The Analysis of a Short story by Oscar Wilde: The Happy Prince

THE ANALYSIS OF THE HAPPY PRINCE (OSCAR WILDE)

Here is the analysis, you can use it as a references. It contains summary, characters, plot, setting, point of view, literaty devices, and moral values from the story.

1. The analysis of “The Happy Prince” A short story by Oscar Wilde Yusinta Galuh Ramdhani 18202241026/PBI F

2. The Happy Prince, b y Oscar Wilde, is a wonderful allegory, typical of 19th century English fiction . It contains social injustice, redemptive power of love and the loss of innocent. The Happy Prince is the statue of a prince who had lived his entire life wihout knowing sorrow. The ornate statue is stunning and is encrusted with sapphires, a ruby, and gold leaf. In death, The Happy Prince despairs of the suffering of his people. In the end, he is left completely bare nd the Mayor orders him pulled down, but he and the Swallow are united in heaven with God.

3. Summary of The Short Story High over the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. It was an amazing statue and was extremely respected indeed. The statue of Happy Prince looked simply like an angel. One night there flew over the city a little Swallow. His companions had left to Egypt a month and a half before however, he had remained behind, for he has an adoration for a most excellent Reed. Throughout the day it flew and during the evening time, he arrived at the city.

4. There he saw the statue of The Happy Prince. He landed just between the feet of the Happy Prince. As he was going to sleep a huge drop of water fell on him. He gazed upward and saw the eyes of the Happy Prince filled with tears. The Happy Prince told the Swallow that he didn’t have an inkling what tears were, for he lived in the royal palace. So he lived and passed on and the people set him at the tall column wherefrom can see all the misery and ugliness of the city. Swallow promised to live on with Happy Prince. Little Swallow did persistently whatever Happy Prince directed.

5. He helped the poor mother with ruby from the top of Happy Prince’s sword. Then helped the young fellow completing his play for the theatre with the valuable sapphire, that was, Happy Prince’s eye and after this, he provided the little match girl with another sapphire from his second eye. The little Swallow could not perform such work anymore as Happy Prince has turned absolutely blind. But the Prince insisted him to continue the job. The Prince told the little Swallow please help the hungry and poor people. He said, “I am secured with gold; you should take it off leaf by leaf and offer it to the needy people.” The little Swallow removed the gold leaf by leaf, until the prince looked very dull and grey.

6. Time passed by and the Swallow realized he was going to die. Swallow says goodbye to the Happy Prince and died at his feet. Also, the greedy Mayor of the town thought that the statue of The Happy Prince is no longer beautiful without the jewels and orders for the prince to be melted down. God sent his blessed messenger to acquire the two most valuable things in the city. The Angel carried them to Heaven.

7. Points of Analysis Characters Setting Plot Point of View Literary Devices Theme Moral Values

8. Characters The Happy Prince : the main character in this story He used to live in a palace until he dies. Proof: “I lived in a palace where there was no sadness .” A statue of himself is built and placed on a tall column high above the city, where he can see all the ugliness and misery of his city. Proof: So I lived, and so I died. And now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my heart is made of lead yet I cannot chose but weep.” He is admired by people. Proof: He was very much admired indeed. “He is as beautiful as a weathercock,” remarked one of the Town Councillors who wished to gain a reputation for having artistic tastes; “only not quite so useful,” he added, fearing lest people should think him unpractical, which he really was not.

9. The Prince looking for humanity and sacrificing his life to allevate their pain. Proof: “Far away,” continued the statue in a low musical voice, “far away in a little street there is a poor house. One of the windows is open, and through it I can see a woman seated at a table. Her face is thin and worn, and she has coarse, red hands, all pricked by the needle, for she is a seamstress. She is embroidering passion-flowers on a satin gown for the loveliest of the Queen’s maids-of-honour to wear at the next Court-ball. In a bed in the corner of the room her little boy is lying ill. He has a fever, and is asking for oranges. His mother has nothing to give him but river water, so he is crying. Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow, will you not bring her the ruby out of my sword-hilt? My feet are fastened to this pedestal and I cannot move.”

10. 2. The Swallow : the 2nd protagonist of this story He is a bird on his way to Egypt for the winter. His trip is dellayed becuse of his temporary passion for a Reed, foreshadowing to the thematic importance of love in this story. Proof: One night there flew over the city a little Swallow. His friends had gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but he had stayed behind, for he was in love with the most beautiful Reed. He had met her early in the spring as he was flying down the river after a big yellow moth, and had been so attracted by her slender waist that he had stopped to talk to her . He is a polite bird. Proof: “What! is he not solid gold?” said the Swallow to himself. He was too polite to make any personal remarks out loud. He is the prince’s messenger. Proof: “ but I will stay with you for one night, and be your messenger.”

