The Canterville Ghost PDF

The Canterville
Ghost
Study Guide by Course Hero
ABOUT THE TITLE

What's Inside The title "The Canterville Ghost" refers to Sir Simon de
Canterville, the main character in the story. Sir Simon is the
malevolent spirit who haunts Canterville Chase, near Ascot,
j Book Basics ................................................................................................. 1 Manchester, England. Originally, the story's full title was "The
Canterville Ghost—A Hylo-Idealistic Romance: The Redemptive
d In Context ..................................................................................................... 1
Heroine." This title reveals Wilde's satirical intentions and
a Author Biography ..................................................................................... 3 targets as well as emphasizes Virginia's importance in the
story's main plot.
h Characters .................................................................................................. 4
k Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 8
c Chapter Summaries .............................................................................. 13 d In Context

g Quotes ......................................................................................................... 21
l Symbols ..................................................................................................... 24 Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and

m Themes ....................................................................................................... 25 Other Stories
m Motifs .......................................................................................................... 28
Oscar Wilde's novella "The Canterville Ghost" (1887) was re-
released in 1891 as part of a collection of his short stories
entitled Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories. When the
j Book Basics
collection was first published, it contained four comedic
mystery stories that also first appeared in previous
publications. In addition to "The Canterville Ghost," the
AUTHOR collection includes the titles "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime," also
Oscar Wilde published in the Court and Society Review in 1887, and "The
Sphinx without a Secret" and "The Model Millionaire," which
YEAR PUBLISHED
were first published in The World in 1887. A fifth title was
1887
added to the collection in 1900, "The Portrait of Mr. W.H."
GENRE (1889, Blackwood's Magazine).
Comedy, Horror, Satire
Wilde had established himself as a poet and lecturer by the
PERSPECTIVE AND NARRATOR time Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories was
"The Canterville Ghost" is narrated from the third-person released. The collection went into its tenth edition by 1913, and
omniscient perspective. the book is still in print today. All the stories are noted for their
dry humor, much of it based on lampooning social conventions
TENSE of the Victorian Age. "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime," a story that
"The Canterville Ghost" is told in the past tense. focuses on an English nobleman who, according to a palm
The Canterville Ghost Study Guide In Context 2
reader, will commit murder, and "The Canterville Ghost" are publication of British author Horace Walpole's The Castle of
generally regarded as the best works in the collection. The Otranto (1764), and the genre enjoyed its heyday during the
stories are characterized by their dark and supernatural Victorian era (1837–1901). Other notable gothic fiction works
subject matter. during this period—apart from Wilde's own The Picture of
Dorian Gray (1891)—include The Count of Monte Cristo (1844)
Themes that would become recognized as hallmarks of Wilde's by French writer Alexandre Dumas (1844); Jane Eyre (1847) by
work emerged in the stories collected in Lord Arthur Savile's British author Charlotte Brontë; Wuthering Heights (1847) by
Crime and Other Stories. British author Emily Brontë; and The Turn of the Screw (1898)
by American writer Henry James.
"The Portrait of William W.H.," which tells about a search for
the dedicatee of William Shakespeare's Sonnets, is blatantly
homoerotic (in much the same fashion as is Wilde's The
Picture of Dorian Gray, 1890). The theme of homosexuality Changing Times in England
is also addressed in "The Canterville Ghost."
Some critics have detected elements of misogyny in "The "The Canterville Ghost" is set in the latter part of the 1800s
Sphinx without a Secret," a story about an aristocratic around the turn of the 20th century, a time when great
woman who lies about having "a secret" to make her more changes were happening in Western culture and society. The
attractive. At the same time, others maintain the story marks Industrial Revolution, which saw its beginning in Britain in 1733,
Wilde as a protofeminist, a writer who critiques and sparked a massive economic and social restructuring that
challenges the treatment of women in American and British soon gained momentum and stretched across Europe and to
society and culture prior to the feminist movement. the United States.
Lastly, "The Model Millionaire," a parable about an

In both Britain and the United States, a large sector of the
unwealthy man who gives money to a man who has nothing,
economy shifted from agriculture to industry. By the late 19th
explores themes of wealth, class, and beauty—themes that
century, the United States had become the world's largest
remained pervasive in Wilde's writing throughout his career.
industrial power. Manufacturing fostered capitalism, making it
possible to acquire wealth through the mass production of
goods and international trade. Advances in transportation such
Gothic Fiction, Its Conventions, as the railroad and faster ships linked manufacturing centers
with new markets. In Britain in particular, a near-monopoly on
and Oscar Wilde the economy—and thus government influence—slipped from
the hands of wealthy landowners—those said to have come
Although the tone is humorous and sometimes sarcastic, "The from "old money" and whose families had profited from their
Canterville Ghost" pays due homage to the conventions of land for generations—as more opportunities became
gothic fiction. The satirical story's mood is dark and mysterious accessible to a new breed of entrepreneurs and investors.
with more than a hint of the otherworldly. It is set in an old
mansion with secret rooms and sliding panels, and when the The economic evolution brought on by the Industrial Revolution
Otises drive up to the house for the very first time, the weather was accompanied by significant social changes presided over
changes from pleasant to gloomy. The housekeeper, Mrs. by Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901. Cities grew
Umney, stands on the porch wearing all black, a color used in immensely, attracting new inhabitants with factory jobs. Some
gothic literature to portend mystery, fear, and horror. In gothic with the necessary business skills and perseverance became
fiction it is typical for a human woman character to be in peril quite rich. As some grew rich, however, many more became
during much of a story's plot; however, in "The Canterville part of a class of working poor. Most significantly, a middle-
Ghost," the character facing danger is neither a woman nor class arose. People in this class had jobs that payed
human—it is a supernatural being. A cryptic prophecy must be reasonably well, giving them the means to raise families, enjoy
fulfilled in order for this being to come to peace so that the leisure time, and live comfortably.
story can reach its resolution.
Social activism had also taken root in Britain beginning around
Gothic fiction is generally thought to have debuted with the the start of the 19th century. Slavery was abolished in 1807,
Copyright © 2019 Course Hero, Inc.

The Canterville Ghost Study Guide Author Biography 3
and in 1832 Parliament was restructured to give manufacturing for the poor. An uncle served in the Irish Parliament. Wilde, an
centers like the cities of Liverpool, Birmingham, and excellent student, received a first-rate education, attending
Manchester governmental representation for the first time. Portora Royal School, Trinity College Dublin, and then Oxford.
Although Parliament had existed as a ruling body since 1215, it He won honors at each institution, first for his scholarship and
had represented almost exclusively the interests of the affluent then for his writing.
upper-class.
By Wilde's time, however, the social order was less secure than
it had ever been, and Wilde makes this evident through the
Early Career
disparity between his American and British characters,
After graduating from Oxford, Wilde moved to London. His first
particularly Mr. Hiram B. Otis and Lord Canterville. Readers can
poetry collection, published in 1881, established him as a new
infer that Mr. Otis, an American minister, earns his wealth from
writer to watch. Wilde toured the United States in 1882, giving
his high-ranking position within the U.S. government, while Lord
some 140 lectures and meeting American authors, among
Canterville inherits his fortune through a long line of
them Walt Whitman and Henry James. His lectures and poetry
aristocratic ancestors. The Industrial Revolution had brought
established him as a major figure in the aesthetic movement,
about a system in which wealth was as easily earned as
whose followers believed in art for beauty's sake rather than
inherited, and the political influence the rich alone had exerted
for social or political change. In London Wilde devoted much of
on the nation was distributed into a greater number of hands
his time to literary pursuits, continuing to write poetry and
than ever, many not members of the aristocracy at all. Lord
editing the magazine The Lady's World. Wilde married
Canterville's sale of Canterville Chase to Mr. Otis in Chapter 1
Constance Lloyd in 1884, and the couple had two sons. He
speaks volumes to this effect. Past generations would not have
published poetry, criticism, fiction (including fairy tales), and
sold a family estate to someone not a member of the
plays. While some of his poetry and fairy tales are still read, it
aristocracy or a "commoner" because people of this caliber
was his work in fiction, criticism, and plays that won him literary
could not afford their own land. Also, in Britain, land ownership
immortality.
was a requirement for voting until 1832, when King William IV
passed reforms that provided non-landowners with the right to "The Canterville Ghost" was Wilde's first published story,
vote. Wilde relates to readers that the monetary transfer of appearing in the British literary magazine Court and Society
land owned by the aristocracy to an American was a sign of Review in two installments. Critics didn't pay much attention to
the common man's rise in wealth and politics and the the story at the time, and Wilde went fairly unnoticed as an
aristocracy's new perspective on owning property. That is to author of fiction. The story was published again in 1891 in Lord
say, the value of the land was only monetary. Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories, and this time critics
had more to say, calling Wilde's entire collection of work
unimaginative.
a Author Biography
A Controversial Writer
Early Life Wilde's essays, such as "The Decay of Lying" (1889) and "The
Critic as Artist" (1891), make their cases through conversations
Born on October 16, 1854, in Dublin, Ireland, Oscar Fingal
among paired selves representing different components of an
O'Flahertie Wills Wilde lived a life that was in many ways as
argument, a structure he followed in his only novel, The Picture
colorful and dramatic as those of the characters he invented.
of Dorian Gray (1891). Critics objected to the story, suggesting
Wilde came from an established and well-respected family. His
it was written for a homosexual audience. In response Wilde
mother was an accomplished poet and translator, eventually
edited the story still further, adding six chapters and a preface
influencing Wilde's career choice and his own writing. Wilde's
and toning down the sexual content before it was published as
father was a physician and was knighted for his service in the
a book in 1891 by British publishing house Ward, Lock and Co.
Irish censuses (population counts) as a medical adviser. He
Wilde's satirical comedies included Lady Windermere's Fan
later used his own money to open an ophthalmic (eye) hospital

