the Mayor. When the professor sees the Swallow, he writes a
long letter to the local newspaper. It is full of so many words that people
cannot understand it. However, they still quote it to each other just to show
off. (179 words)
What is the theme of the story “The Happy Prince”?
The
story “The Happy Prince” has at least three themes. The first theme of the
story is that outward beauty is nothing it is just a show. The real beauty is
the love and sacrifice. The end of the story gives this idea.
The
second theme is that love and sacrifice are two saving forces. This world is
full of poverty, hypocrisy, and exploitation. If there were no love and
sacrifice, the world could not go on its axis. It is because of love and
sacrifice that this life is going on. Therefore, it is true that love and
sacrifice are two saving forces.
The
third theme of the story is that there is great gap between the rich and the
poor, the rulers and the masses. Therefore, it means that the rulers at that
time did not know about the problems and the difficulties of the masses. (148
words)
Discuss the end of the story “The Happy Prince”.
The
story “The Happy Prince” is a fairy tale and the end of a fairly tale is always
happy. In a fairly tale characters face difficulties and they endanger their
lives to get their desired goals. They face so many hardships that it appears
that they cannot succeed. However, at the end they always succeed and live
happily ever after.
In
the story, “The Happy Prince” the end appears tragic. The Swallow and the Happy
Prince both die and are thrown on a dust heap. However, this is not the real
end of the story. The Swallow and the Happy Prince has sacrificed their lives
to help the poor and the needy. God is happy with their sacrifices. Therefore,
God rewards them and orders that the Swallow will sing in the garden of
paradise and the Happy Prince will praise him.
Therefore,
we see that this is quite a happy ending. It fulfills the most important
requirement of a fairy tale. This end cannot be called a tragic end. (169 words)
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