ЛЬВІВСЬКИЙ НАЦІОНАЛЬНИЙ УНІВЕРСИТЕТ

ІМЕНІ ІВАНА ФРАНКА

КАФЕДРА АНГЛІЙСЬКОЇ ФІЛОЛОГІЇ

КУРСОВА РОБОТА
з першої іноземної мови
на тему: “Stylistic Decoding of The Canterville Ghost by Oscar
Wilde”

Студентки III курсу групи ІНА-35

напряму підготовки «Англійська
мова та література»
спеціальності 035 «Філологія»
Савчак Н. М.
Керівник: доцент кафедри
англійської філології, кандидат
філологічних наук
Бернар Г. Б.
Національна шкала ____________________
Кількість балів: _____ Оцінка: ECTS ____

Члени комісії ________________ ___________________________

(підпис) (прізвище та ініціали)
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(підпис) (прізвище та ініціали)
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(підпис) (прізвище та ініціали)

м. Львів – 2020 рік

INTRODUCTION
Oscar Wilde, in full Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, (born October 16,
1854, Dublin, Ireland—died November 30, 1900, Paris, France), Irish wit, poet,
and dramatist whose reputation rests on his only novel, “The Picture of Dorian
Gray” (1891), and on his comic masterpieces “Lady Windermere’s Fan” (1892)
and “The Importance of Being Earnest” (1895). He was a spokesman for the
late 19th-century Aesthetic movement in England, which advocated art for art’s
sake, and he was the object of celebrated civil and criminal suits involving
homosexuality and ending in his imprisonment (1895 – 1897) [3].
During the life Oscar was a favorite of the public. He was charismatic, and his
works were popular. Also one of the most popular works of the author is "The
Canterville Ghost" (1987). Although the work has not been awarded any prize,
but it takes not the last place in the hearts of readers. Because, many adaptations
of this short story have been created over the years. The language of “The
Canterville ghost” conveys not only the characters’ feeling and thoughts but
also is used for a witty and comic effect. His plays had a great effect on his
contemporary audience and a profound influence on many writers in the
twentieth.
More recently, critics have come to appreciate the merits of Wilde’s stories.
Many suggest that Wilde reinvented and interpreted his life through his works.
Philip Cohen, in his book The Moral Vision of Oscar Wilde, views Wilde’s life
in the 1880s reflected in “The Canterville Ghost.” Cohen argues that here, as in
many of his stories, Wilde “depicts a radical discrepancy between the self - or,
more accurately, selves - he paraded before the public, on the one hand, and his
private self, on the other.” Like the Ghost, Cohen argues, Wilde suffers beneath
a mask-like exterior. Wilde was hiding a homosexual relationship from public
view. The Ghost, allowed to rest at the end of the story, finds forgiveness where
Wilde cannot. [17]
Also, the author, using many stylistic devices of different levels and puts a
certain hidden meaning into his short story. Oscar Wilde reflects people's
attitudes to art, using the leading metaphor of the work "American Family".
Describing the Otis family's attitude to the bloodstain, the author describes how
ignorant people can kill art if they cannot understand its main purpose - to bring
pleasure. Another metaphor that the author uses, and which is also the leading
one, is the American family and the ghost. They are very different and there are
so many misunderstandings between them. Because they are metaphors for two
peoples, two cultures - american and british.
In his work, the author skillfully selects stylistic devices to depict his main goal
- the conflicts. Conflict between two peoples, conflict between homosexuals and
the church, conflict between good and evil, conflict between man and art.
Some scientists are interested in researching this short story, because the theory
of Kaharuddin is one of the most popular theories. In this work he analyzes the
language style of the short story. Kaharudin found in the short story beautiful
words and many language style meanings contained there in. After this research
many scientists startet to analyze the language style in short story Canterville
Ghost by Oscar Wilde. And when they have done this, researchers found many
interesting Metaphors, Similes, Hyperboles and Personifications in the short
story [13, p. 2].
Although scholars have made a linguistic and stylistic analysis of the work, it is
still not entirely studied and analyzed. So, this is the main purpose of this course
work.
The object of the paper is the text of the short story “The Canterville
ghost” by Oscar Wilde.
The subjects of the research are stylistic devices in the work “The
Canterville ghost” by Oscar Wilde.
The aim of this paper is to make linguo-stylistic analysis of the short
story – phono-graphical level, morphological level, lexical level, syntactical
level, lexical-syntactical level. Achieving the aim involves the solution of the
following tasks:
 1. To analyze the concept “Art for art’s sake”;
2. To research the social and historical context of the short story;
3. To study the genre of the short story;
4. To single out and investigate gothic elements in “The Canterville
ghost”;
5. To provide a brief review of adaptations of “The Canterville ghost”;
6. To to make linguo-stylistic analysis of the short story “The Canterville
ghost”.
The theoretical value of the given paper is determined by its
contribution into linguistic stylistic studies of gothic ironic short stories.
The practical value of the research paper is defined by the possibility of
using the theoretical basis and conclusion of the paper in the course of English
Studies (especially in the course of Stylistics and Analytical Reading in British
Literature), in writing course papers, master degree theses which deal with
problems of text interpretation.
The scientific novelty of the thesis is represented by linguistic stylistic
analysis of the novel at all language levels highlighting the dominant stylistic
devices and expressive means.
The structure of the given paper. The course work consists of an
introduction, two chapters, a conclusion, a summary, and a list of references.
Introduction grounds the topicality of the problem, central constituents of
the investigation, its purpose and tasks, discovers its object and subject,
explains its theoretical and practical value, as well as describes a structure of
the research paper.
Chapter One “Theoretical overview” consists of five sub-chapters and
reveals the main theoretical problems of research, reveals the essence of the
slogan “Art for art’s sake”, defines gothic elements and historical context in the
short story, defines the genre of “The Canterville ghost”, provides a brief
review of adaptations of “The Canterville ghost”.
 Chapter Two “Linguo-Stylistic Analysis of The Canterville Ghost” is a
practical part of the research that contains four sub-chapters and deals with the
analysis of phono-graphical level, morphological level, lexical level, syntactical
level and lexical-syntactical level in “The Canterville ghost”.
In Conclusion the theoretical and practical results of the research are
stated, the prospects of the further research in this area are outlined.
List of References amounts to 18 sources.

