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'The Canterville Ghost' by Oscar Wilde is a light-hearted novella that parodies gothic horror as well as cultural differences between the United States and the United Kingdom. We'll summarize this fun, entertaining tale. The themes of love and death are intertwined in "The Canterville Ghost." Beneath the surface comedy of role reversal, in which the American Otis family frightens the ghost and not vice versa, lurks a more poignant tale: Sir Simon, the ghost, wants very much to die and be at peace. The main message is that Oscar Wilde in his play 'The Canterville Ghost' has brought home to his readers two important question that every thinking person broods over, i.e. What life is? and 'What death signifies? Apart from these profound answers, comes an important realization that 'love is stronger than both'. Love can break the barriers of time, place and age and bring salvation. The ghost of Simon de Canterville, though mocked and ridiculed in the beginning due to the attitude of the American family that moves in the Centerville Chase, is able to stir the impressionable mind of Virginia who goes out of the way who tries to go to the angel of death and ask for mercy. She becomes instrumental in bringing salvation and peace to the troubled spirit of the ghost who lived a tortured life torturing others in the mansion. While the absence of love can bring the devil out of a man, love can draw devil out of the ghost.
~Subhangi De

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A) Sir Simon de Canterville
B) Mr. Otis
C) Mrs. Lucretia Otis
D) Virginia Otis
E) Lord Canterville
F) Twins
G) Duke of Cheshire
H) Mrs. Umney
I) Washington Otis

~Subhangi De

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Sir Simon de Canterville is a fearsome ghost who has haunted Canterville Chase for more than three centuries. He murdered his wife, Lady Eleanore, in the estate's library in 1575. Nine years later her brothers exacted revenge, and Sir Simon became the Canterville ghost. He is very English and takes pride in his extensive record of terrifying the residents of Canterville Chase. However, the retaliation of his new residents, an American family, causes him anxiety and stress, weakening his spirit until he no longer wants to make his presence known. In the end, he finds eternal peace through the fulfillment of a prophecy that releases his spirit from Canterville Chase. Oscar Wilde paints a comical picture of what is supposed to be a terrifying spirit, with Sir Simon's collection of props and personae that he uses to frighten his victims and his pilfering of paints from Virginia to replace the "bloodstain" on the sitting room floor. In this way, the ghost is unconventional-readers don't see Sir Simon as a "spook" but rather as a human seeking revenge for something. And though he is a ghost, he is not immune to injury or illness, further humanizing his character and creating empathy in readers for his situation.
~Subhangi De

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Mr. Otis, a wealthy middle-aged American, buys Canterville Chase despite warnings from its owner, Lord Canterville, that it is haunted. He dismisses the notion of a ghost on the practical grounds that Americans do not believe in them. Later, when the existence of Sir Simon is beyond doubt, he applies that practical approach to deciding how best to accommodate the presence of a supernatural spirit by offering the ghost lubricating oil to quiet his chains. And when the ghost rejects his offer, he simply concedes that the family will need to take away his chains, as if the action is fairly simple to do. Through Mr. Otis, Wilde exaggerates American vigor. Mr. Otis is a proponent of all things American-his children are named Washington, Virginia, and "The Stars and Stripes" (in reference to the American flag). He often boasts about the progress of man within modern American culture, scoffing at the long-held "old-school" traditions of the British. Yet he does admit to a certain value in aristocracy when it comes to holding a reputation for wealth by honoring Virginia's wishes to wed the Duke of Cheshire. Additionally, Mr. Otis admits to taking Lord Canterville's ghost at "valuation"--- Americans appreciate the value of European culture and "buy it up" to display on stages and in museums.
~Subhangi De

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Mrs. Lucretia Otis is the wife of the American ambassador to the royal court of England. Before marriage, she was called Miss Lucretia R. Tappan and was well known for her beauty. She is described as a very handsome, middle-aged woman, with fine eyes, and a superb profile. The author praises her for having a magnificent constitution and a really wonderful amount of animal spirits. He says that on this account she was more English than American.
~Subhangi De

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LORD CANTERVILLE: A member of the English aristocracy, he is a descendant of Sir Simon de Canterville-the old ghost of Canterville Chase. He is described as a man of the most punctilious honour. This becomes evident when he confesses to Mr. Otis about the presence of a ghost in Canterville Chase. He considers it his duty to warn the American about the ghost in the house that he wishes to buy. This sense of honour is on display once again when he refuses to accept the jewels gifted to Virginia Otis by the ghost.
~Subhangi De

