Oscar WildeのFairy Tales考

概要

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Originally published in two volumes -'The Happy Prince and the Other Tales' in 1888, and 'A House of Pomegranates' in 1891- these stories reveal a blend of the moral and the fantastic. There are nine stories altogether-five including 'The Happy Prince' and 'The Selfish Giant' in the first volume and four including 'The Young King' and 'The Star Child' in the second. It is said that these fairy tales are the origin of his other works. We have been struck by Wilde's fasination with Christ or scapegoat figure in the tales. Such Christlike sufferers appear in 'The Happy Prince', 'The Selfish Gaint', 'The Young King', 'The Star Child' and others. Accompanying the Christlike protagonist in such stories are the parallel themes of guilt, suffering, and love. It is apparent that these stories advocated a consistent Christian moral point of view. Selfishness, vanity, heartlessness and self-indulgence are all shown to be wrong. In these fairy tales, Wilde emphasizes the importance of charity, and describes the characters in the image of Christ. This essay will examine the process of transformation of the Happy Prince, the Selfish Giant, the Young King and the Star Child through considering the essence of Christian thought.
2005-07-01