Allegory In Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince

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The Happy Prince as an Allegory The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde is a master piece. Wilde has superbly written this story allegorically having double meaning. The surface meaning of the story are explicit while the under surface meaning are very deep and allegorical. The Happy Prince is a religious, social, political allegory on different levels. The universality of theme and allegorical significance makes it a triumph. Reward and paradise a Christian idea. The kind heart of the little Swallow is allegorically representing the true followers of Christ who have a kind hear for the suffering people and join hand follow the true teaching of Christ in true spirit. The use of word “paradise” is a…show more content…
By connecting his protagonists to a Christ who is in control Wilde wanted to empower the artists by incorporating the Christ figure, Wilde infuses Art with stability and superiority that counteracts nature’s unpredictability. The Happy Prince’s death also reflects this reasoning, as although the townsfolk pull down his body, his man-made lead heart cannot be destroyed by the natural force of fire.Thus, in both texts, Art defies nature and memorializes the individual, placing them outside of a fixed, historical…show more content…
Only for the Charity Children is the statue a symbol, not of eliminative repression, but of inclusive identification: it reminds them of the angels they have seen in their dreams. Their visionary innocence is far different from the stern repression required of them by the Mathematical Master who, like Blake's Beadle in Songs of Experience, has charge over them. In the tales, Oscar Wilde seems to propagate protagonists whose earthly redemption is rewarded with spiritual redemption in heaven which is also allegorically referring to Christian idea of redemption. As a result, the Christian tenet of “Love thy neighbor” becomes exacted. Especially in the case of “The Happy Prince,” allegorically the hospitality is also present in the story as the Swallow stays with The Happy Prince as guest, and The Happy Prince relates him the stories to entertain him as a guest and

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