Lady Alroy
Believe it or not, but Lady Alroy is actual the title character of the story “The Sphinx without a Secret.” She is alternately described as a “Giaconda in sables” and “a woman with a mania for mystery” as well as, of course, the Sphinx. The story about Lady Alroy ultimately winds up revolving around the fact that there is no story to her.
The Fisherman, the Mermaid and the Witch
This trio is at the center of Wilde’s inversion of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, “The Little Mermaid.” The transformation of familiar characters and events into “The Fisherman and His Soul” turns the tables so that it is the human seeking out the magic of the witch in a bid to make a great sacrifice for the dream of living beneath the sea with the mermaid with whom he has fallen in love.
The Happy Prince
First-time readers might be surprised to learn that the title character of this story is actually a statue of the prince built in commemoration after his death. Gilded in gold and adorned with jewels, the town leaders are very happy with themselves, but the prince not so much. Not until he gives away the jewels and gold to those needing them more than a statue is he as happy as he was in life.
Hughie Erskine
“The Model Millionaire” is a contemporary fable about doing good deeds in the world. Hughie Erskine is neither rich nor lucky, but he is in love. Unfortunately, the young lady’s father is not keen to see his daughter marry a man with no financial prospects. Despite his condition, one day Hughie gives the only money in his possession at the time—a gold coin—to an old beggar posing for an artist friend of his. The beggar turns out to have actually been one of the richest men in Europe and a regular customer of the painter. Everything changes for Hughie from that moment on.
Willie Hughes
The enigmatic title character of “The Portrait of Mr. W.H.” is also the “MacGuffin” of the story’s mystery. Willie Hughes is identified as the androgynous figure in a painting who is said to be a young actor who was the real subject of the love sonnets of William Shakespeare. The story is set in Wilde’s contemporary present and relates the story an effort to certify the identity of Hughes and prove the literary theory.