The Canterville Ghost Study Guide Characters 4
(1892), A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband Canterville Chase. However, the retaliation of his new
(1895), and his best-known play, The Importance of Being residents, an American family, causes him anxiety and stress,
Earnest (1895). They did not meet with such scrutiny, but his weakening his spirit until he no longer wants to make his
tragic plays generated negative reviews. Salome (1893) in presence known. In the end, he finds eternal peace through the
particular raised the ire of British censors and critics for its fulfillment of a prophecy that releases his spirit from
depiction of female sexuality while successfully enthralling Canterville Chase. Oscar Wilde paints a comical picture of
audiences all over the rest of Europe. The original version was what is supposed to be a terrifying spirit, with Sir Simon's
finally reprinted, without moralistic modifications to illustrations collection of props and personae that he uses to frighten his
and text changes, nearly 70 years after it had first appeared. victims and his pilfering of paints from Virginia to replace the
"bloodstain" on the sitting room floor. In this way, the ghost is
unconventional—readers don't see Sir Simon as a "spook" but
Homosexuality and Later Life rather as a human seeking revenge for something. And though
he is a ghost, he is not immune to injury or illness, further
Although Wilde was married and had children, his homosexual humanizing his character and creating empathy in readers for
relationships—illegal at the time—ultimately played a large role his situation.
in shaping his life. The Marquis of Queensberry was incensed
by Wilde's affair with his son, Lord Alfred Douglas. The marquis
made Wilde's homosexuality public, and Wilde sued him for Mr. Otis
libel. This action proved disastrous for Wilde. Considerable
evidence of Wilde's homosexuality was publicized, and the libel Mr. Otis, a wealthy middle-aged American, buys Canterville
suit was dismissed. Wilde was put on trial and sent to prison Chase despite warnings from its owner, Lord Canterville, that it
for two years for "gross indecency" starting on May 25, 1895. is haunted. He dismisses the notion of a ghost on the practical
When he got out, Wilde had lost his health, money, and artistic grounds that Americans do not believe in them. Later, when the
focus. He went into exile in Paris, wrote very little, and died at existence of Sir Simon is beyond doubt, he applies that
age 46 on November 30, 1900. practical approach to deciding how best to accommodate the
presence of a supernatural spirit by offering the ghost
Wilde may have endured harsh criticism in his day, but today lubricating oil to quiet his chains. And when the ghost rejects
he is considered a significant author of English literature. His his offer, he simply concedes that the family will need to take
play The Importance of Being Ernest is said to be the best away his chains, as if the action is fairly simple to do. Through
English farce, and his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is Mr. Otis, Wilde exaggerates American vigor. Mr. Otis is a
considered a classic piece of English literature. Both works proponent of all things American—his children are named
and others, including "The Canterville Ghost," have been Washington, Virginia, and "The Stars and Stripes" (in reference
adapted for stage and screen numerous times. to the American flag). He often boasts about the progress of
man within modern American culture, scoffing at the long-held
"old-school" traditions of the British. Yet he does admit to a
h Characters certain value in aristocracy when it comes to holding a
reputation for wealth by honoring Virginia's wishes to wed the
Duke of Cheshire. Additionally, Mr. Otis admits to taking Lord
Canterville's ghost at "valuation"—Americans appreciate the
Sir Simon de Canterville value of European culture and "buy it up" to display on stages
and in museums.
Sir Simon de Canterville is a fearsome ghost who has haunted
Canterville Chase for more than three centuries. He murdered
his wife, Lady Eleanore, in the estate's library in 1575. Nine
years later her brothers exacted revenge, and Sir Simon
Virginia Otis
became the Canterville ghost. He is very English and takes
Virginia is the most sensitive and artistic of the Otis children,
pride in his extensive record of terrifying the residents of
excluding herself from their harassment of the Canterville

ghost and eventually forming a sort of friendship with him. She

is sensitive and caring, which is reflected in her attitude in
dealing with the ghost's antics—she keeps secret the fact that
Sir Simon has been stealing her paints and offers Sir Simon a
sandwich after he admits he is starved. These acts display her
sympathy for the ghost, and yet she does not approve of his
hauntings and misdeeds, as indicated by her berating him
when the two meet in the Tapestry Room. Her sympathy
toward him is perhaps what enables her to not fear him,
evident when she doesn't hesitate to help him. At the end of
the story, she is instrumental in helping Sir Simon's soul gain
peace by fulfilling a prophecy. Early in the story it is revealed
that the Duke of Cheshire admires Virginia. By the story's end,
she is wed to the duke, becoming the Duchess of Cheshire.
Twins
The twins, who are never referred to by their individual names
in "The Canterville Ghost," are very rambunctious and delight in
tormenting the title character. They ignore their father's orders
to show the ghost some respect and continually annoy family
and servants with their constant setting of tripwires and other
traps. Their antics are so distressing to the ghost that Sir
Simon actually comes to fear them. The twins always appear
and act as a team. Their nickname, which is highly patriotic in
that it is also a nickname for the American flag, also refers to
their troublemaking behavior—they see "stars and stripes"
after a "swishing" or spanking when they have misbehaved.

Character Map
Mr. Otis
Calm, poised, patriotic
American minister
Father Spouses
Intruder
Washington Otis Mrs. Otis

Extremely sensible Former New York socialite;
young man Intruder English in her ways
Sir Simon de Intruder

Canterville
Terrifying but defeated
and depressed ghost
Siblings Mother
Fearsome
nemeses
Friends
Twins Virginia Otis

Rambunctious, Sensitive, sympathetic,
trouble-making boys Siblings fearless young woman
Main Character
Other Major Character
Minor Character

Full Character List The Reverend Augustus Dampier is

the local rector and a fellow at King's
Reverend
College at Cambridge University.
Augustus
Lord Canterville evokes Dampier's
Character Description Dampier
authority to argue that the Canterville
ghost does indeed exist.
Sir Simon de Canterville is the
Sir Simon de
malevolent spirit who haunts
Canterville Dr. Horace Dobell (1828–1917) was an
Canterville Chase.
English doctor who was concerned
Dr. Dobell with diseases of the chest. It is his
Mr. Hiram B. Otis is an American tincture that Mrs. Otis offers Sir
Mr. Otis minister. He purchases Canterville Simon for indigestion.
Chase from Lord Canterville.
The Duke of Cheshire, Cecil, is a
Virginia Otis is the only daughter of teenaged boy who courts and later
Duke of
Virginia Otis Mr. Otis and Mrs. Otis. She is 15 years marries Virginia Otis. He is distantly
Cheshire
old at the beginning of the story. connected to the ghost through his
grand-uncle, Lord Francis Stilton.
"The Stars and Stripes" are the

nicknames of the two youngest Lady Eleanore de Canterville's
Twins Lady Eleanore's brothers starved Sir Simon de
children, twin boys, of Mr. Otis and
Mrs. Otis. brothers Canterville to death in retaliation for
Lady Eleanore's murder.
Lord Canterville's great-aunt lived

with him at Canterville Chase. She Charles James Fox (1749–1806) was
Great-aunt Charles James
suffered a "fit" from seeing the the first foreign secretary of Great
Canterville Fox
Canterville ghost that she never fully Britain.
recovered from.
Gaunt Gibeon, the Bloodsucker of
Gaunt Gibeon,
Lady Canterville is the wife of Lord Bexley Moor, is a spectral form
the Bloodsucker
Lady Canterville Canterville. She has lost sleep sometimes adopted by the Canterville
of Bexley Moor
because of the Canterville ghost. ghost to frighten people.
Lady Eleanore de Canterville is the Sir William Whitney Gull, 1st Baronet
Lady Eleanore Sir William Gull (1816–90), was a renowned English
wife of Sir Simon de Canterville. She
de Canterville physician.
is murdered by him in 1575.
Lord Canterville is the English A group of gypsies camping on the

aristocrat who sells Canterville Chase grounds of Canterville Chase is
Gypsies
Lord Canterville to the Otis family. The presence of suspected in the disappearance of
the Canterville ghost has made it young Virginia Otis.
unpleasant for his family to live there.
Frederic W.H. Myers (1843–1901) was
Chanticleer is a rooster who appears a psychic researcher. He cofounded
Frederic Myers
in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury the Society for Psychical Research at
Tales (1347–1400). He is conjured by Cambridge.
Chanticleer
Sir Simon de Canterville as the
catalyst for a failed curse against the
Mrs. Otis is a former New York
Otis family.
socialite. She is the first to notice the
Mrs. Otis
bloodstain on the sitting room floor
and asks for it to be removed.

The Canterville Ghost Study Guide Plot Summary 8
Washington Otis is the oldest son of

Mr. Otis and Mrs. Otis, whose job it is
k Plot Summary
Washington to remove the bloodstain on the
Otis sitting room floor daily. He is named
after George Washington, the first
president of the United States. The Otis Family Moves In
The queen likely refers to Queen Despite warnings that Canterville Chase houses a fearsome
Victoria who reigned from 1837 until ghost, Mr. Hiram B. Otis, an American minister, buys the estate,
The queen her death in 1901; Virginia and the
Duke of Cheshire stand in front of her located near Ascot, England. On a lovely July evening, Mr. Otis;
to be married. his wife, Mrs. Otis; their son, Washington; their teenaged
daughter, Virginia; and their twin boys, "The Stars and Stripes,"
Reckless Rupert, or The Headless move into their new home, Canterville Chase. As their
Reckless
Earl, is a spectral form sometimes wagonette nears the estate, the sky darkens and it begins to
Rupert, or The
adopted by the Canterville ghost to
Headless Earl rain.
frighten people.
As they pull up to the mansion, they are greeted by the

Red Ruben, or the Strangled Babe, is
Red Ruben, or housekeeper, Mrs. Umney, who serves them tea in the library.
a spectral form sometimes adopted
the Strangled Mrs. Otis notices a bloodstain on the floor and insists that it be
by the Canterville ghost in order to
Babe
frighten people. removed, but Mrs. Umney objects, explaining that it is Lady
Eleanore de Canterville's blood. She was murdered in that
Lord Francis Stilton is the Duke of exact spot by her husband, Sir Simon de Canterville, in 1575.
Lord Francis Cheshire's grand uncle. Like many She tells them that Sir Simon went on to become the
Stilton members of this family, he suffered
the wrath of the Canterville ghost. Canterville ghost, and the bloodstain is of interest to tourists
and cannot be removed. Washington scoffs at the notion and
removes the bloodstain. Suddenly, there is a flash of lightning
Lady Stutfield is a past victim of the
Canterville ghost, driven by him to and a clap of thunder and Mrs. Umney faints. When she
suicide. The same character or a recovers, she warns the family that trouble is on the way. The
Lady Stutfield
character of the same name appears
Otises dismiss her concerns.
in Wilde's 1893 play A Woman of No
Importance.
Mrs. Umney is the housekeeper, kept The Otises Meet Sir Simon
on at the request of Lady Canterville
Mrs. Umney
when the Otises move into Canterville
The bloodstain reappears the next morning. Twice more
Chase.
Washington removes it; twice more it returns. Finally, the
Otises admit to the existence of Sir Simon, the Canterville
François-Marie Arouet (1694–1778),
Monsieur de known popularly as Voltaire, was a ghost. Removal of the bloodstain becomes a morning routine,
Voltaire renowned French philosopher and and the spot takes to assuming a different color each day, a
author. development that amuses all of them except young Virginia.
George Washington (1732–99) was On the fourth night at 1:00 a.m., the ghost of Sir Simon appears
George the first U.S. president. Washington in the hallway, clanking his chains. Mr. Otis insists the ghost oil
Washington Otis, the eldest son, is named after
his chains and leaves a small bottle of Tammany Rising Sun
him.
Lubricator oil for the ghost to take. Angry at this offering, Sir
Simon flees down the corridor, but before he disappears, the
twins throw pillows at his head. Thoroughly unnerved, the
ghost vanishes through a wall. He spends that night moping in
his secret room, appalled at the degree of disrespect the

Americans show him. He plans revenge.

