The mood of “The Remarkable Rocket” is silly and lighthearted. The entire story centers on showcasing the absurd and funny ways in which arrogant people (and, in this case, fireworks) overestimate themselves. While Wilde is highlighting how these sorts of people can end up alienated and alone by pushing away anyone who dares to question their sense of self-importance, the mood of the story never ventures into truly sad or devastating territory.
Take the following passage, for example, in which the Rocket cries over his imagined relationship with the Prince:
“You had really better keep yourself dry,” said the Fire-balloon. “That is the important thing.”
“Very important for you, I have no doubt,” answered the Rocket, “but I shall weep if I choose”; and he actually burst into real tears, which flowed down his stick like raindrops, and nearly drowned two little beetles, who were just thinking of setting up house together, and were looking for a nice dry spot to live in.
Here, the Rocket shows genuine emotion for the first time in the story, “burst[ing] into real tears” that flowed “like raindrops” down his body. Rather than encourage readers to join the Rocket in his grief in this moment, Wilde instead offers the humorous description of “two little beetles, who were just thinking of setting up house together” drowning in the Rocket’s tears. This silly aside keeps the mood lighthearted, thereby keeping readers from taking the Rocket’s sadness seriously. After all, he is melodramatically crying over an imagined situation, not something based in reality.