Chapter I. Theoretical Overview

1.1 Art for art’s sake

The slogan " Art for art’s sake " dates back to the early 19th century. And in the
original it sounds like "l'art pour l'art". This slogan was created by Benjamin
Constant and Victor Cousin (French philosopher) popularized this phrase. The
main idea that art should be valued as art only [16].
There were many supporters of this concept, such as Oscar Wilde, Walter Pater,
and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It was called “the Aesthetic Movement”. They
considered that art does not need any clarification or justification. That the art
does not need to serve any purpose. The art itself is beautiful and sensible
enough to be independent of politics, social demands, and educational goals
[16].
Immanuel Kant formulated the foundations of philosophical Aestheticism in the
18th century. His main idea was the autonomy of art. Art was to exist for its
own sake, for its own essence of beauty. There should be no place for morality
or utility or even the pleasure that a work might bring to its audience.
Aestheticism was supported in a lot of countries by bright minds such as Goethe
(in Germany), Coleridge (in England), Tolstoy (in Russia), Parnasse (in France).
French writers such as Théophile Gautier and Charles-Pierre Baudelaire brought
up a lot to this movement [6].
During the same time, the academic artists felt a need to improve society by
presenting art, paint or images that express conservative ethic values, such as
Christian sense or moral behavior. However, the modernists raised against this
thought and demanded the freedom to choose the style and subject of the art
themselves. They felt that the religious and political institutions were
influencing the artist’s work area and restricting individual artist’s liberty [16].
Baudelaire’s work and philosophy spawned an English disciple in Algernon
Charles Swinburne. The poet was a member of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood
at Oxford in the 1850s. Swinburne used his poetry and essays to challenge the
morality and religion o British “Philistines.” Known for poems about his own
unusual sexual predilections. Swinburne established his position that “art has
nothing to do with morals and didactics.” He went on to state that even the most
repulsive subjects can be made beautiful by a perfect poem, even creating a
defiant syllogism: Baudelaire’s poems are immoral yet beautiful, and beauty is
moral; therefore Baudelaire’s poems are moral [12, pp. 7-8]. The author had
many followers who (if not completely) at least partially shared his ideas. And
one of them was an eminent Irish poet, playwright, novelist and essayist Oscar
Wilde.
Despite the fact that he was not even the founder of aestheticism, but he
managed to become a dramatic leader in promoting the movement in the late
19th century. Works by Edgar Allan Poe and Algernon Charles Swinburne
influenced Wilde when he was just a college student [6]. But he did not believe
that the separation of taste and morality should break the bounds of propriety.
By the end of Dorian Gray, even Wilde seemed to condemn the wretched life of
Dorian who lived only for himself and his pleasures [12, pp. 7-8].
Wilde's humanistic aesthetics were formed with the help of the English essayist
Walter Pater (who was an advocate of "art for art's sake"). And in these
aesthetics he was more focused on the individual, the self, than on popular
movements like Industrialism or Capitalism. Art did not have to teach and
should not concern itself with social, moral, or political aspects. Wilde defended
freedom from moral modesty and the restrictions of society [6].
Writers of the era of aestheticism believed that art could not and should not
improve or change individual lives except at the moment when it produced
pleasant feelings to the viewer. While Pater and Whistler based their views
almost entirely in painting, Wilde defended that art for art’s sake was also a
doctrine of design reform. In doing so, he helped to place the Aesthetic
Movement on a different path from contemporaneous reformers. At that period
was marked the rise of a growing middle class in Great Britain. This middle
class had gained wealth through the technological advances [12 (p. 7-8)].

