Summary
Mr. Hiram Otis, a wealthy American, decides to purchase an English manor-house called Canterville Chase, despite being warned that the house is haunted. Lord Canterville is the current owner, and before finalizing the sale, he explains to Mr. Otis that the presence of the ghost has made it unpleasant to live in the house. The presence of the ghost dates back to 1584, and he is known to appear before a death takes place. Mr. Otis is not convinced that the ghost actually exists, and decides to buy the house anyway.
A short time later, Mr. Otis moves into the house with his wife and their four children: Washington, Virginia, and two young twin boys known as Stars and Stripes. They are welcomed at the house by Mrs. Umney, the housekeeper. Mrs. Otis is alarmed to notice a bloodstain on the floor in the library, but Mrs. Umney explains that the stain has been there for centuries. In 1575, Lady Eleonore Canterville was murdered by her husband, Sir Simon. 8 years later, he disappeared, and his body was never found. Ever since then, the house has been haunted, and the bloodstain remains visible, marking the spot where the murder was committed.
Washington Otis thinks this story is ridiculous and promptly uses a commercial cleaning product to scrub off the bloodstain. Just as he finishes doing so, a thunderstorm breaks out and Mrs. Umney faints in horror. The Otis family is dismayed by her reaction, and despite her warnings that something bad is going to happen, they reassure her that they are not afraid of ghosts and increase her salary to persuade her to stay.
Analysis
The opening of the story immediately sets up the contrast and playful sparring between the Old and New World, represented respectively by Lord Canterville and Mr. Otis. Lord Canterville's title makes it clear that he comes from a family that can be traced back for centuries and has been steadily passing down wealth centered on the landed estate and grand house of Canterville Chase. The fact that he is not only wealthy but also titled indicates his ties to a particular system of European social class, where it is not just one's money but one's heritage and status that establishes a social position. By contrast, Mr. Otis is identified as an "American Minister" which implies that he holds some sort of government position and that his wealth is tied to work and professional success, not inheritance. Whereas Lord Canterville's conversation includes references to a Dowager Duchess and Cambridge (an English university founded in the 1200s), Mr. Otis speaks with pride of being part of a "modern country."
Despite these differences, the two men easily conclude a mutually beneficial business deal. While Lord Canterville suggests that part of the reason for selling the house is that the presence of the ghost makes it difficult to live there, most of Wilde's readers would have placed the sale in a larger context where many wealthy Americans were purchasing elements of European culture including art, property, and historical artifacts. It was not uncommon for aristocrats like Lord Canterville to find themselves in the awkward situation of trying to keep up appearances and lavish lifestyles without much ready cash on hand, and these sales were helpful in that regard. On one hand, Mr. Otis seems somewhat contemptuous of English traditions and the aristocracy; for him, ideas like inherited titles and ghosts are relics of an age that has no place in the modern world. He is also clearly very proud of American political ideals: all of his children bear names associated with America. Washington is of course named after George Washington, while Virginia's name echoes the name of the state of Virginia, one of the 13 original colonies. The nickname of the twins alludes to the American flag.
The arrival of the family at Canterville Chase uses familiar Gothic tropes and imagery. As night as falling, the family arrives at an unfamiliar and isolated house. The weather becomes stormy and foreboding, and the old-fashioned décor and architecture all make the setting seem like an archetypal example of a haunted house. Within this set-up, the presence of the bloodstain and the story behind it seem perfectly in keeping with the mood. A murder, a vengeful ghost, and a body that was never laid to rest are all well-worn elements of a titillating ghost story, and Mrs. Umney seems to understand this as she fills in the Otis family. She seems to take pleasure in telling the story; for her, this heritage is part of what makes the house special and her comment about tourists coming to admire the stain indicates that most people take pride in this unique history.
However, the Americans seem to consider the bloodstain merely a nuisance. It doesn't scare them, but it does annoy them, and they do not see the fact that it has been there for a long time as any reason to treat it respectfully. There had been a long tradition of mocking new-money families (both English and not) who buy historically significant things and then attempt to modernize them without appreciating the history behind them. The Americans use a modern, mass-produced product to clean the stain, and the brand-name references indicate that the detergent and stain remover are widely advertised. All of this reflects the contemporary system of capitalism that runs the risk of undermining the way that Canterville Chase has been able to remain frozen in time. The Otis family treat the house like it is a commercial product resembling the detergent, something that can simply be bought and sold and then adapted to suit the new owner's taste. While Mrs. Umney is horrified by the values of her new employers, she seems to mirror Lord Canterville in that she is also willing to trade respect for tradition for ready money. She agrees to stay on at the house, as long as her salary is increased.
