the selfish giant the happy prince and other tales

When he can finally go to the lady with the red rose, she rejects him again because she has received jewels from another suitor. His plight strikes a chord in the nightingale’s heart, and she goes as far as giving her life to produce a red rose for him.

Unfortunately, as they are in winter, there are no roses in bloom. He is an academic student blinded by love and who is devastated when the woman he loves states she could only be with him if he finds her a red rose. The Student ('The Nightingale and the Rose') When she dies producing this red rose, the student takes it to the woman he loves, only to be rejected. She ultimately has to sacrifice her life by singing a song while pushing a thorn into her heart. She is a romantic bird who believes a student’s plight for a red rose to offer to his beloved. The Nightingale ('The Nightingale and the Rose') He only comes back to take his friend the Giant up to Heaven. He is still a child, even though the Giant has grown very old, and he bears the stigmata, revealing himself to be Jesus. The child never comes back to the garden until many years later. His innocence warms the Giant’s heart, leading to him breaking down the walls surrounding his property. The crying boy is the only child who does not run away from the Giant, as he was trying to climb a tree at the time. The Crying Child/Jesus ('The Selfish Giant') The boy returns many years later and the Giant realizes it is Christ.

Once he lets the children back in, he feels particularly compassionate towards a small boy trying to ascend a tree. His heart thaws over time, though, as he sees that Spring and Summer avoid his garden.

The Giant is initially a selfish creature, annoyed by the children who played in his garden when he was gone. He grows to love the Prince and stays with him until his own death. However, the Swallow reveals his character and appears a generous, compassionate, and friendly creature. The Swallow stops to rest on the statue of the Happy Prince on his way to Egypt, and is initially blustery and standoffish towards the Prince when asked to help the townspeople. In the end, he is left completely bare and the Mayor orders him pulled down, but he and the Swallow are united in heaven with God.

In death, the Happy Prince despairs of the suffering of his people, which compels him to ask the Swallow to donate all the gems he possesses. The ornate statue is stunning and is encrusted with sapphires, a ruby, and gold leaf. The Happy Prince is the statue of a deceased prince who had lived his entire life without knowing sorrow. Buy Study Guide The Happy Prince ('The Happy Prince')

The selfish giant the happy prince and other tales