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Similes
Key Examples in The Canterville Ghost
Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—Mrs. Otis's Response:
Wilde’s writing throughout “The Canterville Ghost” is littered with all manner of ironies, particularly in the context of the ghost’s relationship with the Otis family. When Mrs. Otis first encounters the ghost in Chapter 3, for instance, her response generates situational irony within the narrative:
He accordingly laughed his most horrible laugh, till the old vaulted roof rang and rang again, but hardly had the fearful echo died away when a door opened, and Mrs. Otis came out in a light-blue dressing gown. "I'm afraid you are far from well," she said, "and have brought you a bottle of Dr. Dobell's tincture. If it is indigestion, you will find it a most excellent remedy."
Related Themes:
Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis—The Ghost's Infirmity:
In Chapter 4, the Canterville Ghost bemoans his lack of success in terrorizing the American family. As he wallows in self-pity, the ghost engages in a rash of ironic behavior, particularly when compared to Gothic genre tropes. In one such passage, the ghost acts as an ailing young woman typically might in fiction at the time:
Unlock with LitCharts A+[The ghost] contented himself, as a rule, with creeping about the passages in list slippers, with a thick red muffler round his throat for fear of draughts, and a small arabesque, in case he should be attacked by the twins.
Related Themes:
