Themes

“The Canterville Ghost” is a study in contrasts. Wilde takes an American family, places them in a British setting, then, pits one culture against the other. He creates stereotypical characters that represent both England and the United States, and he presents each of these characters as comical figures, satirizing both the unrefined tastes of Americans and the determination of the British to guard their traditions. Sir Simon, the ghost, misunderstands the family just as they misunderstand him, and, by pitting them against each other, Wilde clearly emphasize the culture clash between England and the United States.

Wilde tends to reverse situations into their opposites as the Otis family succeed in terrorizing the ghost rather than be terrorized by him. What is more, this ghost story is told not from the perspective of the castle occupants, as in traditional tales, but from the perspective of the ghost, Sir Simon.

Besides the humorous tale, it appears that Wilde also has a message, and he uses fifteen-year-old Virginia to communicate it. Virginia says that the ghost helped her see the significance of life and death.