INTRODUCTION

1) Oscar Wilde: Short Biography 

2) The Picture of Dorian Gray

Short Biography 

Oscar Wilde was born in 1854 in Dublin, he was one of the most known writers, poets and playwrights of the Victorian Age. 

He studied at Oxford University and Trinity College.

After graduating from Oxford University, he taught aesthetics.

He died on November, 30th, 1900.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

In 1891, he published The Picture of Dorian Gray, his only novel and his most famous work.

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST

Mr. Otis moves to his new property with his wife Lucretia and children Washington, Virginia and the twins.

THE OTIS FAMILY

Mr. B. Otis is an American Minister who decides to buy the old Canterville Chase Estate in the English Countryside.

The estate is haunted by Sir Simon's ghost, but Mr. Otis is a pragmatic good American who believes only in money and in nature; the presence of a ghost doesn't worry him at all.

The Canterville Ghost

Sir Simon tries to scare Mr. Otis, and as a result the family offers him a bottle of lubricator. Mr. Otis says the oil will stop the creaking produced by Sir Simon's chains and allow the family to rest. Sir Simon drops the bottle on the ground and before leaving, the twins trow pillows at him. 

Sir Simon continues to create on the floor a bloodstain that he made when he killed his wife in 1575. On the day of their arrival the family finds a bloodstain on the floor and Washington removes the stain, but it appears the next morning. 

Back to his room Sir Simon remembers when, in the past, he used to frighten the English aristocrats how visited the house and wonders how these Americans managed to fool him. But he swears revenge. He decides to wear his old armor while the family sleeps.

But when the plan begins, he realises that the armor is heavy and he drops it on the floor making a loud noise.

He is surrounded by the Americans who shoot him as if he were a common thief, and he is forced to flee. After several days, he regains his strength, and decides to target Washington and the twins. He decides to visit them individually. 

In the meanwhile the Otis family has set up a scarecrow to ward off Sir Simon, who for the third time escapes from the Americans. He swears revenge again, but he soon loses confidence, exhausted. 

He also stops renewing the blood stain, and starts using the oil to silence his chains for fear that the twins will hear him.

However the twins don't give up, and continue to design traps. 

For this reason, after another joke where he falls from the stairs and injures himself, Sir Simon decides to wear his old props. 

At night he enters the room of the twins, who have already prepared, and with a trap they make Sir Simon run away, who, out of fright and despair,  shuts himself in his room and he doesn't leave it for weeks.

He doesn't even go out to scare the duke of Cheshire who is in the house to visit Virginia.

One day she meets Sir Simon, who is in despair. 

She then decides to speak to him and reassures him that the twins will have to go to school in autumn. Despite everything she makes it clear that he was very evil. 

Virginia accuses the ghost of stealing the paint to renew the blood stain. Sir Simon tells a prophecy to Virginia.

The prophecy says that if a young and pure girl prays for Sir Simon, he could rest in peace.

In addition, the inhabitants of Canterville Chase will notice the success of the prayers when they see the sterile almond tree, of the estate, finally in bloom.

Sir Simon hopes that Virginia is the girl of the prophecy, and asks her to pray for him.

Virginia agrees and follows the ghost in a secret wing of the estate, from which she reappears alone with a coffin-shaped box containing jewels that Sir Simon gave her. 

Sir Simon now rests in peace, and as a matter of fact the almond tree blooms.

The Canterville family is informed of the incident and there is a funeral for Sir Simon.

Mr. Otis tries to return the jewels to the right family, who however does not accept them by leaving them to Virginia, who will wear them at her marrige to the Duke of Cheshire.

Analysis

The story is set in late 1800s Victorian England.

Main themes:      

  British aristocrats against arrogant Americans.    

  Mercy and empathy.  

  Commercialism and politics.

The End