Farewell, Sir Simon
The next morning Mr. Otis expresses bitterness over the fact
that Sir Simon did not take the oil and concludes that the With Sir Simon's soul at rest, the Otises give his remains a
family "shall have to take his chains from him" if they are ever nighttime funeral. Mr. Otis is uneasy with the idea of Virginia
going to get any sleep. Over the next several weeks, the Otis keeping Sir Simon's jewels, but Lord Canterville insists. Years
boys conduct a campaign of harassment against the ghost to later Virginia wears the jewels when she marries longtime beau
which Sir Simon retaliates with his most frightening persona. Cecil, the Duke of Cheshire, in the presence of the queen.
But despite his three centuries of experience as a terrifying After their honeymoon, Virginia and the duke visit Sir Simon's
apparition, none of his tricks faze the Otises. He is reduced to grave. They talk about the ghost; Virginia refuses to reveal
a nervous, exhausted wreck and finally gives up trying what went on between the ghost and her when he had held her
altogether. in his chamber. The duke guesses that perhaps she will
someday tell the secret to their children, and this causes
When the Duke of Cheshire comes to stay at Canterville Virginia to blush.
Chase, Sir Simon considers taking action against the family
again. However, the ghost is terrified of the twins and chooses
to remain in his chamber. Instead of being given a fright, the
duke dreams peacefully of Virginia.
Virginia Gets Involved

Virginia Otis comes upon Sir Simon one afternoon as he is
brooding in the Tapestry Chamber. He is so depressed that
she feels sorry for him. He says there is no reason for him to
exist if he can't clank his chains and speak through keyholes.
Virginia expresses her sympathy and then berates him for
using her paints to replace the library's bloodstain and for
murdering his wife. Sir Simon defends his actions. He admits
he has not slept in 300 years. He references a prophecy that
says a "golden girl" will someday weep and pray for him, and
then he will enjoy eternal rest. Virginia agrees to help him, and
the two vanish through the Tapestry Chamber wall.
Suppertime arrives and the Otis family panics when Virginia

cannot be found. After searching the house and surrounding
area for much of the night, the family regroups in the manor. At
midnight the clock strikes, eerie music plays, and Virginia
returns. She is holding a coffin-shaped box of jewels the ghost
has given to her. She takes everyone to his secret chamber,
where his skeleton is chained up. Virginia says a prayer for Sir
Simon, and this causes the once-barren almond tree to
instantly blossom in the moonlight. Virginia declares this is a
sign that God has forgiven Sir Simon for his sins; now he can
rest in peace.

Plot Diagram
Climax
Rising Action 4 Falling Action

6
3
2 7
1
Resolution
Introduction
Falling Action
Introduction
6. Sir Simon asks Virginia to help him depart to the hereafter.
1. The Otis family takes residence at Canterville Chase.
Resolution
Rising Action
7. Virginia helps Sir Simon, and his soul finds peace.
2. Washington removes the library's bloodstain.
3. The Otis family meets and angers Sir Simon.
4. A series of humiliating encounters disheartens Sir Simon.
Climax
5. The boys corner Sir Simon, and he barely escapes.

Timeline of Events
Mid-1880s
Mr. Hiram B. Otis buys Canterville Chase.
At season's end
The Otises move into Canterville Chase.
Four nights later
Sir Simon, the Canterville ghost, makes his first

appearance.
The following Sunday
The Otises confront Sir Simon, who awakens the family

while unsuccessfully donning a suit of armor.
Four weeks later
Sir Simon tries to maintain a low profile while the boys

set traps and trip-wires for him.
The following night
Sir Simon tries to terrorize the twins and is doused with

water.
Few nights later
The boys attack Sir Simon in the library, and he escapes.
That summer
The Duke of Cheshire stays with the Otises.
One afternoon
Virginia encounters Sir Simon in the Tapestry Chamber.
Soon after
Virgina agrees to help Sir Simon fulfill a prophecy and

achieve peace.
Immediately following
Virginia goes with Sir Simon.

At dinner
The Otises and the duke discover Virginia has

disappeared.
That evening
The Otises, their servants, and the duke search in vain

for Virginia.
Midnight
Virginia reappears and tells everyone that Sir Simon's

soul is at rest.
Soon after
Virgina takes the Otises and the duke to Sir Simon's

chamber, where they see his chained-up skeleton.
Virginia says a prayer for Sir Simon.
The twins notice the almond tree has bloomed, signally

that Sir Simon is now at peace.
Four nights later
A funeral is held for Sir Simon.
Spring of 1890
Virginia and Cecil are wed.
After their honeymoon
The duke respects Virginia's wish to keep the details of

her encounter with Sir Simon a secret.

The Canterville Ghost Study Guide Chapter Summaries 13
in 1575. She goes on to explain that Sir Simon vanished

c Chapter Summaries mysteriously nine years later. While his body has never been
found, his ghost haunts the Chase. The stain, she admits,
remains because it delights tourists.
Chapter 1 Washington thinks the story is "rubbish" and leaps into action,
cleaning up the spot with Pinkerton's Champion Stain Remover
and Paragon Detergent. Suddenly, there's a bolt of lightning
Summary and a clap of thunder. Mrs. Umney falls to the floor. While she
is unconscious, Mr. and Mrs. Otis discuss how best to deal with
American minister Mr. Hiram B. Otis buys Canterville Chase, an the issue of a fainting housekeeper. Mr. Otis suggests
estate outside the town of Ascot in Manchester, England, deducting from her wages the time she spends being
despite people's warnings that the home is haunted. Lord overwhelmed.
Canterville, a man of punctilious honor, even advises the
minister not to purchase the home, explaining that while he When Mrs. Umney finally comes to, she warns the Otises that
lived there the ghost caused his great-aunt to have a fit, his trouble is on the way. They assure her there is nothing to worry
wife could get very little sleep, and the servants refused to about. Mrs. Umney says a prayer for her new bosses,
stay. Although sympathetic to Lord Canterville's experiences, negotiates for a higher salary, and leaves the room.
Mr. Otis scoffs at the notion, insisting that he comes from "a
modern country." If there are ghosts in England, he says, one
would have been taken to the United States by some American Analysis
impresario and put on display by now. Lord Canterville rests his
Mr. Otis is introduced to readers as an American minister,
case but wants Mr. Otis to remember he warned him.
meaning he is some kind of government official, who has
The Otis family includes Mrs. Otis, a former New York socialite worked his way up the ranks to be put in charge of a
who is very English in her ways. The eldest son, Washington, is government division. He purchases Canterville Chase. A chase
named after George Washington, the first president of the is an estate set on a large area of open hunting land, the sort
United States. He is a sensible young man who hates his name. of land that only the upper crust of society, such as royalty,
Virginia Otis is a tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed 15-year-old girl would have owned or even had access to at the time the story
who was once proposed to by the Duke of Cheshire. The takes place. The fact that Mr. Otis buys Canterville Chase
youngest Otises are wild twin boys the family calls "The Stars indicates that with his position comes the reward of wealth.
and Stripes." The previous owner, Lord Canterville, inherited his wealth and
Canterville Chase through his royal bloodline. With the sale of
On a pleasant July evening, the Otises move to Canterville the property to Mr. Otis, Wilde is making a statement about the
Chase. As their wagonette nears the home, the sky darkens state of Victorian society—the common man, now the middle-
and heavy raindrops begin to fall. Standing on the front steps is class, has risen in the ranks, while the aristocracy's power has
the housekeeper, Mrs. Umney, who is being kept on at the declined.
request of Lady Canterville. She is dressed neatly in a black
silk dress with white apron and cap and leads the family to the In this chapter, Oscar Wilde begins to present the prim
library/sitting room where she has set up tea. As Mrs. Umney propriety of the British and the comparative uncouthness of
serves the tea, Mrs. Otis draws the housekeeper's attention to Americans. At the time Wilde wrote the story, the Victorian era
a red stain on the floor and says she's "afraid something has (1837–1901), the world was rapidly changing. England was
been spilt there." Mrs. Umney agrees, adding that the stain is experiencing an industrial revolution. Cities were growing
actually blood. Mrs. Otis declares she does not care for because of industry, and global trade was becoming easier and
bloodstains in a sitting room and asks that it be removed. Mrs. more efficient with the quick output of manufactured goods
Umney goes on to explain the significance of the stain: The and new, faster forms of transportation like steam trains. In this
blood belongs to Lady Eleanore de Canterville, who was new, fast-paced society, the old ways of thinking were being
murdered on the spot by her husband, Sir Simon de Canterville, replaced by more modern thought.