1.2 The Canterville Ghost social and historical context

"The Canterville Ghost" is set in the latter part of the 1800s around the turn of
the 20th century, a time when great changes were happening in Western culture
and society. The Industrial Revolution, which saw its beginning in Britain in
1733, sparked a massive economic and social reconstruction that soon gained
momentum and stretched across Europe and to the United States.
In both Britain and the United States, a large sector of the economy switched
from agriculture to industry. By the late 19th century, the United States had
become the world's largest industrial power [7].
The economic evolution produced by the Industrial Revolution was
accompanied by essential social changes presided over by Queen Victoria, who
prevailed from 1837 to 1901. Cities grew excessively, attracting new residents
with factory jobs. Most significantly, a middle-class arose.
By Wilde's time, however, the social order was less secure than it had ever
been, and Wilde makes this obvious through the contrast between his American
and British characters, especially Mr. Hiram B. Otis and Lord Canterville.
Readers can conclude that Mr. Otis, an American minister, earns his wealth
from his high-ranking position within the U.S. government, while Lord
Canterville inherits his fortune through a long line of aristocratic ancestors [7].
The Industrial Revolution had brought about a system in which riches were as
easily earned as inherited, and the political influence the rich alone had exerted
on the nation was divided into a greater number of hands than ever, many not
members of the aristocracy at all. Lord Canterville’s sale of Canterville Chase
to Mr. Otis in Chapter 1 speaks volumes to this effect. Past generations would
not have sold a family estate to someone not a member of the aristocracy or a
"commoner" because people of this caliber could not afford their own land [7].
Wilde does not accidentally write about the move of the American family to
Britain in his story "The Canterville Ghost". Wilde associates America with a
new culture that will voluntarily or involuntarily influence Europe. In his works
he reflects on how this process will move.
The image of America is closely connected with the aesthetic views of the
author. It is no secret that the main value for the writer was art, he did not
accept excessive rationality, lack of imagination, stereotyped thinking, all that,
in his opinion, prevents the perception of the great or can destroy it. The United
States, to a certain extent, is becoming a symbol of practicalism for Wilde. After
visiting this country, the author, with deep regret, notices in his works the
prevalence of a utilitarian look in the modern world [1, p. 367].
Fantastic at first glance, the short story points to problems that the author will
discuss in his next works. One of them is the interaction and mutual influence of
European and American civilizations.
Wilde sneers at the pragmatism of Hiram B. Otis, who buys the ghost of Sir
Simon in addition with furniture, and does not believe even for a minute in its
existence. From the very beginning of the story, Wilde focuses on the difference
in worldviews of representatives of the two cultures [1, p. 368].
Knowing that the ghost exists inside the chase, everyone would pay attention to
the “ominous omen” that meets the new owners: “It was a lovely July evening,
and the air was delicate with the scent of the pine-woods. <...> As they entered
the avenue of Canterville Chase, however, the sky became suddenly overcast
with clouds, a curious stillness seemed to hold the atmosphere” [17, p. 8]. The
Americans did not see anything, and only later, when after erasing the old stain
of blood “ than a terrible flash of lightning lit up the sombre room” [17, p. 10],
Otis noted that in England there was a “monstrous climate” [17, p. 10], and
proposed to deduct from the salary of the housekeeper for fainting (like for
broken plates). Thus, the Americans are presented in the story as inveterate
materialists, deprived of imagination [1, pp. 368-369].
O. Wilde makes fun of his countrymen, he emphasizes some of their ridiculous
traditions and prejudices with the help of the ghost of Sir Simon. The ghost is so
conservative that he uses only tried and tested characters for its reincarnations,
without inventing anything new. Showing pragmatism, assertiveness and
unbelief of Americans, O. Wilde does not approve of conservatism,
suspiciousness and adherence to outdated principles of the British. At the same
time he indicates that only the interaction of cultures leads to progressive
changes in society.
And only representatives of a different civilization, people brought up on the
principles of "republican simplicity," can freely meet and talk with a spirit that
is a little bit feral without communication with humans. Virginia, without
prejudice, and naturally kind, was able to help the unfortunate Sir Simon,
freeing him from a terrible punishment.
The marriage of young Virginia with a representative of an old English family,
the Duke of Cheshire, is symbolic. O. Wilde here again emphasizes the idea that
only love can reconcile and unite people of different nationalities and different
cultures [1, p. 369].