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Virginia is the most sensitive and artistic of the Otis children, excluding herself from their harassment of the Canterville ghost and eventually forming a sort of friendship with him. She is sensitive and caring, which is reflected in her attitude in dealing with the ghost's antics-she keeps secret the fact that Sir Simon has been stealing her paints and offers Sir Simon a sandwich after he admits he is starved. These acts display her sympathy for the ghost, and yet she does not approve of his hauntings and misdeeds, as indicated by her berating him when the two meet in the Tapestry Room. Her sympathy toward him is perhaps what enables her to not fear him, evident when she doesn't hesitate to help him. At the end of the story, she is instrumental in helping Sir Simon's soul gain peace by fulfilling a prophecy. Early in the story it is revealed that the Duke of Cheshire admires Virginia. By the story's end, she is wed to the duke, becoming the Duchess of Cheshire.
~Subhangi De

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The twins, who are never referred to by their individual names in "The Canterville Ghost," are very rambunctious and delight in tormenting the title character. They ignore their father's orders to show the ghost some respect and continually annoy family and servants with their constant setting of tripwires and other traps. Their antics are so distressing to the ghost that Sir Simon actually comes to fear them. The twins always appear and act as a team. Their nickname, which is highly patriotic in that it is also a nickname for the American flag, also refers to their troublemaking behavior-they see "stars and stripes" after a "swishing" or spanking when they have misbehaved.
~Subhangi De

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Duke of Cheshire: He is a handsome young desperately in love with the fifteen-year old Virginia Otis. However, his guardians pack him off to Eton, and he must wait to marry. His devotion is rewarded, and Virginia consents to become the Duchess of Cheshire.
~Subhangi De

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Washington Otis: He is the eldest son of Mr. Otis. A fair-haired, rather good looking young man. An excellent dancer. Gardenias and the peerage were his only weaknesses.
~Subhangi De

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Mrs. Umney works as the housekeeper at Canterville Chase. She is initially employed by the Canterville family, but she continues to work there after the Otis family buys the property and moves in.
~Subhangi De

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PROBLEM
Horace B. Otis, a wealthy American, purchases Canterville Chase, an ancient English manor house, despite warnings that the house is known to be haunted. He moves into the house accompanied by his wife, his eldest son Washington, his daughter Virginia, and his two younger twin sons. The family members made fun of it. They even offered it a bottle of oil to lubricate its chains and stop making noises. They applied their American stain remover to clean the blood stain made by Mr. Otis wants Sir Simon to oil his squeaky ghost chains, so the chains won't make so much noise at night and the twins see the ghost as a figure they can torment and tease for their own amusement. They shoot at him with pea-shooters, set up wires to trip him, and frighten him by creating a fake ghost out of a sweeping brush and a hollow turnip. The Otis's completely humiliates Sir Simon by not being afraid of the ghost at all. Sir Simon takes pride in the fact that he has been scaring owners of the Canterville house for years and years. He believes that it will be equally easy to do against the Otis family.

SOLUTION
Unfortunately for the ghost, he was not successful to scare the Otis's and was depressed. Few days later Virginia and the young Duke went ridding, while they were ridding in the woods one of the trees caught Virginia's skirt therefore she went home backstairs to her room before anyone saw it while she was going she came across a not often used door. The door was half way open and she saw the Canterville ghost and the ghost told her he had not slept for three hundred years. Virginia helps the ghost by enabling him to enter the Garden of Death. She does this by accompanying the ghost through the wall of the Tapestry Chamber and helping him to receive divine forgiveness for his earthly sins.

-Sreeja Mondal

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Stormy weather

Storms appear several times in the story, and they are usually described using vivid imagery to help the reader understand what it sounded, looked, and felt like to be inside a creaky old house on a stormy night. The imagery of stormy weather being featured as part of an appropriate setting for supernatural occurrences dated back at least as far as the origins of the Gothic; by including this type of imagery in his story, Wilde positioned it as both participating in and parodying the Gothic tradition. The storm imagery also keeps the reader on edge by raising the possibility that even in a story that seems to be mostly comical, something bad might still happen.

The Garden of Death

The Garden of Death is described using delicate, peaceful, and beautiful imagery to evoke a sense of what a paradise it is. The ghost is able to describe the garden in such precise terms because he has spent so long longing for it and fantasizing about it, just like how someone who is starving might be able to vividly describe the meal they would most like to eat. The imagery also reinforces the idea of the ghost as an artistic figure, and someone who is sensitive to beauty, which helps to increase sympathy for him.