11. He started to change and thanks to the prince. At the beginning, he only listened to the prince because he was curious and afterward he stayed with him because he felt sorry for him. After every good deed, he felt better. From a superficial bird, he became the Prince’s partner in doing good to people. Character Development: The Swallow

12. The Minor Characters in the story: The Reed : S he decides not to accompany the swallow, who has been courting her, breaking his heart. She is too close to her home and cannot bear the thought of leaving thus the swallows courtship was in vain. 2. The Town Councilors : They are greedy and obsessed with their public images they cannot understand the humanity of dead prince and of a little bird but they are too busy in their daily pursuits to increase their money, rank and power. 3. The Poor Woman : Her son is ill. She struggles as a seamstress to make enough money to take care of him. She receives that ruby from the hit of the prince sword.

13. 4. The Young Playwright : He is starving and struggling to complete a play but he is unable to concentrate because his he is so hungry. He receives the frost sapphire eye. 5. Little Match Girl : She drops the matches that she is supposed to sell, and is crying because she knows that she will be beaten by her father when she will return to home without the matches or any money. She receives sapphire eye. 6. The Mayor : He orders that the statue must be turn down. He wants the metal to be made into the statue of himself.

14. Setting Time and Place H igh above the city, the river, at the city,in the winter, between the feet of the Happy Prince, in the Palace of Sans-Souci Six week after the Swallow’s friends move to Egypt, l ast summer 2. Occupation and daily manner The Happy Prince: He is a statue. He was so happy and perfect. The Swallow: He is a bird and he juat wants to travel and explore. Town’s councillor and The Mayor : Both of them decide that the statue is no longer beautiful and destroy it. 3. Emotional Conditions and Attitudes The Happy Prince: Even though he was a statue, he still has good thought to help others, so he asks the Swallow to become his messenger. The Swallow: He is a kind-hearted bird, he wants to be the messenger because he can’t bear seeing the prince was crying.

15. Plot Exposition There was a prince, he had everything in his life. He had not seen any sorrows. The Prince is determined to help people in any way he could. Complication/Rising Action There were so many miseries but the Prince couldn’t do anything because he was dead and now he lived in a his statue. There was the Swallow that became his messenger to help people. Climax A fter all the jewelr ies that c ame from the statue run out , its people thought that the statue is no longer beautiful . The Swallow died because of the weather and the statue of the Happy Prince is melted down by The Mayor and Councillor’s people . The Happy Prince’s lead heart was thrown away by them.

16. Falling Action God asked The Angel to find them. Resolution The Angel brought back the dead Swallow and the lead heart of The Happy Prince, God was happy and said that the Swallow now can sing in paradise garden forevermore and the Happy Prince shall praise forever in the city of gold.

17. Point of View This short story uses omniscient point of view . The narrator knows all of the the thoughts, motives and feelings of each character . “What! is he not solid gold?” said the Swallow to himself. He was too polite to make any personal remarks out loud.

18. Literary Devices Use of Simile : In simile one object is likened to the other to enrich an image . Simile: His hands are like withered leaves. “He looks just like an angel,” Personification the writer personified the statue of happy prince and swallow, as living human beings major and councilor symbolize the hypocrisy of Victorian age. They talk with each other like human because they feed the misery of living Creature which human being is ignoring

19. Alliteration: the repetition of the beginning sounds of neighboring words Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow, will you not bring her the ruby out of my sword-hilt? Symbolic Title This story also has symbolic title, the title of the story is “The Happy Prince” but inwardly he is not happy. He feels sorrow, pity for the common people so, he is not happy as title is symbolic.

20. Theme a. Love : The compassion of the statue for other people and the bird’s swallow depicts great sensitive feelings. The prince gives away everything to help people , and the swallow and prince share a fantastic love bond b . Sacrifice:  While the prince gives away his ruby, eyes and gold leaves, the little swallow sacrifices his life to serve humanity. The bird did not reach Egypt to meet its companions, instead stayed with the prince in harsh cold weather and at last died at the feet of the statue . c. Appearances can be deceptive:  This story has a great lesson to teach as it portrays a statue coated in gold but basically it is made up of lead. The appearance was grand but when all gold coating came off, the statue looked ugly. Another thing associated with it is that the prince was happy when he was alive and enjoyed his wealth but the time he saw human beings suffering, he was saddened by the poverty and pain around him .

21. Theme d. Exploitation and hypocrisy of the ruling class of society:  This theme is vibrant in the story as the Mayor and his members of office judged the statue and chose to pull it down as they thought it looked ugly. Also, the happy prince lived in his palace not knowing the misery of human beings as he never bothered to look beyond the huge walls of his palace. The rich live lavishly and the poor are not treated well . e . True Friendship:  The prince in the story shares a great bond of friendship and respect with the little swallow. Whatever the prince commands, the swallow follows the orders religiously. The friendship they had was so true and loyal that they were put in heaven together.

22. Moral Values There will be g ood rewards for those who feel for the poor and make sacrifices to remove miseries and sufferings of other people . The outward beauty doesn’t meant a lot , the real beauty is in the person’s heart which have the deep feelings and the ability to feel the sorrow and hardship of other.