1.3 The Canterville Ghost genre

The short story - is an invented prose narrative shorter than a novel usually
dealing with a few characters and aiming at unity of effect and often
concentrating on the creation of mood rather than plot [14].
The form encourages economy of setting, compact narrative, and the absence of
a complicated plot; character is disclosed in action and dramatic encounter but
is seldom fully well-grown. Despite its relatively limited scope, though, a short
story is often judged by its ability to provide a “complete” or satisfying
behavior of its characters and subject [5].
Before the 19th century the short story was not generally regarded as a distinct
literary form. But although in this sense it may seem to be a uniquely modern
genre, the fact is that short prose fiction is nearly as old as language itself. There
were various types of brief narratives: jests, anecdotes, studied digressions,
short allegorical romances, moralizing fairy tales, short myths, and abbreviated
historical legends. None of these constitutes a short story as it has been defined
since the 19th century, but they do make up a large part of the milieu from
which the modern short story emerged [9].
Writers found out that they are able to write short fiction. Readers wanted short
stories, and writers suddenly discovered they had a new literary form. The short
story was fully formed in the middle of the 19th century. Walter Scott wrote and
published the first true modern short story called “The Two Drovers” [5].
“The Canterville Ghost” was the first prose-novel work by O. Wilde. All satire
of this work was directed to the bourgeois society of the late nineteenth century.
The story is written in the style of burlesque, which still contains romantically
sentimental notes. The author described this work as "A Hylo-Idealistic
Romance".
The genre of Wilde’s work “The Canterville Ghost” is ironic short story. It is
possible to determine that this is a short story by several criteria: it can be read
by one sitting as the volume of the book is 30 pages; it has a single event; only
important details are described in the work due to limitations created by length;
it has a climax - in each chapter there is more and more tension and a mocking
of the ghost.
Hiram B. Otis is a pragmatic, clear-headed American, devoid of all prejudices,
does not believe in any superstitions, is skeptical about everything mysterious.
Otis's attitude to mysticism is the most ironic. Because at the very beginning of
the story you can see how ironically he reacted to Lord Canterville's warning
that a ghost inhabits in the castle, that Mr Otis buys: “I will take the furniture
and the ghost at a valuation … I reckon that if there were such thing as a ghost
in Europe, we'd have it at home in a very short time in one of our public
museums, or on the road as a show” [17, p. 4].
And even when he saw the ghost in his own eyes, he was not scared at all, what
really surprised the ghost. Hiram only asked not to disturb his family with the
clank of metal chains: “My dear sir, - said Mr. Otis. - I really must insist on
your oiling those chains, and have brought you for that purpose a small bottle of
the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator. It is said to be completely efficacious
upon one application, and there are several testimonials to that effect on the
wrapper from some of our most eminent native divines. I shall leave it here for
you by the bedroom candles, and will be happy to supply you with more should
you require it” [17, p. 14].
But not only Hiram B. Otis sarcastically reacts to the warning about ghost and
the ghost itself. Washington Otis didn't take housekeeper’s words about Lady
Eleanor's blood stain seriously at all. He was not going to believe that the stain
could not be wiped away: “That is all nonsense, - cried Washington Otis. -
Pinkerton's Champion Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent will clean it up in
no time” [17, p. 10].
Nobody was afraid of the ghost. Even when he showed his famous laughing,
which turned grey Lord Raker's periwig, it had no effect on Mrs. Otis: “I am
afraid you are far from well, - she said. - And have brought you a bottle of Dr.
Dobell’s tincture. If it is indigestion, you will find it a most excellent remedy”
[17, p. 20].
At first, the ghost did its best to scare away the people who settled in the castle.
Every day he painted a bloody spot on the floor with the colors of little Virginia,
making nightly sorties to make horrify the family. However, when he made the
third night out, which was supposed to impress the members of the family, he
was frightened so much. So the ghost no longer wanted to steal paint for the
stain or to scare family: “The next day the ghost was very weak and tired. The
terrible excitement of the last four weeks was beginning to have its effect. His
nerves were completely shattered, and he started at the slightest noise. For five
days he kept his room, and at last made up his mind to give up the point of the
blood-stain on the library floor. If the Otis family did not want it, they clearly
did not deserve it”.
The twins themselves made a ghost that scared Lord Canterville and driven him
into total despair: “Never having seen a ghost before, he naturally was terribly
frightened, and, after a second hasty glance at the awful phantom, he fled back
to his room, tripping up in his long winding-sheet as he sped down the corridor,
and finally dropping the rusty dagger into the Minister’s jack-boots, where it
was found in the morning by the butler. Once in the privacy of his own
apartment, he flung himself down on a small pallet-bed, and hid his face under
the clothes” [17, p. 24].
The irony of this work is not only that whatever the ghost does, it does not
impress or affect the Otis family. And the fact that no one is afraid of ghosts,
and, conversely, the residents of the house managed to scare him.

