Happy Prince

The Happy Prince 

                The happy prince is a tale with multiple lessons. From one side it is the critic of the society that can be cruel and heartless and on the other side, it is about the compassion towards humans troubles.

                The main character knew only about nice things and after that, he decided to open his lead heart to everyone in need. When he helped them he didn’t regret about the decorations taken down from him and he keeps on doing noble things with the help of a swallow. The swallow was the proof that everyone can do selfless things even though they would maybe be risking their lives. His love and devotion were rewarded with an eternal life

                 Eventually, the little swallow lies at the feet of the statue and dies from exposure and exhaustion. He never made it to Egypt because he exchanged his dream of warm climates and comfort with a bigger dream to bring help to those who are in need.  The sculpture cracks with sadness at the loss of his friend, and his heart is exposed.  The most beautiful part of the statue the kind and giving heart could not be seen on the outside. Slowly, as the swallow continues to deliver the goods of the statue to the poor of thecity, he learns the social imbalance that exists in society, where some have too much and others too little. In the case of Wilde's time, Victorian England was experiencing the same inequity in the slum districts and Oscar's story is a clear allegory and metaphor of the British Social System at the time: Where the rich were filthy rich and the poor starved to death.

                   In the end, the swallow learns the lesson, the prince is completely run down from the

jewels and gold that decorated him and he was not worth attention anymore upon seeing the statue in such disrepair, the powerful people of the city, the Town Councilors and Mayor -decide that he is no longer useful, because he is no longer beautiful.  Much like the poor, who were exploited and tossed away by the rich,  the statue is taken down.

Name : Niyuraida Che-useng

NIM : 183211134