Wilde addresses this notion of tradition versus modern-day money can buy, including items they've purchased from
insight through the characters of Lord Canterville and Mr. Otis. European culture and display as showpieces in museums and
Lord Canterville leans on tradition in support of his assertion on stage. He even goes so far as to suggest that all the English
that the Canterville ghost exists, evoking both three centuries should immigrate to America to enjoy a better climate and way
of history and the authority of local rector "Rev. Augustus of life.
Dampier, who is a fellow of King's College, Cambridge," to
argue for the spirit's authenticity. Mr. Otis responds Wilde tells the reader that back in America, eldest son
condescendingly, countering that he comes from "a modern Washington made a name for himself at the Newport Casino.
country" where "laws of nature" are not "suspended for the This is a real location. Despite the name, it has never been a
British aristocracy." Each man's worldview is defined largely by gambling establishment. Built in 1880 (seven years before "The
its sneering contempt of the other's. Canterville Ghost" was written), it was in Wilde's time an elite
social gathering spot in Newport, Rhode Island, offering its
This amusing contrast is on further display during the incident members access to dancing, theater, fine dining, and
involving the bloodstain on the floor of the library. When Mrs. competitive sports. It remains active today, largely as a center
Otis pronounces the spot "horrid" and declares, "it must be for tennis and croquet competitions. Wilde's mention of it
removed at once," Mrs. Umney counters that the stain has supports the notion that the upper-class Otises are the
been "much admired by tourists and others" and therefore American equivalent to the similarly upper-class English
must stay. Eldest son Washington—named, incidentally, after Cantervilles.
George Washington, the first U.S. president—takes matters
into his own hands. He removes the stain with an American
brand-name household product called Pinkerton's Champion Chapter 2
Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent, a gesture that
suggests the "rubbing out" of tradition and the rise of American
vulgarity.
Summary
The name "Pinkerton" refers to the Pinkerton National
On the morning following their first night at Canterville Chase,
Detective Agency, which operated during the 19th century as
after the removal of a bloodstain from the floor seemingly
an independent police force in the United States. Aside from
triggers an all-night thunderstorm, the Otises awaken to find
its primary focus on stopping crime, Pinkerton was America's
that the bloodstain has returned. Washington uses Paragon
first strikebreaking agency, supplying armed guards to protect
Detergent to remove it a second time, but the next morning it is
replacement workers from striking employees within labor
back again. When the stain reappears a third time and another
unions and to protect company property from vandalism by
attempt to remove it proves equally futile, the family comes to
strikers. Often there was bloodshed as violence erupted
believe that the Canterville ghost (aka Sir Simon de Canterville)
between the strikebreakers, called Pinkertons, and the strikers.
is real after all.
A sudden flash of lightning and clap of thunder appear just
Being practical Americans, they take the revelation in stride.
after Washington rubs out the bloodstain—which in classic
Mrs. Otis decides she wants to join the Psychical Society, and
gothic fashion is an ominous foretelling that a supernatural
Washington writes a dissertation about the connection
someone does not appreciate the removal of the stain. Mrs.
between violent crime and supernatural bloodstains. On their
Umney responds to the ensuing thunder, in proper Victorian-
fourth evening, the family goes out riding in the beautiful, cool
era British female fashion; she faints. She also overcomes her
weather, with no further mention of anything supernatural.
terror in return for a raise in salary, the sort of droll detail with
They return home late in the evening and go to bed. At 1:00
which Wilde famously peppers his work.
a.m. Mr. Otis is awakened by the sound of clanking chains in
Wilde provides more digs at American pride in the way he the hallway. He goes to his bedroom door, opens it, and for the
flamboyantly portrays the Otises. The children are named after first time comes face-to-face with the ghastly Sir Simon. His
American people, places, and objects. Mr. Otis boasts about eyes glow red in the moonlit corridor, his shoulder-length hair
modern America being a place where people have everything is scraggly, and his clothes are filthy and tattered. Heavy

chains hang from his wrists and ankles. he, the story's third-person omniscient narrator, has personally
had with Mr. Otis.
Mr. Otis remains composed and insists the ghost oil his noisy
chains and offers him a bottle of Tammany Rising Sun Wilde's running joke about Americans' consumer mentality is
Lubricator for that purpose. An affronted Sir Simon smashes revisited here when Mr. Otis tells the ghost he ought to use
the bottle and runs down the corridor, groaning and emitting an Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator to oil his chains and put an
eerie green light. The ruckus awakens the twins, who come end to the noise. The recommendation is a gentle spoof of
from their room and throw a pillow at Sir Simon's head. This Americans' conviction that there is a product to solve every
added indignity is more than the spirit can abide, and he problem. The humor is embellished here when Mr. Otis cites
vanishes through the corridor wall. the endorsements of divines (clerics) as to the product's
effectiveness, casting American faith in modern technology as
Sir Simon spends the rest of the night brooding in his secret something akin to religion.
room. In over 300 years of haunting, he has never felt so
insulted. He ponders the terrifying forms he has taken in the Regarding the name of the oil, Tammany is another political
past, including Gaunt Gibeon, the Bloodsucker of Bexley Moor, reference from Wilde. The name refers to Tammany Hall, a
and Red Ruben, the Strangled Babe. He reminisces about political organization that existed in New York City from 1789
people he has horrified, traumatized, and even driven to suicide to 1966. This organization was like a well-oiled machine—it
over the centuries. Never, he grouses, has a ghost anywhere employed a hierarchal system in which politicians wielded
been treated with the blatant disrespect the Otis family has power through the organization and enticed large numbers to
shown him. He vows vengeance. vote in favor of its members to ensure those within the
organization won seats in government. During the time Wilde
wrote "The Canterville Ghost," Irish immigrants in America
Analysis were tied closely to Tammany Hall, and many of its bosses
were of Irish descent. Originally formed to help the city's poor
Once apparently indisputable evidence is presented to the Otis and immigrant population, the organization earned a reputation
family, they fully accept the existence of Sir Simon de for corruption. By referencing it, Wilde is probably making a
Canterville's ghost. Their reaction is in keeping with Wilde's subtle dig at the vulgarity of American culture, particularly its
humorous representation of Americans as aggressively matter- politics.
of-fact. Mrs. Otis decides to join the Psychical Society, a
reference to the Society for Psychical Research, founded in
Cambridge in 1882 and still active today. Eldest son Chapter 3
Washington also takes an interest in the field, writing a letter to
Frederic Myers and Frank Podmore, researchers from the
group. Later, they all take a long ride, with no further thought of
"phantasmata" until the ghost makes his first actual
Summary
appearance late that night.
At breakfast the next morning, the Otis family discusses the
Wilde connects his narrative to the real world with real-life situation of the ghost of Sir Simon de Canterville. Mr. Otis is
figures. Some, such as French philosopher Voltaire annoyed that the ghost rejected his offer of Tammany Rising
(1694–1778) and the British politician Charles James Fox Sun Lubricant for his chains and says he will have to take the
(1749–1806), were already historical when "The Canterville chains away from Sir Simon if the noise continues. He also tells
Ghost" was written. Others like the aforementioned psychical his young twin sons, "The Stars and Stripes," that it was
researchers Myers and Podmore and renowned physician Sir impolite to throw pillows at the ghost the night before,
William Gull were well-known figures of the time. There is also "considering the length of time he has been in the house."
a reference to "Lady Stutfield," a fictional character who

For the next few days the ghost is silent, leaving his secret
appears later in Wilde's 1893 play A Woman of No Importance.
room only once each night to replace the bloodstain on the
And in a brief aside that the reader might easily miss, Wilde
library floor, which the Otis's eldest son, Washington, continues
places himself in the story by alluding to a conversation that
to wipe up each morning. Sir Simon takes to using a different

color for the spot each time—first dull-red, then vermillion, then By now the reader may begin to notice ways in which daughter
purple, and then emerald-green. The family—except daughter Virginia is set apart from the rest of the Otis family. So far she
Virginia Otis, who is inexplicably distressed by the not only has not participated in the other children's harassment
situation—amuses themselves by betting each morning on of Sir Simon—something the ghost himself notes—she is the
what that day's color will be. only family member who has not really interacted with him at
all. It is also worth noting that her reactions to the ever-
The ghost makes a second appearance on the following changing color of the reappearing bloodstain differ from those
Sunday night, producing a great deal of noise as he harms of the other Otises; while Mr. Otis, Mrs. Otis, Washington, and
himself while trying unsuccessfully to put on a suit of armor. the twins are amused enough by the phenomenon to make a
The twins attack him with pea-shooters, while Mr. Otis pulls a game of it, Virginia is bothered for reasons that are not yet
gun on him and demands he hold up his hands. The ghost made plain.
responds with a shriek of rage and a terrifying laugh, and Mrs.
Otis comes out of her room to offer him a bottle of Dr. Dobell's Wilde's construction of Sir Simon's August 17th attack on the
tincture, a medicine for indigestion. As a livid Sir Simon family follows a pattern that he more-or-less repeats
prepares to turn into a terrifying black dog, he hears the twins throughout the story. The ghost puts much thought and effort
approach him. The sound unnerves him, and he vanishes. into planning an assault that it seems will indeed be quite
terrifying, thinking through his strategy carefully as he selects
For the next few days, the ghost is ill. He keeps to himself, his wardrobe. Then when he takes action, he is thwarted by
apart from nightly trips to replace the bloodstain. Once he some childish strategy on the part of the Otis boys. On this
feels better, he formulates a plan to terrify Washington, Mr. particular occasion, they construct a fake ghost to frighten
Otis, Mrs. Otis, and the twins. He has no real grudge against him—a successful move so heavy-handed as to be farcical,
daughter Virginia since she has done nothing to disrespect since Sir Simon himself is a ghost. They also label the ghost in
him. Middle English, a way of teasing Sir Simon about his age.
As Sir Simon enters Washington's room, he sees another ghost The rooster Chanticleer that Sir Simon calls forth in his curse
and is frightened off. Near dawn he investigates the matter and was a character in Geoffrey Chaucer's story The Canterbury
discovers that the second ghost is a fake constructed by the Tales, written during the last part of the 14th century and
Otis children. Angry, he recites an ancient curse, evoking revered as a classic of English literature. The fact that Wilde
Chanticleer the rooster to crow twice and set off murderous makes no effort to explain the reference is one of the story's
"deeds of blood." Almost immediately he hears Chanticleer's many indications that he is writing for a literate, educated
first crow. Sir Simon waits in anticipation for the second, but it audience. The reader might also note that Sir Simon's coffin is
does not come. Time passes. When the housekeeping staff made of lead, one of the first metals known to humans and one
arrives at 7:30 a.m., Sir Simon gives up his vigil and retires to symbolic in alchemy as having dark connections related to
his lead coffin for the day. death and transformation.
Analysis Chapter 4
The incident with Sir Simon's ghost and the suit of armor adds
an interesting detail to Wilde's depiction of the Canterville
ghost; he is able to experience physical discomfort. (Later in Summary
this same chapter, he becomes ill for several days.) On the
surface these infirmities seem inconsistent with the nature of a Four weeks after the Otis family has moved into Canterville
ghost. It is possible, however, that Wilde means to convey that Chase, Sir Simon de Canterville—the Canterville ghost—is a
Sir Simon's disagreeable interactions with the Otis family are in nervous wreck. His attempts to frighten the new residents
some sense draining his supernatural power, rendering him have been a total failure, and their general dismissal of his
subject to physical discomfort. fearsomeness, coupled with outright harassment from the Otis
boys, has worn him out. He gives up his nightly routine of