1.4 Gothic elements in The Canterville Ghost

As the term “Gothic” turns out to be very prominent in understanding
eighteenth-century aesthetic discourse. It is relevant in this connection to
mention a set of cultural and linguistic changes during the century which largely
conditioned the later uses of the word.
The word “Gothic” at the end of the seventeenth century and in the early
eighteenth century carried a negative connotation. The original meaning was
literally “to do with the Goths” or with the uncivilized northern tribes. In the
middle of the eighteenth century with the change of cultural values the worth
placed upon them began to alter radically [15, p. 11].
The gothic pursues a seemingly messier version of what it means to be a person
than that articulated in early natural philosophies and suggests that the world is
a more compound place than Enlightenment science would have us believe. The
Gothic is an attempt not to destroy harmony but to provide an alternative
context within which meaning is thought over. The gothic is thus founded on a
model idea of debate and interrogation and functions as a form of radical
skepticism that, paradoxically, seems to echo the Enlightenment emphasis on
interrogation and testing as a way of getting at some semblance of the truth [11,
p. 34 ].
The gothic genre is cunning in that there is no essence or single element that
belongs to all Gothics. All works of this genre are absolutely different [4]. And
"The Canterville Ghost" a short story by Oscar Wilde is not an exception. But
there are a few tips in the work that help us to understand that story contains
gothic elements.
First of all, there is emotional tension in the work, which is increasing with each
chapter. In this particular case, the ghost's fear of the Otis family becomes more
justified. And the mockery of the ghost is getting more hursh. It all started with
remedies and engine oil: “I really must insist on your oiling those chains” [17,
p. 14], “...and have brought you a bottle of Dr. Dobell’s tincture. If it is
indigestion, you will find it a most excellent remedy” [17, p. 20]. And then the
twins moved on to more terrifying methods. They modelled a scarecrow that
greatly scared the Canterville ghost. “...he (the Ghost) clutched the placard with
feverish haste, and there, in the grey morning light, he read these fearful words:
— Ye Otis Ghoste, Ye Onlie True and Originale Spook, Beware of Ye
Imitationes. All others are counterfeite. — The whole thing flashed across him”
[17, p. 26].
This is one thing that helps to understand that there are elements of gothic in the
short story - it's language of the work. A great hint is the presence of elements
of mysticism in the narrative, because not everyone literary genre contains
ghosts and other fictional creatures.
Also important is that the family moves to the chase. After all, in any other
genre, instead of "castle" or “chase” the author would rather use some "estate",
"mansion" or "house".
Must admit, that phrases like “demoniac laughter”, “heart-breaking groan”, “the
wind is howling” are quite typical for Gothic literature. Candles also help to
create a mystical atmosphere and make everything more enigmatic for the
reader. Undoubtedly, the murder and the bloodstains, that Wilde described in
the story, are parts of the Gothic literary genre.
The work also contains a prophecy concerning the curse of the ghost: “When a
golden girl can win / Prayer from out the lips of sin, / When the barren almond
bears, / And a little child gives away its tears, / Then shall all the house be still /
And peace come to Canterville” [17, p. 42]. So that, it's the classic story, one of
the heroes must carry out the prophecy and release the ghost from eternal
torment. And as soon as little Virginia fitted the description, that responsibility
fell on her shoulders.
Given the above evidence, it must be mentioned that Oscar Wilde's story "The
Canterville Ghost" contains elements of the Gothic style. After all, all the work
is impregnated with mysticism, and the story keeps the reader in tension to the
last pages.

1.5. The Canterville Ghost adaptations

Undoubtedly, Oscar Wilde is one of England's most talented writers. No wonder
his works have always been popular with readers of different generations.
"Canterville Ghost" is one of the most well-known works of the author.
Naturally, there was and still is a lot of adaptation and translation into many
languages.
There are approximately seven “the Canterville Ghost” movies. The first movie
“Canterville Ghost” dates back to 1944. It is Hollywood film with Charles
Laughton in the title role. In 1964, Germany released the movie "Canterville
Ghost", and a few years later (1970) Soviet created animated movie. In 1996 the
United States made another film, directed by Cindy McCartney. Bhoothnath
("Lord of Ghosts") is a 2008 Indian Hindi comedy horror film directed by Vivek
Sharma. The film is an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's "The Canterville Ghost".
There are also sufficiently new films made on this story. For example French-
Belgian family comedy film directed and edited by Yann Samuell (2016) and
British animated feature film released in 2016.
According to The American Film Institute Catalog, “Among the many other
adaptations of Oscar Wilde's story are the a lot of television versions, all titled
The Canterville Ghost: On 28 Sep 1949, the ABC network broadcast a version
directed by Fred Carr and starring Wendy Barrie and Edward Ashley; the NBC
network broadcast a version on 20 Nov 1950, starring Cecil Parker and
Margaret O'Brien, as part of its Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike
Theatre program; on 12 Apr 1951, the Dumont network broadcast a version
directed by Frank Wisbar and starring Lois Hall, Reginald Sheffield and Bruce
Lester; in May 1953, Ziv TV produced a syndicated version, directed by Sobey
Martin and starring John Qualen and Connie Marshall; a musicalized
adaptation, written and produced by Burt Shevelove and starring Michael
Redgrave, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Peter Noone, was broadcast on the ABC
network on 9 Nov 1966; and on 15 Oct 1986, Paul Bogart directed John
Gielgud, Ted Wass and Andrea Marcovicci in another syndicated version [14].
The “Canterville Ghost” was often broadcasted on radio and audio. In 1974 this
radio drama was adapted by George Lowthar for the CBS Radio Mystery
Theater series. It was few times broadcasted by BBC. A radio dramatisation was
broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on New Year's Eve 1992. A reading of the story by
Alistair McGowan was broadcast on BBC Radio 7 in December 2007. The first
audiobook production was voiced in 2011 by W. F. Howes narrated by Rupert
Degas.
In 2010 the novel was graphically adapted by Scottish writer Sean Michael
Wilson, with art by Steve Bryant and Jason Millet and published by Classical
Comics.
There were a lot of music adaptations of “The Canterville Ghost”. In 1929
Czech composer Jaroslav Křička made an opera based on Wilde's story. During
1965–1966 was created an opera by the Russian composer Alexander Knaifel to
a libretto by Tatiana Kramarova. In 2015, American composer Gordon Getty
wrote the opera Canterville Ghost. At the moment, this work is considered to be
the latest opera adaptation of this short story.
Tall Stories Theatre Company , created a music-hall adaptation of the story that
premiered at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and has toured since then.
“Canterville” is a musical by Flavio Gargano, Robert Steiner and Valentina De
Paolis.
However, musical adaptations are not limited to classical music genres. Some
extreme music makers have also created several musical adaptations of Wild's
story. "El Fantasma de Canterville" is a song by the Argentinian rock-musician
Charly García. "The Canterville Ghost" is a song by the Austrian symphonic
metal band “Edenbridge” in the album “Shine”. The song is preceded by an
intro track named "The Canterville Prophecy". "Dark Depth" is a song by the
Serbian thrash metal band “Alister” from the album “Obscurity”, heavily
influenced by Oscar Wilde's story.
Oscar Wilde wrote a truly ironic story. Not surprisingly, that fans of his works
are still making some adaptations to his short story in various fields and genres.

