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.

Setting

"The Canterville Ghost" is set in the English countryside in the late nineteenth century. The story takes place in an old English country house called Canterville Chase, which is described in Gothic terms. It is an old mansion with secret rooms and passageways, long corridors, carved gargoyles, stained glass windows, and oak paneling. Portraits of long-dead Canterville ancestors, ancient tapestries, and a suit of armor add to the medieval-like setting. Typical of the style of the English Decadents, the gothic atmosphere reveals the author’s fascination with the macabre. Yet he mixes the macabre with comedy, juxtaposing traditional English ghost stories such as creaking floorboards, clanking chains, and ancient prophecies with modern American consumerism. Frequent thunder and lightning storms also contribute to the gloomy atmosphere. In short, Canterville Chase seems to fit the stereotype of a haunted house.

Author Biography

Oscar Wilde, or Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, was born on 16th October 1854. He was the son of William Wilde (later knighted), a surgeon, and Jane Francesca Elgee, a writer who used the pseudonym Speranza. Wilde attended both Trinity College in Dublin and Oxford University, and later settled in London. He was an Irish poet and dramatist.

Wilde wrote many plays including, according to many critics, the best comedy play of the nineteenth century, the farce The Importance of Being Earnest. Wilde also wrote fairy stories, short stories and one novel.

Wilde was born in Dublin, but went to Oxford University, where he proved to be brilliant academically and gained a reputation for wit and flamboyance.  He visited Paris in 1883 and returned to the States for the opening of his first play.

Oscar Wilde got married in 1884 and had two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan Holland ,who were possibly, the inspiration for his first fairy tales.

Wilde was not afraid to shock society, which eventually had its revenge. He was imprisoned in 1895 for indecent behavior. While in prison, he was declared bankrupt and died shortly after his release, on 30th November 1900, most likely of meningitis.

Characters description

Lord Canterville belongs to a very old British family who has been the owner of Canterville Chase for three centuries. He sold the haunted house to Hiram Otis after warning him about the ghost.

Mr. Otis is the American Ambassador. He is a very rich man who came from a modern country where everything can be bought with money. He bought Canterville Chase and went there to live with his family. He doesn’t  care about the ghost because he doesn’t believe in it.

Mrs. Otis is Hiram Otis’s wife. She had been a well-known New York beauty. She was now a fine-looking middle-aged woman, and in many ways she looked like an English lady.

Washington is the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Otis. He was a fair-haired, rather good-looking young man. He was famous as an excellent dancer. He was very sensible.

Miss Virginia was a lovely girl of fifteen, with large blue eyes. She was a good sportswoman and loved to ride horses. Virginia was the only one that didn’t seem to share her brother’s jokes to the ghost.

The Twins were two happy little boys who laughed and shouted a lot. They liked to play tricks on people and were often punished for them.

Mrs. Umney is the housekeeper of Canterville Chase. She is an old woman dressed in black. She greeted the Otis family when they arrived.

The Ghost: Sir Simon the Canterville, the ghost, killed his wife Lady Eleanore the Canterville in 1575. He lived for nine years after that, and then he disappeared very mysteriously. His body was never discovered , but his ghost still haunts the Chase.
He has the ability to change forms so he takes the role of ghostly apparitions.