The Happy Prince And Sandpiper Analysis

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In the short stories, The Happy Prince and Sandpiper, Oscar Wilde and Ahdaf Soueif portray the depths to which love affects an individual, their behavior and actions. Firstly, individuals are changed by love through their leaving of a place of familiarity. This is initially depicted in the short story, The Happy Prince, where the Prince has come down to earth from “where sorrow is not allowed to enter” (Wilde 29). For the Prince, the feeling of sorrow is alien, a trespasser in his emotional range. He shows how unfamiliar he is with the concept when he says, “I cannot choose but weep.” (Wilde 29) displaying his lack of emotional options. However, this unfamiliar feeling of despair sparks a philanthropic drive within him; which leads to his self-sacrifices to improve the conditions of his …show more content…

In The Happy Prince, the Swallow decides to forgo his happiness and ultimately his life in order to stay with the Happy Prince, whom he loves. Before falling in love with the Prince, while touring around the town, he exclaims, “To-night, I go to Egypt, said the Swallow and he was in high spirits at the prospect” (Wilde 31). By demonstrating his anticipation to go to Egypt, Wilde shows how important the migration to Egypt is for the Swallow and his happiness. However, he falls in love with the Prince and decides to stay with him at the cost of his migration to Egypt. As time progresses, “The poor Swallow grew colder and colder but he would not leave the Prince” (Wilde 33). Here, the Swallow decides to stay with the Prince, despite the changing weather conditions and more adequate conditions waiting in Egypt. Wilde uses repetition of the word “colder” to emphasize how severely the chill was affecting the Swallow, however, his will to stay with the Prince is stronger, and thus proving that love is stronger than the need for

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