Chapter II. Linguo-Stylistic Analysis of The Canterville Ghost

2.1 Phono-graphical and Morphological level

Phono-graphical level consists of phonology and graphology. Phonology - is a
branch of linguistics concerned with the systematic organization of sounds in
spoken languages and signs in sign languages. It may also cover any linguistic
analysis either at a level beneath the word (including syllable, onset and rime,
articulatory gestures, articulatory features, mora, etc.) or at all levels of
language where sound or signs are structured to convey linguistic meaning.
Oscar Wilde's short story "The Canterville Ghost" combines several stylistic
phonological devices.
Alliteration - is the repetition of consonants, usually in the beginning of words.
It cannot be said that Oscar Wilde often uses alliteration in this work. But even
in such a small work, we can find enough well-directed examples. And it
indicates the writer's potential and talent.
❖ “...had felt it his duty to mention the fact to Mister Otis...” [17]
This is the example of alliteration. It shows the repetition of the initial
consonant sound / t / . This sound is repeated six times in few words that are
close to each other.
❖ “...a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge...” [17]
This example of alliteration shows us the repetition of the sound / k / . We can
see two letters: / c / and / k / . But in this case, they denote the same sound.
One more phonological device that we can find in this short story is assonance.
Assonance - an art of matching vowels in the sentences, imparts a streamlined
sound that is well-appreciated by the readers. However, it is a literary device, it
plays an important role in both poetry and prose. Writers use assonance as a
literary tool to accelerate the musical effect in the poems. In brief, it develops
the internal rhyme that enhances the pleasure of reading. It creates a mood as
well as a flow that allows the readers to connect with the subject matter.
❖ “...Hiram B. Otis, the American Minister... [17]
In this particular case we can observe the repetition of the initial consonant
sound / i / . This sound is repeated five times in few words that are close to each
other. Even the article “the” sounds like [ði] because the next one word
“american” begins with vowel.
The author also uses Onomatopoeia in his work. Onomatopoeia - is the use of
words whose sounds imitate those of the signified object or action.
❖ “It sounded like the clank of metal, and seemed to be coming
nearer every moment” [17].
This sentence is an example of indirect onomatopoeia. If a direct onomatopoeia
is used instead, it would sound like: “jin, jin, jin” or “ding, ding, ding”.
❖ “Shortly after they had gone to bed they were suddenly alarmed by
a fearful crash in the hall” [17].
This is an example not only of onomatopoeia, but also of the epithet, because in
front of the “crash” is written a notable, which characterizes it: “horrible”. This
indicates that even in one phrase can be combined devices from different
stylistic levels.
At the phono-graphical level, there are some other tools, such as graphon (used
to reflect its authentic pronunciation is called), amalgamated forms ( the result
of strong assimilation, became cliches in contemporary prose dialogue),
graphical means (hyphenation, capitalization, italics and multiplication) but the
author did not use them in his short story. Oscar Wilde uses only alliteration,
assonance, cacophony, euphony and onomatopoeia. But for a work with such a
small volume, the amount and quality of used devices are good enough to learn
from the story something new for reader’s vocabulary.
Morphological level. One important way of promoting a morpheme is its
repetition. There are two repetitions. Root repetition and affix repetition. Root
repetition - is the repetition of two or more words of the same stem but
belonging to different parts of speech or word classes within the same part of
speech.
But, as observed, Oscar Wilde has a way with words and skillfully finds
synonyms for any word. Therefore, it was not possible to find examples of root
repetitions in this work.
The next one repetition is an affix repetition. Affix (affixational) repetition - is
the repetition of affixes (suffixes and prefixes) in two or more words.
❖ “Accordingly, he determined to have vengeance, and remained till
daylight in an attitude of deep thought” [17].
In this example is used one of the most common repetitions. The suffix / ed / is
repeated twice. In most cases, when it comes to the repetition of suffixes, verb
endings / ing / and / ed / have the highest numbers in usage.
❖ “...she was extremely upset, and she sternly warned Mr. Otis...”
[17]
This is an affix repetition. In this case, the suffix / ly / is repeated two times. All
parts of speech may have root and affix repetitions. In this occasion we can see
the affix repetitions of adverbs.
As we can see, Oscar Wilde does not use morphemic repetitions so often. But
when this happens, the text looks naturally and with abandon. Sentences are not
oversaturated with repetitions. And it is such a pleasure to read this short story.

