As the only main character in touch with reality, the Duck acts as a foil to the other three main characters (the Rocket, the King, and the Frog), all of whom are delusional about their reputation and gifts. The following passage captures how skillfully the Duck challenges the Rocket’s sense of self-importance when responding to the Rocket boasting about being a beautiful firework:
“I don’t think much of that,” said the Duck, “as I cannot see what use it is to any one. Now, if you could plough the fields like the ox, or draw a cart like the horse, or look after the sheep like the collie-dog, that would be something.”
While the Rocket’s firework friends refused to actively challenge his self-involved behavior earlier in the story (despite clearly being frustrated with it), the Duck comfortably pushes back against the Rocket’s sense of his own importance, simply stating, “I cannot see what use [being a firework] is to any one.” She then contrasts the Rocket with more “useful” creatures, like oxen, horse, sheep, and sheep-dogs, demonstrating her awareness that society relies much more on food than on fireworks to survive.
When compared with the Rocket (as well as the King and the Frog), the Duck is pragmatic and down-to-earth. As she states later in the scene, she used to be involved in politics but realized that she can make the most difference by simply embracing “domesticity” and taking care of her family. Unlike the other characters, she is not interested in fame or the upper-class experience, but instead prioritizes the daily tasks of living and caretaking. With this foil character, Wilde is communicating to readers his appreciation for middle-class people who are satisfied with what they have, indirectly critiquing himself and his fame-seeking upper-class community in the process.