replacing the bloodstain on the library floor. He does continue

to fulfill his haunting obligations, making appearances in
Analysis
specific parts of the house on specific days, but he now does
Here, as in the previous chapter, the reader is presented with
so as unobtrusively as possible so as to avoid encountering the
the Canterville ghost's frailty: He is "very weak and tired" at the
house's American residents.
chapter's opening, and he catches a cold when water is
Despite his low profile, the family's oldest child, Washington dumped on him. As noted earlier, this is Wilde's way of
Otis, and the twin boys, "The Stars and Stripes," take to setting indicating that the continual harassment by Washington and
up tripwires and other traps for him. After slipping one night on the twins is wearing him out. Wilde is causing the reader to
a buttered floor and falling down a staircase, the ghost is empathize with the ghost. Sir Simon's feelings are also hurt, as
sufficiently enraged to plot vengeance against the twins. The evidenced by his loss of interest in replacing the library's
following night he dons a particularly terrifying disguise, one he bloodstain. Sulking, he dismisses the Otises as "people on a
calls Reckless Rupert, or the Headless Earl, which he has not low, material plane of existence" who are "quite incapable of
worn for more than 70 years. Standing in costume outside their appreciating the symbolic value of sensuous phenomena."
bedroom, he notices the door is slightly ajar. When he flings it Apparently, aristocratic British ghosts have the same snobbish
open, a jug of water falls on him and soaks him to the bone. attitudes toward vulgar Americans as does living British
Stifled laughter comes from the twins' bed. aristocracy.
Sir Simon flees to his secret room and the next day is ill. (He Wilde humorously portrays the ghost's haunting of Canterville
takes some solace in the realization that had he brought his Chase as a sort of job. Despite Sir Simon's continued failure at
head with him, it might have been even worse.) He again scales frightening anyone, he has regular "obligations" to perform at
back his routine to his basic duties, quietly roaming the house specified times on particular days of the week. Why he feels
at night in slippers, armed with an arquebuse (a medieval obligated to perform these specific haunts is a mystery, much
handgun) in case he encounters the twins. A few nights later, like people wonder why British royalty follows certain rules and
at a quarter past two in the morning, he becomes curious traditions that seem odd to outsiders. Perhaps keeping up with
about the status of the library floor's bloodstain. As he makes his duties is his attempt to maintain his self-esteem in the face
his way there, the twins jump from a dark corner and yell "Boo!" of constant disrespect, even as he sinks further into
He panics and runs, but Washington, holding a garden syringe nervousness and depression.
(device for watering plants), cuts him off. Surrounded, the
There is still a little fight left in him, however. When his attempt
ghost escapes through the room's iron stove and makes his
to keep a low profile is thwarted by the traps Washington and
way through the house's ductwork to his room.
the twins continue to set for him, he is yet again stirred to
His pride is now so injured that he curtails his activities retaliation. His appearance in the twins' bedroom as Reckless
completely. The twins continue to set traps and hide in waiting Rupert, or the Headless Earl, is one of several instances in
for him but manage only to annoy their parents and the which he dresses up as a character in an attempt to frighten
servants. Over time the family becomes convinced the ghost is the living. These personae (including Gaunt Gibeon, the
gone. Family patriarch Mr. Otis even writes Lord Canterville, Bloodsucker of Bexley Moor, and Red Ruben, or the Strangled
from whom they bought the house, a letter to that effect. Mr. Babe) are, with their alliterative names and flamboyant
Otis resumes work on a history of the Democratic Party. Mrs. nicknames, evocative of stage performers. Wilde reinforces
Otis organizes a clambake. The boys pass their summer this impression with references to makeup and depictions of
playing American games such as lacrosse, euchre, and poker. the ghost dressing up for his spooky performances.
Daughter Virginia Otis passes hers riding her pony around the
Sir Simon's humiliations are broadly farcical to the point of
grounds. She develops a friendship with the young Duke of
slapstick: he slips on a buttered floor, has water dumped on his
Cheshire, who is visiting the Otises and with whose ancestors
head, and is overwhelmed by children yelling "Boo" and
Sir Simon has a long and violent history. The ghost makes
threatening him with a garden syringe. In the encounters
plans to frighten the young duke one night as he sleeps but
between the hapless ghost and the rowdy Otis children, Wilde
backs out at the last moment because of fear of the twins,
creates humor by pitting British pomposity against American
leaving the duke to dream of Virginia.
unseemliness or, more accurately, exaggerations of both.

The reader is beginning to see that even the ghost is starting She tries to cheer him up, telling him that soon her
to shed his British aristocratic status and conform to American rambunctious brothers will be back to school and there will be
vulgarity. At a certain point, Sir Simon gives up his costumes nobody around to annoy him. She also berates him for being
and props for a medieval rifle called an arquebuse because he wicked, and in particular for killing his wife. He responds that
thinks the weapon might be the only thing that will thwart the his murder of Lady Eleanore de Canterville was a private
evil twins. Also, he has resorted to using the lubricating oil so matter of no concern to others and explains that his wife was
that he can roam the corridors more quietly, likely to avoid run- not pretty, never starched his collars properly, and could not
ins with the twins, whom he now fears. cook. He also tells her he does not think it was nice of Lady
Eleanore's brothers to turn him into a ghost by starving him to
During this time when the ghost has relinquished his haunts, death. Virginia offers him a sandwich, which he declines.
the Otises are returning to their normal way of life. Mr. Otis
even sends a letter to Lord Canterville to the effect that they Sir Simon then comments that he finds Virginia much nicer
have managed to banish the ghost, a show of American vigor than the rest of her "horrid, rude, vulgar, dishonest" family. She
over British tradition. As Wilde describes the family's activities counters that it is he who is rude, horrid, and vulgar and that
during the time the hauntings cease to occur, the reader sees she knows he stole her paints to refurbish the bloodstain in the
Mr. Otis working on his book, Mrs. Otis hosting a clambake, library each day. He replies that he had to, that blood is hard to
and Virginia riding horses with her admirer, the Duke of find and her paints were the best he could do. Besides, he
Cheshire. The activities of the family show their wealth, but the points out, it was her brother who made it necessary by
reader is left to wonder where this wealth continues to come continually cleaning up the bloodstain with "his Paragon
from because it seems no one is working. Wilde is showing that Detergent."
despite Americans' departure from traditions and acceptance
of more modern attitudes, Americans continue to view She accuses him of ignorance and suggests that immigrating
aristocratic traditions as a measure of wealth. to America might improve his mind, adding that her father, Mr.
Otis, could use his political connections to help him avoid the
The ghost's abandonment of the plan to frighten the young "heavy duty on spirits of every kind." He says he does not think
Duke of Cheshire, despite a long-standing grudge against his he would like it there and tells her of a prophecy. It is said, he
family, is his final admission of defeat. From this point in the explains, that if a "golden girl" will weep and pray for him, he
story, Sir Simon makes no attempt to scare anyone. The will be awarded the eternal rest that has eluded him for three
remaining three chapters set up and present the story's centuries. The prophecy also states that an old, barren almond
conclusion, of which the reader can predict will include a tree next to the house will blossom once he is at peace.
marriage between the Duke of Cheshire and Virginia. Virginia agrees to help him fulfill the prophecy. As a Tapestry
Chamber wall turns to mist and the two prepare to walk
through it, figures on the tapestries and fireplace come to life
Chapter 5 and warn her not to go. Sir Simon cries that they must hurry.
The two depart, leaving the room empty.
Summary
Analysis
Sir Simon de Canterville—the Canterville ghost—has become
Sir Simon's encounter with young Virginia marks his first direct
so intimidated by the Otis family that he no longer even
interaction with her. The fact that it occurs in full daylight—his
attempts to haunt Canterville Chase. He is so quiet, in fact, that
first such appearance—lends positivity to the encounter. And
the family believes he is no longer there. One afternoon,
on a related note, it underscores how thoroughly the ghost's
daughter Virginia Otis tears her clothes on a hedge while out
fearsomeness—until now he has been or at least tried to be a
riding her pony. She sneaks up the back staircase to hide her
terrifying creature of the night—has at last been extinguished
mishap and comes upon Sir Simon while passing the Tapestry
by his repeated failure to frighten anyone.
Chamber. The ghost is moping there, next to the window, so
depressed that Virginia feels sorry for him. Wilde provides some backstory here. The reader learns why

Sir Simon killed his wife and how exactly he became a ghost, have empathy for his situation. However, as Virginia is about to
along with why the bloodstain on the library floor kept go with Sir Simon, the warnings from figures on tapestries and
changing colors and why Virginia alone found it so distressing. the fireplace that have seemingly come to life leave readers
Her description of how the progressive absence of each color wondering if Sir Simon can, in fact, be trusted. The reader is
in her paint box—appropriated one after another by Sir uncertain at this point whether Virginia will succeed in helping
Simon—detracted from her ability to create beautiful images Sir Simon or become another of the ghost's unfortunate
highlights the sweet and sensitive nature of her personality. victims.
Her offering of a sandwich to Sir Simon, a rather humorous
gesture toward a ghost, makes Sir Simon seem human and
displays Virginia's compassion for others. Chapter 6
Wilde also—in a rather abrupt and obvious way—signals the
story's resolution here, although he has dropped subtle hints
throughout the story that Virginia is somehow special among
Summary
the Otises. The reader suddenly learns of a prophecy—which
Virginia Otis, the only daughter of the Otis family, has gone off
everyone except the reader seems to already know
with the ghost of Sir Simon de Canterville. The blond-haired girl
about—involving a young, weeping, golden-haired girl, a barren
has agreed to play a part in fulfilling a prophecy that says if a
almond tree, and the arrival of peace at Canterville Chase. It is
"golden girl" weeps and prays for Sir Simon, he will find eternal
safe to say at this point that the reader can make a pretty
rest. A barren almond tree next to the house will blossom when
accurate guess about the story's conclusion. At the same time,
the prophecy is fulfilled.
it might be said in Wilde's defense that revealing the prophecy
earlier in the story would have given away the ending even
When dinnertime arrives and Virginia is nowhere to be found,
sooner.
panic takes hold of the Otises. Cecil, the young Duke of
Cheshire who has been staying with them while he courts
There are a couple of literal jokes here as opposed to the
Virginia, is likewise upset. Family patriarch Mr. Otis remembers
situational humor that permeates nearly all of the story. When
that he recently permitted a group of gypsies to camp nearby,
Virginia berates the idea of using several different colors of
and he along with the oldest son, Washington Otis, and two
paint to replace the library's bloodstain as "ridiculous," Sir
servants prepare to go see if the gypsies have taken her. Cecil
Simon counters that appropriate blood color is "a matter of
begs to accompany them, but Mr. Otis fears there may be "a
taste" and that, for example, the Cantervilles have long had
scuffle," and refuses the boy permission. When the party
"the very bluest" blood in England. This is a play on the
reaches the gypsies' campsite, they find it has been abruptly
expression "blue blood," referring to aristocratic families, said
abandoned. Mr. Otis telegraphs to all the local police
to be pale from their lack of outdoor labor, with their blue veins
inspectors to be on the lookout for both the gypsies and
very pronounced. The other gag is Virginia's reference to
Virginia.
"spirits," conflating the word's two meanings of "alcoholic
beverages" and "supernatural beings."
As Mr. Otis continues his search, riding down Ascot Road on
his horse, the young duke catches up to him. The lad insists on
The humorous tension Wilde sees between American and
accompanying Mr. Otis, arguing that "if you had let us be
British culture is again on display in this chapter when Virginia
engaged last year, there would never have been all this
and Sir Simon bicker about the merits of their respective
trouble." Mr. Otis agrees to let him come along but insists the
countries. She suggests that emigrating to the United States
boy wear a hat if he is going to join the search. They buy the
might make him both wealthy and smarter. He retorts that he
duke a hat at the nearby town of Ascot and conduct a fruitless
would not like living there because it lacks ruins and curiosities.
search of the local area. When they return to Canterville Chase
Neither indicates the slightest appreciation of the other
later that night, they learn that the gypsies were found but
country's merits.
Virginia was not with them. The carp pond has also been
At this point it can be said that Wilde is successful in dragged for her body, with no result.
humanizing Sir Simon, the ghost, and encouraging readers to
As they decide to retire for the evening at midnight, there is a

loud clap of thunder. Eerie music plays and Virginia enters attributing the insistence to Mr. Otis seems on the surface
through a panel in the wall at the top of the staircase. She is weirdly discordant. The reader might conclude that it is a
pale and holds a small casket in her hand. The family and Cecil concession on Mr. Otis's part toward English propriety. If so, it
are enormously relieved to see her. She explains that she has is similar to his allowing Virginia to keep the Canterville jewels
been with Sir Simon, who gave her a box of beautiful jewels and take on an English title later in the story. At the very least,
before he went on to the hereafter. She takes the family to the stopping to buy a hat before searching for a possibly
ghost's secret room where his skeleton is chained to the wall kidnapped loved one is doubtless an intentional display (on
with the remains of a meal just out of its reach. She kneels next Wilde's part) of aristocratic pretentiousness.
to the skeleton and prays, and one of the twins notices that the
barren almond tree outside the window is blossoming in the Virginia's reappearance at the stroke of midnight
moonlight. Virginia exclaims that God has forgiven Sir Simon, (accompanied by strange music from an unknown source) is
and the young duke embraces and kisses her. the last supernatural event to occur in "The Canterville Ghost."
It is interesting to note that until this point, Wilde has presented
night as the time when the supernatural holds sway. What little
Analysis daylight there is in the story—most notably, Virginia's
encounter with Sir Simon in Chapter 5—is fairly benign. That
When young Virginia disappears, Mr. Otis immediately assumes motif shifts in this chapter, which begins at around dusk. Worry
that local gypsies are likely to blame. By the time "The sets in and turns to panic, then terror, as night falls and
Canterville Ghost" was written, that nomadic race had been deepens. When Virginia reappears at the stroke of midnight,
present in Western Europe for about two centuries. The term however, with her box of valuable jewels and good news about
gypsy, considered derogatory today, derives from the common the Canterville ghost, all becomes well. The ghost is at peace,
and inaccurate belief that the group originated in Egypt. More the almond tree blooms, and although the darkness remains, it
appropriately called "Roma," they can actually trace their is cleansed of its evil.
ancestry to northern India, from where they began emigrating
Virginia leads the Otises and Cecil to the secret chamber,
around the 1000s. Their darker skin, little-known native
where the skeleton of Sir Simon de Canterville is positioned
language (Romany), and itinerant lifestyle has led through the
still chained to the wall and grasping for a trencher (platter)
centuries to their being viewed with dislike and suspicion by
and ewer (pitcher) placed in front of him "just out of his reach."
most "native" Europeans. A half-century later, they would be
The trencher suggests the Christian Eucharist, a communion
among the groups exterminated in Nazi concentration camps.
with God, and the ewer is filled with water to wash away sin. In
Mr. Otis's consent to let them camp on his land might be a
the placement of these items just out of Sir Simon's reach,
subtle commentary by Wilde on American tolerance, but his
Wilde is suggesting that salvation and forgiveness cannot be
suspecting them of having kidnapped his daughter would have
achieved for one's terrible actions no matter how hard one
been typical of the time. It is also worth noting that Wilde
reaches for it. Thinking about Wilde as a homosexual male of
depicts the group as kind, concerned enough about a young
the Victorian era, when homosexuality was considered a
girl's disappearance that some of them assist in the search.
"gross indecency" punishable by law, readers can consider the
Perhaps this springs from empathy Wilde may have felt toward
suffering and circumstances of Sir Simon's death as reflective
outsiders.
of Wilde's own emotions about achieving forgiveness and
It is difficult to know what Wilde intends by Mr. Otis's salvation.
insistence that Cecil gets a hat before he helps look for
Virginia. That order—along with Cecil's laughing response that
he does not want one and the fact that they get one Chapter 7
nonetheless—seems incongruent with both the tone of the
scene and the overall depiction of the two characters. The
demand that Cecil be attired properly would be more expected Summary
from a class-conscious British parent than the American Mr.
Otis. It might also seem appropriate were Cecil himself, a Sir Simon de Canterville, the Canterville ghost, is finally at
young British noble, to demand that he wear one. But

The Canterville Ghost Study Guide Quotes 21
peace, thanks to the intervention of young Virginia Otis. Now proceedings. Having been the most emotionally intimate with
that his 300-year-old remains have been found, it is decided the ghost, Virginia is particularly saddened. She has, the reader
that he should have a funeral. Lord Canterville comes from realizes, lost a friend.
Wales to attend the service, which is held at 11 o'clock at night.
It is a solemn, classy affair, conducted by the Reverend The conversation between Lord Canterville and Mr. Otis about
Augustus Dampier. Afterward, young Virginia is quite sad. whether Virginia should keep the jewels Sir Simon has given
her underscores the basic decency of both men. Each wants
Mr. Otis is uneasy with the idea of Virginia keeping the valuable to do the right thing in what is a preposterous situation,
jewels Sir Simon's ghost gave her. He feels they must certainly although neither references it as such. Their discussion of the
be de Canterville family heirlooms, although he would like it if matter as though it is ordinary is a final instance of the story's
Virginia were allowed to keep the casket-shaped box they droll humor. In the end, Virginia's basic goodness and the debt
came in. Lord Canterville counters that Virginia did Sir Simon a of gratitude owed her are acknowledged in oh-so proper
great service by helping him find eternal peace, and so she British fashion and she keeps the precious heirlooms.
deserves the jewels. He also points out that the Otises took on
the Canterville ghost when they bought Canterville Chase, so The remainder of the chapter is likewise "happily ever after" in
the ghost's property rightly belongs to them as well. tone. Virginia grows up and marries Cecil, her "curly-haired
cavalier," and the two seem headed for privileged, happy lives
In the spring of 1890, when Virginia and the Duke of Cheshire together. In the novel's final conversation, the duke asks her
are of age, they marry in the presence of the queen. Mr. Otis is what she and the ghost talked about on the night Sir Simon
uneasy with the marriage, solely because of his objection to was redeemed. When she answers only vaguely, and then
titles, which he feels leave his daughter open to "the enervating blushes, the implication that Sir Simon taught her something
influences of a pleasure-loving aristocracy." His objections are profound sounds a note of mystery, just before Cecil ends the
quickly overcome, however, and he proudly walks Virginia tale on a note of romance by referring to their future children.
down the aisle. Some critics have also read a degree of sexual innuendo into
Virginia's blush, speculating that her friendship with Sir Simon
After the honeymoon, the duke and new duchess visit Sir may have waxed romantic when the two were alone together.
Simon's burial place. She lays roses on his grave, and they walk This would be in keeping with the chaste suggestiveness of the
to the ruins of the nearby abbey. There, he presses her to tell time's romantic literature, filtered through Wilde's satirical
him what happened when she was alone with Sir Simon's ghost sensibility.
those years before. She will not be specific, saying only, "He
made me see what Life is, and what Death signifies, and why
g Quotes
Love is stronger than both." He agrees to let her have her
secret, as long as he can have her heart. She tells him he
always has, and the two kiss. When the duke suggests she will
someday tell this secret to their children, Virginia blushes.
"'I fear that the ghost exists,' said
Lord Canterville, smiling, 'though it
Analysis
may have resisted the overtures of
This final chapter begins with a respectful and somewhat your enterprising impresarios.'"
poignant farewell to the title character. His final passing after
300 years of terrorizing the residents of Canterville Chase is
— Lord Canterville, Chapter 1
marked with a suitably aristocratic funeral conducted at night,
a thoughtful gesture toward a being who existed mostly in the
darkness. Lord Canterville visits from Wales to pay his Mr. Otis and Lord Canterville discuss the plausibility of the
respects. Reverend Augustus Dampier—rector of the local existence of the Canterville ghost. Canterville's British attitude
parish and a fellow of King's College, Cambridge—conducts toward Otis's pragmatic American viewpoint is one of snobbish
the service. A genuine sense of loss hangs over the dismissal.

