A Moral Tale: Religion and Instruction in "The Happy Prince" Anonymous College

The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde tells the story of a personified gold statue that used to be alive, that slowly sacrifices himself in order to lessen the suffering of others. He asks the help of a bird, who also ends up sacrificing his life in order to fulfill the moral mission of the statue. For their sacrifices, God grants them an eternal spot in his “garden” and his “city of gold”. This story is a moral tale that reflects on the nature of happiness and the most moral way to conduct oneself—happiness comes from altruism, and the “best” people sacrifice themselves for the sake of others.

In the beginning of the story, the people of the city see the Happy Prince, the statue, as beautiful and happy. However, the statue cries because he sees all of the suffering in the city—he is not happy the way that people in the city view him, suggesting that the reasons that the city believe he is happy do not bring him true happiness. For example, “sad men looked at the statue and said, ‘I am glad that someone in the world is happy.’ However, the statue explains to the bird he meets that when he was alive, “I was called the Happy Prince. I was pleased with my little world. Now I am dead, and they have put me up here. I can see all the...