Haunted house

Canterville Chase is presented using the traditional imagery of a haunted house: it is large, old, isolated, full of creaky sounds and mysterious nooks and crannies. The imagery used to describe the ancestral house prepares the reader to believe that the story of it being haunted is possibly true, and to envision the house as a setting for supernatural events.

The fake ghost

The fake ghost is initially described in precise detail, making it easy for the reader to imagine its terrifying appearance. Because it is not clear right away that this new ghost is a trick, the imagery might actually cause the reader to become fearful. By using imagery to create an effect of fear and horror, Wilde makes it clear that he understands why the tradition of the ghost story is powerful, even as he is mocking it at the same time.

~Subhangi De

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8. Which part of the plot has been encapsulated in each chapter and how?

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8. Which part of the plot has been encapsulated in each chapter and how?

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CHAPTER I

We see Mr. Otis buys Canterville Chase despite everyone warning him about how it was a foolish idea and that it was haunted. A few weeks later, on a lovely July evening, Mr. Otis and his family, shift to their new home. When they enter the avenue of Canterville Chase, spookiness fills the air around them. Suddenly, Mrs Otis sees a red stain on the floor just by the fireplace and asks Mrs

Umney, the housekeeper to clean it. The old woman smiles and answers, 'It is the blood of Lady Eleanore de Canterville, who was murdered on that spot by her husband, Sir Simon de Canterville, in 1575. Sir Simon disappeared seven years later. His body has never been found, but his ghost still haunts the Castle. The bloodstain is a tourist attraction now and it cannot be removed."

Listening to this, Washington, the eldest son of the Otis family, wipes it off with the help of a stain remover. But as soon as the blood-stain disappears, a terrible flash of lightning lits up the room and the whole building shakes. We get to see a part of the rising action in this chapter.

CHAPTER II

blood stain reappears. Washington cleans it the second time and third, but it reappears every single day. despite library being locked all night.

At 1 AM that night, Mr. Otis wakes up to the sounds of clank of metal. So, Mr. Otis opens the door to check what's happening. There, right in front of him, stood the ghost - whose wrists and ankles hung heavy chains.

'My dear Sir,' says Mr Otis, 'you must oil those chains. It's impossible to sleep with such a noise going on outside the bedrooms. I have therefore brought you this bottle of sun oil, and I will be happy to supply you with more if you need it.' and goes back to bed.

Shocked, the Canterville ghost stands quite motionless for a moment, but then he gets angry. Just at this moment, the twins throw a large pillow at him! The ghost hastily escapes,

In this chapter we see another part of rising action.

CHAPTER III

The ghost doesn't appear for the rest of the week. But the blood stain is found every morning in different colors. Some days it was red, some days brown or purple. For some unexplained reason, Virginia she was rather annoyed at the sight of the blood-stain, and nearly cries the morning it was green.

The ghost appears again on Sunday night. A suit of armor falls on the ghost. The twins started shooting peas at him with their pea-shooters, the ghost stands up with an angry growl and passes through them like a mist. Mrs. Otis notices the wound on the ghost and says, 'I am afraid you are not well. I have therefore brought you this bottle of medicine.' The ghost looks at her furiously and disappears. He reaches his room, completely annoyed with this American family. This family was extremely annoying. But what annoyed him most was, that he had not been able to wear the suit of armor. For some days, the ghost left his room only to renew the blood stain. Canterville Ghost leaves his chamber but is terrified when he comes across another ghost. He quickly hurries back to his room. But then he quickly decides to seek help from the other ghost to scare the twins away. However, he later realizes that it was just a plain white sheet and there was no other ghost. Here we see humorous part of the plot.

CHAPTER IV

The ghost quite leaving his chamber. He stops renewing the blood stains also. He is now more careful with his chains. However, the twins continue to play their tricks on him. This annoys the ghost further who decides to give them the fright of their lives. One night, he reaches the half-closed door of the twins and opens it with a jolt. Unfortunately, a heavy jug of water falls on him, wetting him completely. The twins burst out in shrieks of laughter and the ghost flees away. He gives up all hope and doesn't try to frighten the family anymore. And disappears after that night. Here we again see the humorous part of the plot.

CHAPTER V

One day, Virginia has an encounter with the ghost who looked very sad. She offers him food and asks him to behave himself. The ghost confesses that he had killed his "not so nice" wife. The ghost also thanks Virginia for being kind unlike the rest of her family.