"She made them each a low "I ... have brought you a bottle of
curtsey as they alighted, and said Dr. Dobell's tincture. If it is
in a quaint, old-fashioned manner, indigestion, you will find it a most
'I bid you welcome to Canterville excellent remedy."
Chase.'"
— Mrs. Otis, Chapter 3
— Mrs. Umney, Chapter 1

Mrs. Otis is completely unfazed by Sir Simon's fearsomeness,
interpreting his horrifying laugh as a sign of indigestion. And, as
Throughout "The Canterville Ghost," Oscar Wilde satirizes both
Americans in Wilde's imagination are wont to do, she suggests
American and British culture. Here the Otises' housekeeper
a product to solve the problem.
greets her new bosses in a stereotypically British manner.
"For some days after this he was

"I really must insist on your oiling
extremely ill, and hardly stirred out
those chains, and have brought
of his room ... except to keep the
you for that purpose a small bottle
blood-stain in proper repair."
of the Tammany Rising Sun
Lubricator." — Narrator, Chapter 3
— Mr. Otis, Chapter 2 This is one of a handful of descriptions of the ghost as subject
to physical human frailty. This comic approach serves to
Mr. Otis suggests to the Canterville ghost a way to reduce the communicate to the reader that with the American Otis family,
noise of his chains. American reliance on commercial products Sir Simon has met his match.
is a running joke throughout much of the story.
"She had never insulted him in any

"Never, in a brilliant and way, and was pretty and gentle."
uninterrupted career of three
— Narrator, Chapter 3
hundred years, had he been so
grossly insulted." The narrator portrays young Virginia Otis as having positive
qualities that others in her family lack. This benign description
— Narrator, Chapter 2 foreshadows her role in the ghost's redemption.
The Canterville ghost is seriously affronted by the Otis family's

refusal to be frightened by him. His haunting of Canterville "It was his ... duty to appear in the
Chase is portrayed as a sort of job, at which he has proudly
excelled for centuries, until recently.
corridor once a week, and to
gibber from the large oriel window

— Sir Simon de Canterville, Chapter 5

[form of a bay window] on the first
and third Wednesday." As the Canterville ghost justifies his use of Virginia Otis's
paints to replace the bloodstain with colors other than red, he
— Narrator, Chapter 4 slips in a joke about "blue bloods," a slang term for aristocrats.
This statement is exemplary of Wilde's humorous depiction of

the Canterville ghost's activities as a job in which he takes "I know lots of people there who
pride. Even when depressed over his inability to frighten the
Otises, he continues to perform the basic duties expected of
would give a hundred thousand
him. The statement also reflects the aristocratic British dollars to have a grandfather, and
traditions that Wilde is poking fun at in his story in that the
ghost's scheduled antics are routines he feels humans expect
much more than that ... a family
him to carry out. The reader has no idea why it is the ghost's ghost."
duty to haunt on these specific days or how the tradition even
began.
— Virginia Otis, Chapter 5
"Accordingly, he made Young Virginia attempts to coax Sir Simon into emigrating to
America, putting forth the vulgar American incentive that there
arrangements for appearing to would be money in it for him. This is one of many satirical gibes
at American culture presented by Wilde throughout the story.
Virginia's little lover in his
celebrated impersonation of 'The
Vampire Monk, or, the Bloodless "Mr. Otis suddenly remembered
Benedictine.'" that ... he had given a band of
gypsies permission to camp in the
park ... [and] at once set off for
This sentence contains a reference to one of the fearful
Blackfell Hollow."
characters in the Canterville ghost's repertoire. Wilde names
and describes a number of these personae in the story, giving — Narrator, Chapter 6
them all alliterative titles that lend a theatricality to Sir Simon's
style of haunting.
While young Virginia has gone off with the ghost, her panicked
family considers where she might be. Suspicion falls upon
gypsies, nomads of Indian decent common in Europe at the
"The Cantervilles have blue blood, time and viewed with dislike and distrust by lighter-skinned
races. Elsewhere in "The Canterville Ghost," Mr. Otis refers to
for instance, the very bluest in
this group as "tramps."
England; but I know you
Americans don't care for things of
"Well, Cecil, if you won't go back, I
this kind."
suppose you must come with me,

The Canterville Ghost Study Guide Symbols 24
little child gives away its tears"—indicate a "rite of passage for

but I must get you a hat at Ascot."
the golden girl." The notion of a maiden curing a man's corrupt
soul implies that, at some point, the curing will involve sexual
— Mr. Otis, Chapter 6
intimacy. The concealment of the details of such an encounter
are, of course, characteristic of the period in general and of
Cecil, the young Duke of Cheshire, insists on accompanying Wilde's writing in particular (as evidenced in his novel The
Mr. Otis on his search for young Virginia. Mr. Otis's insistence Picture of Dorian Gray).
on Cecil being properly attired for the task is most likely a
swipe—though an odd one, coming from Mr. Otis—at
aristocratic pretentiousness, one of many in "The Canterville
Ghost." l Symbols
"In point of law he was really dead, Thunder and Lightning

and you acquired his property by
purchase."
At a couple of points in "The Canterville Ghost," Oscar Wilde
uses the hackneyed gothic convention of thunder and/or
— Lord Canterville, Chapter 7
lightning as a symbol of supernatural activity. Its first use is no
doubt intended in good fun, as an ominously spooky reaction
Lord Canterville and Mr. Otis discuss the ethics and legalities by the ghost to Washington Otis's removal of the bloodstain on
of Virginia keeping the jewelry that Sir Simon has given her. the library floor in Chapter 1. The second instance—of thunder
The absurd premise—the legal implications of a supernatural alone—in Chapter 6 is more benign, a sort of "goodbye" from
being giving away his belongings—is mined for humor by Sir Simon as Virginia reappears after having helped him move
portraying it in a straight-faced manner. on to the hereafter.
"Virginia blushed."
The Bloodstain
The bloodstain on the library floor first shows up in Chapter 1

This final line of "The Cantrville Ghost" describes Virginia's of "The Canterville Ghost" when the Otis family moves in and is
reaction when her new husband (the Duke of Cheshire) refers served tea by Mrs. Umney, the housekeeper. The bloodstain
to the two of them having children. This shy, awkward attitude serves as a bit of foreshadowing for the supernatural events to
toward even an oblique reference to sex is a hallmark of come, particularly when Sir Simon replaces it every time
Victorian-age literature, presented here by Wilde with gentle Washington Otis cleans it up.
humor.
Apart from that, the spot symbolizes the ongoing conflict
That said, it is also plausible that Wilde intends more here than between the Otises and the ghost who haunts their new home,
a simple display of modesty. Wilde critic Lydia Wilburn, among as Sir Simon's eventual abandonment of its maintenance
others, detects hints in the story of "sexual goings-on" signals he is losing that conflict. The stain also comes to
between the Ghost and Virginia, and not simply because of the represent a bond—though in the beginning an unpleasant
blush. A description of Sir Simon kissing Virginia's hand with one—between Sir Simon and Virginia Otis when the ghost
lips that "burned like fire," among other details, add credence takes to stealing from Virginia's paint box to replace the spot.
to the interpretation. Even the words of the prophecy—"And a

The Canterville Ghost Study Guide Themes 25
An even deeper meaning of the bloodstain involves the notion

of the permanence of events. When a spill occurs and stains a m Themes
surface, no matter how hard an individual tries, that mark
cannot be removed. The bloodstain on the sitting room carpet
suggests the permanence of the aristocracy and its resistance
to its declining power. The constant rubbing out of the stain, by
Cultural Differences
an American aptly named Washington after the first U.S.
president George Washington, the "Father of His Country,"
signifies the historic resistance to British rule by the American Oscar Wilde caricatures American and English culture in both
colonists and the continuing loss of British tradition to broad and subtle ways throughout "The Canterville Ghost,"
American vulgarity. drawing humor from a contrast between the two. This culture
clash is most clearly depicted in the conversation about the
ghost that opens the story, where Lord Canterville represents
the English worldview and Mr. Otis speaks for America. Lord
The Almond Tree Canterville evokes history, tradition, and authority in asserting
the ghost's existence, insisting that Sir Simon has been "well-
known" since he first showed up in 1584. The many who have
seen the specter according to the lord include "several living
The almond tree next to the Canterville manor is explicitly
members" of the Canterville family and the local rector "who is
identified as a symbol in "The Canterville Ghost." It is first
a fellow of King's College, Cambridge." Otis condescendingly
mentioned in the prophecy Virginia recites in Chapter 5. The
frames his retort in literal Americanism, reminding Lord
tree is barren, symbolizing the fact that Canterville Chase is
Canterville that he comes from "a modern country," where it is
under the sway of Sir Simon. In Chapter 6, after the ghost has
known that there are no such things as ghosts and adding
gone to his eternal rest, the tree blooms in fulfillment of the
snarkily that "the laws of nature are not going to be suspended
prophecy. Its blossoms are spread on Sir Simon's lead coffin
for the British aristocracy." He also makes an appeal (tongue-
during his funeral in Chapter 7, symbolizing his final redemption
in-cheek on Wilde's part) to his home country's capitalist
as his remains are laid to rest.
economics, arguing that the United States is so wealthy that, if
The existence of an almond tree on Canterville Chase is at ghosts existed, some American would have bought one by now
most exotic because the tree is native to the Mediterranean and put it on display.
where climates are warm and dry and conducive to its growth.
The American fetish for practicality is further satirized by the
So for the almond tree to be barren is really not surprising—the
Otis's reliance on household products to solve their difficulties.
tree can be cultivated anywhere in the world as a potted plant
Washington removes the bloodstain in the library with
kept under the right conditions. What is surprising, and almost
Pinkerton's Champion Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent.
magical, is the fact that it has the potential to suddenly
Mr. Otis suggests that Sir Simon oil his noisy chains with
blossom if the prophecy is fulfilled. The mere idea of this
Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator, and Mrs. Otis advises the
suggests that the prophecy is harder to achieve than it looks,
ghost to take Dr. Dobell's tincture for what she believes is his
and perhaps that is why over the past 300 years there hasn't
indigestion. Two of these products—the stain remover and the
been a "golden girl" who has tried to fulfill the prophecy.
lubricant—are given spoofy American-sounding brand names
Virginia, finally being the "golden girl" to pray for Sir Simon's
lifted from a U.S. detective agency and a notorious New York
release to eternal rest, causes the almond tree to instantly
"political machine," respectively. A third product name
blossom in the moonlight, serving as a symbol of new
references Dr. Horace Dobell, a famous English doctor of the
beginnings—likely more joyful ones—at Canterville Chase.
time.
Cultural tension between England and the United States

likewise largely shapes the ongoing conflict between the
Canterville ghost and the Otis family. Sir Simon repeatedly
bolsters his nerve by recounting highlights from his successful