2.2 Lexical level

Lexical level is a total amount of vocabulary items and use of words in a piece
of text. Lexical level includes the study of individual words and idioms in
different linguistics contexts. It involves the study of semantics, word
formation, and morphology.
The lexical level includes the following stylistic devices: metaphors,
personification, animalification, metonymy, synecdoche, pun, zeugma, irony,
humour, sarcasm, antonomasia, epithet, hyperbole, oxymoron, allusion, . Many
of them are used by Oscar Wilde in his short story "The Canterville Ghost". One
of the key devices in the work is a metaphor.
Metaphor - is a stylistic device in which one idea, thing or action is named by a
word or expression denoting another idea, thing or action, so as to suggest some
common quality shared by the two.
It is impossible not to mention that the whole story "The Canterville Ghost" is
saturated with an invisible thread of metaphor. Because, the main characters of
the work are the Otis family, who moved from America to England, and the
ghost of Lord Canterville, who always lived in his chase in England. And this
conflict between the Otis family and the ghost serves as a metaphor for the
cultural conflict between the two countries, America and England. And this
misunderstandings between the ghost and the family symbolize the rejection of
one nationality by another.
There is one more important metaphor that runs through the whole work. Wilde
invokes the metaphor of art in a story that is concerned with the relevance of
haunting. It is possible to claim, that Wilde resorts to the metaphor of haunting
to speculate about the relevance of art. When the bloodstain is noticed by the
new owners, Mrs Otis treats it like any other stain rather than what it is, which
is both a stain and the symbolic representation of a stain. In aesthetic terms, the
stain is a work of art (it becomes one literally when the ghost starts to repaint it
with the crayons pilfered from Virginia) which, although it looks like an actual
physical object, has to be approached and contemplated with a reverence
reserved for artistic representations.
Ignoring the aura of the ghost and of his various artistic products, the members
of the family are like visitors in a museum who treat the exhibits as if they were
ordinary physical objects. The same applies to Sir Simon's performances, which
ought to be received with the proper auratic or aesthetic attitude: offering
medicament for his death-rattle or lubricant for his rusty chains is like offering
medicine to an actor while he is performing a stage cough, that is, a
representation of a cough. The Otises are, in a sense, oafs disrupting a theatrical
performance [15, p. 31].
Since Oscar Wilde was a supporter of the “art for art’s sake, using this metaphor
he wanted to say, that art does not have to be understood equally by everyone, it
just needs to be enjoyed.
In this work there are some other metaphors. They are not as important as those
which are listed above. But they also need to be mentioned.
❖ "A hideous garment, like to his own, swathed with its silent snows
the Titan form" [17].
The white cloth of the ghost's garment is compared to "silent snows," and the
large size of its body is compared to a Titan. The metaphors give the description
of the fake ghost a poetic and artistic tone that helps to make the moment
confusing.
❖ “She had a magnificent constitution, and a really wonderful
amount of animal spirits” [17].
The metaphor "animal spirit" means that the woman was very mobile, energetic
and restless. Almost all the animals are famous for their agility and endurance.
So the author in a good way compares Mrs. Otis' physical abilities with the
energies of animals.
Another important stylistic device is personification. Personification - is a
metaphor in which abstract ideas or inanimate objects are identified with
persons, i.e. are given human characteristics.
Little Virginia is the most striking personification of empathy, friendship, and
love in "The Canterville Ghost." These qualities have taken root most strongly
in daughter Virginia, who alone among the Otises refrains from harassing the
ghost, even though she knows he has it coming. When she encounters him in the
Tapestry Chamber, he is so obviously depressed that instead of fear or anger,
she feels pity. In making empathy one of Virginia's defining traits, Wilde
presents it as a feature of her feminine, creative temperament. Despite the fact
that Sir Simon stole her paints, she finds the strength to forgive him and helps
him to break the curse. Her chaste, budding romance with Cecil, the young
Duke of Cheshire, is noted early in the story and develops throughout amid the
supernatural goings-on. The story ends, in fact, on a note both romantic and
cryptic, with Virginia and Cecil planning a future together.
❖ “...the moon hid her face…” [17]
This is an example of personification, and it paints a vivid image for the readers
of how even the moon is going to hide from the ghost's terrifying actions. This
is a personification, because the moon is an inanimate object and cannot do any
physical activity.
❖ "...that would make any Christian's hair stand on end..." [17]
Here we can see personification “hair stand on end”, because hair cannot stay
itself. And “Christian’s hair” may be interpreted as an epithet or a metaphor,
because this sentence should not be taken literally.
The most used stylistic device of the lexical level of this work is irony. Irony -
is a hidden mockery.
❖ “My dear sir, - said Mr. Otis. - I really must insist on your oiling
those chains, and have brought you for that purpose a small bottle
of the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator” [17, p. 14].
