The Happy Prince
The Happy prince" by Oscar Wilde seems to be written for children but its content addresses issues of morality to even adults: it develops feelings of sympathy for the poor in children and it makes adults rethink of their attitudes towards life, the conversations between the prince and the swallow in some places amuse us while in others places bring tears to us.
Not just the moral values but the way the author treats the topic goes far beyond what one can expect from a fairy tale to rank the story one of the most wonderful pieces of art in English literature.
The image of the happy prince changes throughout the story: first from an unlived statue which is admired by the wealthy people the Town Counselors - to a used - to be - selfish prince who never cares of others' suffering then a caring prince who is ready to give all what he has to the poor just to see they smile or make their lives less miserable than a beggar" which is thrown...because of his no practical and material values.
As seen in the story, the moral lesson here is that when he is alive, the happy prince possesses a true "dead" heart and "invisible eyes (he feels and sees nothing; just enjoys a luxury life) but when he dies there he stands high above the city he has a "lead feeling heart" and bright his eyes, feeling and weeping over the pains of others.
At the end of the story his heart cracks because it bears too much the poor's misery; however, it is unburnable in fire.
In the actions of the happy prince to care the poor it is understandable that he chooses what he is going to be "ashabby useful prince crying for people's misery" rather than something to be admired by the wealthy, who have too much to earn an empathy distress. These people love him because he is decorated with precious stones and gilded with gold but they never look into his heart which changes a "self-centered" swallow into an emotional bird.
The Swallow is another leading character in the story. It is interesting to
Not just the moral values but the way the author treats the topic goes far beyond what one can expect from a fairy tale to rank the story one of the most wonderful pieces of art in English literature.
The image of the happy prince changes throughout the story: first from an unlived statue which is admired by the wealthy people the Town Counselors - to a used - to be - selfish prince who never cares of others' suffering then a caring prince who is ready to give all what he has to the poor just to see they smile or make their lives less miserable than a beggar" which is thrown...because of his no practical and material values.
As seen in the story, the moral lesson here is that when he is alive, the happy prince possesses a true "dead" heart and "invisible eyes (he feels and sees nothing; just enjoys a luxury life) but when he dies there he stands high above the city he has a "lead feeling heart" and bright his eyes, feeling and weeping over the pains of others.
At the end of the story his heart cracks because it bears too much the poor's misery; however, it is unburnable in fire.
In the actions of the happy prince to care the poor it is understandable that he chooses what he is going to be "ashabby useful prince crying for people's misery" rather than something to be admired by the wealthy, who have too much to earn an empathy distress. These people love him because he is decorated with precious stones and gilded with gold but they never look into his heart which changes a "self-centered" swallow into an emotional bird.
The Swallow is another leading character in the story. It is interesting to