three-century career as a horrible apparition, name-dropping suggests the Christian notion of grace or unearned divine
English aristocracy all along the way. And as he suffers defeat forgiveness. Virginia states as much when the almond tree
after defeat at the hands of boisterous American children and blossoms, declaring of Sir Simon that "God has forgiven him."
American grown-ups armed with household products, it is his
very English variety of self-esteem, with its reverence for
propriety and honor, that proves to be his weak spot.
Empathy, Friendship, and Love
As incompatible as the two nations' outlooks may seem,
however, Wilde closes the story on a note of cultural
reconciliation when Virginia Otis, now a young American
Empathy seems to be a value the Otis parents try to instill in
woman, marries her English "curly-haired cavalier" Cecil, the
their children, as when Mr. Otis admonishes the twins for
Duke of Cheshire.
throwing pillows at the ghost, calling it impolite "considering
the length of time he has been in the house." The quality has
taken root most strongly in daughter Virginia, who alone
Nature of Sin, Death, and among the Otises refrains from harassing the ghost, even
though she knows he has it coming. He has not only committed
Redemption murder, after all; he has also stolen from her paint box,
repeatedly. When she encounters him in the Tapestry
Chamber, he is so obviously depressed that instead of fear or
anger, she feels pity. While she is not about to let him off the
In "The Canterville Ghost," Wilde presents death as both hook for his misdeeds and takes umbrage at his snotty,
something to be feared and something to be desired. Sir defensive attitude, her gentle nature leads her to befriend and
Simon's murder of his wife, Lady Eleanore, and his own go off with him—despite the potential danger of being alone
subsequent execution at the hands of her brothers are horrific with a murderer. It is telling that she alone displays true grief at
deeds, springing from base motives (the first, selfishness; the his funeral.
second, revenge). Yet ironically, their outcome is to make Sir
Simon a ghost—an unfortunate being whose punishment for In making empathy one of Virginia's defining traits, Wilde
his wickedness is to have death withheld from him. As an aside, presents it as a feature of her feminine, creative temperament.
the reader might note that the specific nature of Sir Simon's Sir Simon's pilfering of Virginia's paints for what is actually an
condition is somewhat vaguely presented. Although he art project of his own strikes a chord within the girl. The two
complains to Virginia that he has not slept in 300 years, he are in a very real sense kindred spirits, despite the fact that
spends most of his daytime hours reposing in a "comfortable she channels her creativity into painting while he puts his to
lead coffin." A similar ambiguity extends to Wilde's depiction of effort into terrifying people. This identification with him leads
the ghost's corporeal status, which permits him to walk her to keep her knowledge of his thievery to herself and, when
through walls and escape through ductwork while at the same the occasion arises, to help him find the eternal peace he longs
time leaving him subject to injury and illness, as well as fatigue. for.
Over the centuries, Sir Simon has compounded the weight of Virginia is also the most striking personification of love in "The
his guilt with at least one additional murder, choking a victim by Canterville Ghost." Her chaste, budding romance with Cecil,
shoving a playing card down his throat, and by causing several the young Duke of Cheshire, is noted early in the story and
suicides. Not only has he performed many evil acts, but he also develops throughout amid the supernatural goings-on. It is also
shows no remorse for any of them. When Virginia confronts significant that Sir Simon successfully appeals for her aid by
him with Lady Eleanore's murder, he not only justifies the deed speaking of love. The story ends, in fact, on a note both
but plays victim, complaining that his wife's brothers were not romantic and cryptic, with Virginia and Cecil planning a future
being very nice when they starved him to death in retribution. together even as she declines to tell him what the ghost taught
her about "what Life is, and what Death signifies, and why Love
Despite all this, it takes only the prayers and tears of a "golden is stronger than both."
girl" to gain redemption for the ghost. This plot resolution

Homosexuality and Disapproval with or without hard labour.
Wilde received two years of imprisonment and "hard labour." In

other words, he was given the maximum sentence permissible.
The careful reader of "The Canterville Ghost" might discern an
Although his fame guaranteed that news of his fate was widely
identification on Wilde's part with the character of Sir Simon de
publicized, the taboo against male homosexuality ensured that,
Canterville, one that likely reflects Wilde's own homosexuality.
as a general rule, the topic was rarely broached in Victorian
The ghost is tucked away in a secret chamber, he comes out
society. (Conversely, lesbianism was at no point illegal in
under cover of the night, and he employs different personae. In
England. The reasons why are still debated by historians, but
other words, the ghost remains masked. Fear of same-sex
the anecdote claiming that it was because Queen Victoria
relations was deeply rooted in 1880s English society—being a
believed that "women do not do such things" is almost certainly
homosexual male was seen as a failure of manhood at the
false.) Unlike other European nations during this period, even
most basic level and an outrage against what it meant to be
English medical journals avoided any public discussion of the
English. Homosexuality was not openly spoken of, and
phenomenon.
homosexual males lived in constant fear of blackmail or worse.
In the story, once the ghost's masks are lifted—the Otises are While it can certainly be argued that Sir Simon, unlike Wilde,
not as frightened of his antics as they should be—he must has brought his troubles upon himself by murdering his wife
struggle with the notion that there is nothing more left for him. and terrifying people for three centuries, the depiction of the
Wilde's homosexuality—which he kept hidden to the point of harassment he endures—particularly at the hands of the twins,
marrying and fathering two sons—would have given him insight who at one point revel in their torment of Sir Simon by replying
into being just such an "outsider." to a prohibition on practical jokes with "Except on the ghost!
Except on the ghost!"—emits an emotional resonance. Much of
Apart from the social taboo, homosexuality was also illegal. A
the story's plot, in fact, centers on the ghost's persecution in
conviction for "gross indecency"—the euphemism of the
reaction to his "otherness" until he is an emotional shell who
time—frequently brought with it both prison time and hard
loses interest in his own existence. Yet, despite his
labor, as indeed later came to be the case with Wilde. Oscar
wickedness, a subtle plea emerges for empathy for him. And it
Wilde's 1895 "gross indecency" conviction was obtained under
is telling that Virginia's display of this empathy is what brings
the Labouchere Amendment of England's Criminal Law
the ghost his final peace.
Amendment Act of 1885, which read:
Wilde also imbues Sir Simon with characteristics that would by
Any male person who, in public or many today be regarded as hallmarks of a "gay sensibility" or
at least the classic "artistic temperament." The ghost is
private, commits, or is a party to fastidious and theatrical in the way he approaches his
hauntings, taking great pride in the artistic nature of his work.
the commission of, or procures, or
The Otises' complete dismissal of his efforts—they cannot
attempts to procure the even do him the courtesy of being frightened until their
daughter disappears, and even then, they suspect others—is
commission by any male person
an affront to his sensitive, creative nature and, by extension,
of, any act of gross indecency, his self-worth. If he is disparaged by everyone for being who he
is, there is no point in even trying. Thus does Wilde, at the very
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, least, subconsciously, elicit a comparison between Sir Simon
and being convicted thereof, shall and those for whom, as one Wilde commentator has said,
"being gay in a homophobic society was like living an undead,
be liable at the discretion of the shadowy, non-existence, like being a ghost!"
Court to be imprisoned for any
term not exceeding two years,

The Canterville Ghost Study Guide Motifs 28
m Motifs
Daylight and Darkness
A subtle motif of daylight and darkness is woven throughout

the events of "The Canterville Ghost." At first, the darkness is
Sir Simon's domain; it is where/when he plans his attacks,
performs his hauntings, and replaces the bloodstain in the
library. This begins to change on the night he stays up until
past dawn, waiting in vain for Chanticleer the rooster to crow a
second time and set off "deeds of blood" against the Otis
household. By the time Virginia finds him in the Tapestry
Chamber, he is sitting in the open in broad daylight. This
gradual change accompanies the Canterville ghost's
deterioration from a powerful, vengeful spirit to a tired, feeble
soul. When Virginia reappears that same night at midnight,
having helped Sir Simon along to the hereafter, the nighttime is
no longer a thing to be feared.
Art
Art and the understanding of art were subjects to which Oscar

Wilde, author of "The Canterville Ghost," gave a lot of thought
during his lifetime. (For an example, see Wilde's 1891 essay
"The Soul of Man Under Socialism.") That sensibility emerges
as a motif in the story. The personae Sir Simon adopts as he
goes about his hauntings, such as Gaunt Gibeon, the
Bloodsucker of Bexley Moor, and Red Ruben, or the Strangled
Babe, are nothing short of theatrical characters, complete with
costumes, makeup, and scripted performances. He also
approaches the maintenance of the bloodstain on the sitting
room floor as a sort of art project, raiding Virginia Otis's paint
box for supplies when real blood cannot be found to replace
the stain. A third instance of this recurring motif occurs when
the tapestries and carved figures in the Tapestry Chamber
come to life to warn Virginia against running off with Sir
Simon—an event that might be interpreted as a sort of pun—art
"speaking" to those who observe it.

The Canterville Ghost PDF

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Оригинальное название

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

The Canterville Ghost PDF

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

The Canterville

ABOUT THE TITLE

k Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 8

c Chapter Summaries .............................................................................. 13 d In Context

l Symbols ..................................................................................................... 24 Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and

Lastly, "The Model Millionaire," a parable about an

Copyright © 2019 Course Hero, Inc.

Copyright © 2019 Course Hero, Inc.

Copyright © 2019 Course Hero, Inc.

ghost and eventually forming a sort of friendship with him. She

Copyright © 2019 Course Hero, Inc.

Washington Otis Mrs. Otis

Sir Simon de Intruder

Twins Virginia Otis

Other Major Character

Copyright © 2019 Course Hero, Inc.

Full Character List The Reverend Augustus Dampier is

"The Stars and Stripes" are the

Lord Canterville's great-​aunt lived

Lord Canterville is the English A group of gypsies camping on the

Copyright © 2019 Course Hero, Inc.

Washington Otis is the oldest son of

As they pull up to the mansion, they are greeted by the

Copyright © 2019 Course Hero, Inc.

Americans show him. He plans revenge.

Virginia Gets Involved

Suppertime arrives and the Otis family panics when Virginia

Copyright © 2019 Course Hero, Inc.

Rising Action 4 Falling Action

3. The Otis family meets and angers Sir Simon.

4. A series of humiliating encounters disheartens Sir Simon.

5. The boys corner Sir Simon, and he barely escapes.

Copyright © 2019 Course Hero, Inc.

Mr. Hiram B. Otis buys Canterville Chase.

The Otises move into Canterville Chase.

Four nights later

Sir Simon, the Canterville ghost, makes his first

The following Sunday

The Otises confront Sir Simon, who awakens the family

Four weeks later

Sir Simon tries to maintain a low profile while the boys

The following night

Sir Simon tries to terrorize the twins and is doused with

Few nights later

The boys attack Sir Simon in the library, and he escapes.

The Duke of Cheshire stays with the Otises.

Virginia encounters Sir Simon in the Tapestry Chamber.

Virgina agrees to help Sir Simon fulfill a prophecy and

Virginia goes with Sir Simon.

Copyright © 2019 Course Hero, Inc.

The Otises and the duke discover Virginia has

The Otises, their servants, and the duke search in vain

Virginia reappears and tells everyone that Sir Simon's

Virgina takes the Otises and the duke to Sir Simon's

Virginia says a prayer for Sir Simon.

The twins notice the almond tree has bloomed, signally

Four nights later

A funeral is held for Sir Simon.

Virginia and Cecil are wed.

After their honeymoon

The duke respects Virginia's wish to keep the details of

Copyright © 2019 Course Hero, Inc.

in 1575. She goes on to explain that Sir Simon vanished

Lord Canterville's great-aunt lived