'Stop!' cried Virginia, stamping her foot, 'it is you who are rude,, you stole the paints out of my box to renew that ridiculous blood-stain in the library. First, you took all my reds and I couldn't do any more sunsets, then you took the green and the yellow. Finally, I had nothing left but blue and white, and I could only do moonlight scenes, which are not at all easy to paint.'

Having said this, Virginia turns around to leave the room. The ghost apologizes for his behavior and asks Virginia for a favour.

When Virginia promises to help the ghost and pray for him, he rises from his seat, takes her hand and kisses it thankfully. Then he leads her across the room. Then the wall closes behind them.

Here we see the climax of the plot.

CHAPTER VI

Virginia doesn't return for hours after she is gone, and the entire family begins to search for her in every corner of the house. a secret door opens in the wall and out walks little Virginia with a box in her hand. Everybody runs up to her. Virginia says quietly, 'I have been with the ghost. He is dead, and you must come and see him. He had been very nasty, but he was really sorry for all that he had done, and he gave me this box of beautiful jewels before he died. Then she led the others down a narrow secret corridor to a little low room where Virginia kneels down beside Sir Simon's skeleton and prays.

We again get to see the climax and the falling action of the plot

CHAPTER VII

Four days later, a funeral is organized and in a quiet corner of the churchyard, Sir Simon's skeleton is buried. The next morning, Mr. Otis talks to Sir Simon's descendant, Sir Canterville, about the jewels the ghost had given to Virginia. The jewels are by everyone when, in the spring of 1890, Virginia marries the Duke of Cheshire. Virginia and her husband go down to Canterville Castle. Virginia places a bunch of roses on the grave.

'You have never told me what happened to you when you were locked up with the ghost.' asks her husband.

'Please don't ask me, I cannot tell you,' she said, 'but I owe Sir Simon a great deal. He made me see what Life is, and what Death signifies, and why Love is stronger than both.' We see the resolution part of plot.

~Ayushi Basu

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Horace B. Otis, a wealthy American, purchases
Canterville Chase, an ancient English manor house, despite warnings that the house is known to be haunted. He moves into the house accompanied by his wife, his eldest son Washington, his daughter Virginia, and his two younger twin sons. Immediately upon arrival, the family is confronted by a bloodstain in a sitting room. The housekeeper, Mrs. Umney, explains that the stain has been there since 1575 and is the result of Lady Eleanore de Canterville having been brutally murdered by her husband, Sir Simon de Canterville.
The Otis family takes a pragmatic perspective and scrubs the stain away; they repeat the process when the stain continues to reappear every morning. The stubborn reappearance of the stain, as well as other strange occurrences around the house, leads them to consider that the rumor of the ghost may not be totally unfounded. These ideas are confirmed when one night, the sound of clanking chains wakes Mr Otis from his sleep. He gets out of bed and confronts a terrifying ghost, but responds only by recommending that the ghost oil his chains so that he does not cause so much noise when he is walking around at night.

Mr. Otis is not the only family member who is not afraid of the ghost: the young twins enjoy tormenting the ghost with pranks. The ghost is very proud of his tradition of terrifying visitors for hundreds of years, and he is determined to strike fear into the American family. However, the more and more terrifying he tries to be, the more they either make fun of or ignore him. Things hit rock bottom for the Canterville Ghost when the twins actually create a fake ghost of their own to scare the real ghost. He accepts that he has lost his status and power, and he begins to become depressed and pine away.
Meanwhile, Virginia's beauty has attracted the attention of the young Duke of Cheshire, who comes to stay at Canterville Chase. While he is visiting, Virginia unexpectedly comes across the secret hiding lair of the ghost. The ghost explains his sadness and suffering, telling her that he longs for the peaceful experience of death. He also tells her that because of her purity and innocence, she can help him to achieve this peace. Even though she is frightened, Virginia agrees to help; the two of them pass through a secret opening in the wall and vanish.
When Virginia cannot be found, her family and the Duke become very upset. A few hours later, Virginia appears in the dark at the top of the stairs. Her only explanation of her disappearance is that she has assisted in finally bringing eternal rest to the Canterville Ghost. As a token of his thanks and affection, Sir Simon has given her a box filled with jewels. Virginia leads the family into a secret chamber, where they are greeted by the sight of his skeletal remains. Four days later, Sir Simon's body is finally laid to rest with a proper burial.

Virginia subsequently marries the Duke of Cheshire. Although she never tells anyone what she experienced when she vanished with the Ghost, she always reflects affectionately on him and his memory.

~Diksha Jha and Swarna Lohia