Oscar Wild The Canterville Ghost

Plot
Mr. Otis bought a castle, which many owners owned before, but they couldn’t live there because also a Canterville ghost lived in the castle and they were afraid of it. It was a ghost of sir Simon de Canterville who killed his wife and after his death he was stated just for haunting people. But Mr. Otis’s family wasn’t afraid of the ghost and because he realizes that he is absolutely needless as a ghost, he was very sad and upset and wanted to die and get the eternal peace. He asked Virginia, a Mr. Otis’s daughter and his most favorite member of the family, to help him. She helped and so he didn’t need to haunt people in the castle anymore.

Quotations

“My lord,” answered the Minister, “I’ll take the furniture and the ghost at a valuation. Come from a modern country, where we have everything that money can buy and with all or spry fellows painting the Old World red, and carrying off your best actresses and prima donnas, I reckon that if there were such a thing as a ghost in Europe, we’d have it at home in a very short time in one of our museums, or on the road as a show.”
This short fragment contains author’s opinion about American people: they think that money can buy everything, and that their country is something better then others.

“Yes, Death. Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one’s head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no tomorrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace. You can help me. You can open for me the portals of Death’s house, for Love is always with you, and Love is always with you, and Love is stronger than Death is.”
I think this is very nice and original description of death. It’s not so pessimistic, it gives you a feeling that death is not so bad as it seems to be.

“My dear sir,” said Mr. Otis, “ I really must insist on your oiling these chains, and have brought you for that purpose a small bottle of the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator. It is said to by completely Effectious upon one application, and there are several testimonials to that effect on the wrapper from some of our most eminent native divines. I shall leave it here for you by the bedroom candles.”
This quotation isn’t extraordinary, or with some idea, but it shows the humour side of this short story, and author’s sense of humour. We can find many more like this in this short story.

Zdroje:

Oscar Wild - The canterville ghost -