The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

 


Hey everyone! Today, I got to read another of Oscar Wilde's amazing stories, called 'The Happy Prince'. It is such a touching tale, which also makes us realize some harsh realities of the world. The story is about the relationship between a swallow and the statue of the prince of the state. The swallow, during its travel to Egypt, happens upon the statue which comes to life immediately and tells the swallow about how the prince got his name, 'The Happy Prince'. The prince says that he was brought up with much leisure, such that there was a huge wall surrounding his palace which prevented him from witnessing his citizens or his city. He remained happy as long as he lived, and then his statue was established decorated with rubies in his sword and having sapphires for his eyes.

The prince asks the swallow to remain with him for one day and help the citizens who are facing hardship, under his directions. First, the swallow takes the rubies in his sword to help a young woman who is working hard to help her sick son, and next, it follows with the sapphire eyes being used to help more people who are in need of money. Finally, the swallow decides to stay with the statue itself, as it has been blinded after losing its sapphire eyes. The statue loses everything precious in its making to help the poor in the state, and the swallow dies in the winter out of cold. 

The ending of the story is a tragic as well as a cruel one, as the prince's statue is demolished and the statue of the new mayor is established. The story contains the characteristic irony of Wilde. Firstly, the story is a harsh reflection of the situation of any state, where the wealthy, or the aristocrats, who invest less work were given the utmost respect, while the real situation of the people who worked hard in the state went unnoticed. And the story also reflects how even those of the aristocrats, when they try to sympathize with the commoners, are pulled down tragically by the other aristocrats. The prince had been happy as long as he remained unaware and carefree of the people in his state, but the moment he started caring and became aware of the situation, he began losing his precious belongings one by one and finally, himself. The swallow, too, meets with the same situation. It could have flown to Egypt and enjoyed with its friends, but it chose to remain and help the prince, ultimately facing an agonizing death. It is a testimony to the fact that world had been governed by selfish and self-centered people and belongs to them, and the rest, who try to make a difference, are simply rejected.

The aristocratic society is prepared to bring down one of its own when they begin socialising and replace them with another typical aristocrat, ensuring that they remain prosperous and the poor remain in distress. If at all the poor attain prosperity, it would mean they would come to wield self-respect and question oppression, which would result in the compromise of the comfortable livelihood of the aristocrats and they should cease to enjoy unquestioned authority. This story may appear cynical, but this is a result of the 'Realism' movement in literature I guess, and therefore, a registration of truth. It was a very touching story and I recommend every reader or literary enthusiast to check on Oscar Wilde to find an unforgettable reading experience.

Thank you people, see you✌️

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