In this collection of stories, Wilde commentates on several things, and this commentary often comprises the central plot, due to their nature often being largely allegorical. The first thing that is commented on is Victorian society, and more specifically, the power discrepancy of the upper class. Wilde was an outspoken socialist, and voiced the concerns of many working class Victorians in much of his work; namely, the concern that the rich had too much influence and were exploiting the poor to get their riches.
The stories ‘The Young King’, ‘The Happy Prince’, ‘The Selfish Giant’, and ‘The Remarkable Rocket’ all contain this commentary. ‘The Young King’ condemns the current state of exploited labour, and the selfish upper-class who use said labour to create the lavish things they own, without caring for the people who made them. This idea is shown through a dream the King has, when he sees slaves suffering and dying to get the pearls, gold, and rubies for his crown, sceptre, and robe. This, while it is literal, could also be seen as allegorical, showing that the wealth of the rich and powerful comes from the labour of the poor, and not actually from the rich themselves. The literary device of personification is used to portray Avarice and Death as people; Death kills Avarice’s servants, who are slaves. This shows us how the avarice and greed of the rich often lead to the death of those who serve their greed.
A similar, yet slightly different critique of the rich is shown in the stories ‘The Happy Prince’ and ‘The Selfish Giant’. Both stories feature an allegory for the hoarding of wealth; the Giant is hoarding land, and the Prince is hoarding riches. In ‘The Happy Prince’, the swallow disperses all of the Prince’s gold and jewels to the people of the town, which makes everyone there much happier and more comfortable. This shows the reader the idea that if the rich dispersed their wealth for the greater good of the majority of people, there would be much less suffering in the world. In ‘The Selfish Giant’, once the Giant allows the children to play in the garden instead of keeping it for himself, the garden is the most beautiful he’s ever seen it. This suggests to the reader that the large amounts of land the rich own would benefit more people if they were shared to the public.
Lastly, ‘The Remarkable Rocket’ uses an allegorical satire to create a more specific image of an upper-class man who thinks he is entitled and special. The Rocket describes himself by saying “I am a very remarkable rocket, and come of remarkable parents. My mother was the most celebrated Catherine Wheel of her day, and was renowned for her graceful dancing.” This serves as an allegory for him being descended from nobility. The Rocket shuns all of the other fireworks, and shows off his extraordinary skill of crying, but this makes him wet and while the other fireworks are admired, he is tossed in the trash. The unpleasantness of his character, as well as subtle allusions to real-life attitudes, creates an acerbic image of the snobbish, conceited aristocrat.
A few of the other stories don’t reflect these themes around the rich, but rather look at innate human needs. In ‘The Canterville Ghost’, the titular ghost is revealed to only haunt and bother people because he never found release in his murder, and he wanted to finally die. This shows us the human need of wanting situations to be clear-cut and resolved cleanly, and when things aren’t cleanly finished, we feel we need to burden others to escape from it.
Another story which reflects a human need is ‘The Sphinx Without A Secret’. Lady Alroy initially seems very mysterious, going to a strange house and appearing to do something suspicious, although nobody knows what. However, at the end of the story it is revealed that she was simply reading her book, and just wanted everyone to think she was mysterious and strange. This reflects people’s need to feel interesting - to feel that people are paying attention to you - and mystery is a prime way to fulfill said nee
Lastly, in ‘Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime’, it is predicted by a cheiromancer that Lord Arthur is going to kill someone. To get this out of the way, he attempts to kill many people, but eventually kills the cheiromancer that made the prediction. This shows us that most prophecies are self-fulfilling; Lord Arthur wouldn’t have killed anyone if the prediction hadn’t been made. This occurs often in life; if people are told they will do a certain thing, or a certain event will turn out wrong, then they will often fulfill these predictions due to believing them.
These stories, when grouped together, create a view of humanity specific to the era Wilde lived in: the Victorian era. He insightfully reflects the growing anger towards the exploitative rich during the Industrial Revolution, and uses his allegorical stories to show the reader the benefits of society if the gentry shared their wealth among the people. He also analyses integral aspects of human nature, such as the need for attention or the need for resolutions in life. These two aspects combined show us a perceptive response to ideas that are universally human, through the unique lens of the Victorian era.
