“The Remarkable Rocket” is set in a generic and fictional European kingdom, similar to those found in fairy tales. Though Wilde does not indicate a specific country or time period in which this story is set, he intentionally has the unnamed kingdom mirror certain social dynamics of the late 19th-century British society in which he lived. In fact, the members of the Court seem to represent upper-class British society, while the characters that live in the countryside seem to represent the British middle- and lower-classes (who often did live in rural and suburban areas).
When Wilde shifts the focus of the story away from the human characters (like the King, Prince, and Princess) and onto the anthropomorphized fireworks and animals, he applies 19th-century British social stratification to their “society” as well. Take the following passage, for example, in which the haughty, upper-class Rocket tells the middle-class Duck about his disinterest in living in the country:
“I am merely a visitor, a distinguished visitor. The fact is that I find this place rather tedious. There is neither society here, nor solitude. In fact, it is essentially suburban. I shall probably go back to Court, for I know that I am destined to make a sensation in the world.”
Here, Wilde introduces the non-fairy-tale language of “suburban,” indicating that he is making a point here about the decidedly modern class dynamics between British cities (particularly upper-class enclaves) and suburban areas. The Rocket believes himself to be “a distinguished visitor” to the suburbs because of his superior class status and believes he belongs back with the other high society people in the Court. With language like this, Wilde is indicting himself and other members of his elitist upper-class community for viewing themselves as superior to middle-class people (like the Duck, who is presented as the only reasonable character in the story).