The ghost is asked to oil the chains. When Mr. Otis first encounters the ghost,
he is annoyed by the sound of the clanking chains and asks the ghost to oil his
chains to make them less noisy. This request is ironic because it inverts the
expected power dynamic between the ghost and his victim. In most ghost
stories, the specter is the one who holds the power by frightening and
threatening their human victim. Because he is not afraid of the ghost, Mr. Otis
does not take on the role of the victim, and it is the ghost who ends up being
intimidated and told what to do.
❖ “Never having seen a ghost before, he naturally was terribly
frightened, and, after a second hasty glance at the awful phantom,
he fled back to his room, tripping up in his long winding-sheet as
he sped down the corridor, and finally dropping the rusty dagger
into the Minister’s jack-boots, where it was found in the morning
by the butler. Once in the privacy of his own apartment, he flung
himself down on a small pallet-bed, and hid his face under the
clothes” [17, p. 24].
This is an example of irony, because the Canterville Ghost is scared of another
ghost. When the Canterville Ghost encounters the fake ghost the twins have set
up to fool him, he is deceived into thinking it is another ghost like him. More
importantly, and ironically, he is terrified of this other ghost: he has exactly the
reaction that the Otis family was expected to have when he first started haunting
them. Even though it seems like he should be aware of the tricks and techniques
used to inspire fear, the ghost still falls for it.
Each chapter of "The Canterville Ghost" is just full of irony. The twins' taunts,
Mr. Otis's sticky remarks, contempt and reluctance to understand the ghost
make the Otis family soulless and cruel in the eyes of the reader. The irony is in
that fact, that hostility should be caused by a ghost, not by its potential victims.
But Oscar Wilde's creative vision depicted the opposite course of events using
irony.
There are also many epithets in the work. Epithet expresses a characteristic of
an object, both existing and imaginary. There are several types of epithets: fixed
epithets, affective (or emotive proper) epithets, figurative (or transferred)
epithets, single epithets, homogeneous epithets, two-step epithets, phrase-
epithets and inverted epithets. There are some examples from the short story
“The Canterville ghost”:
❖ “...violent storm...” [17]
This is an affective (or emotive proper) epithet. The word “Violent” describes
the emotional condition.
❖ “...icy-cold corpse...” [17]
This phrase is an example of two-step epithet. This this qualificative contains
adverb “icy” and adjective “cold”.
❖ “...baggage-check system...” [17]
This is an example of phrase epithet, because this phrase acts as a single idea to
modify a noun.
Hyperbole - is one more device which the author frequently used in his short
story “The Canterville ghost”. Hyperbole is a stylistic device of evident and
intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect. It shouldn't be literally
understood.
❖ “...the very darkness seeming to loathe him as he passed...” [17]
This is an example of personification, because darkness cannot loathe, and
hyperbole. This sentence is hyperbolized, because the ghost was so frightened
and felt miserable, so he it seemed to him that darkness was loathing him. It is
an exaggerated feeling of fear.
The opposite device to hyperbole is understatement. Understatement - is a
stylistic device and it is a type of hyperbole aiming at intensification of
smallness by exaggerating this quality.
❖ "I will take the furniture and the ghost at a valuation..." [17]
This is an example of belittling, because, saying this, Mr. Otis demonstrates that
he does not perceive a ghost, as an ordinary person should perceive it. Hiram
speaks of it as if a ghost is an element of the interior. It means that he does not
realize or does not want to perceive the real power and strength of this being,
belittling its value.
Oscar Wilde sometime uses allusion. Allusion - is a hint, an indirect reference
to smth known to the listener or reader. This reference may be taken from
literature, mythology, history or the Bible. It does not describe in detail the
person or thing to which it refers. It is just a passing comment and the writer
expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp
its importance in a text.
There are some allusions throughout the story to traditional themes and subjects
in Gothic literature, such as thunderstorms, the appearance of ghosts, suits of
armor, and bloodstains. These allusions are often used by Wilde to achieve a
comical effect. But writer also uses more unequivocal allusions. Such as:
❖ “...King’s College Cambridge...” [17]
This is an allusion of one of the most prestige and famous colleges in England.
A college within the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England; founded
in 1441 by Henry VI.
❖ “...Gretna Green...” [17]
“Gretna Green” is an allusion of a village in the south of Scotland near the
border with England. It is also a popular site for eloping, as very young couples
could marry without their parents’ permission.
As we can see, Oscar Wilde uses, though not all, but many stylistic devices
from the lexical level of stylistics. As knowing, lexical devices is the one of
important part in any work. It helps the reader understand the content of the text
and the meaning of word.

2.3 Syntactical level

There are two principles of classification of simple sentences: according to the
purpose of the utterance and according to the structure. According to the
purpose of the utterance there are declarative, interrogative (general, special,
alternative and disjunctive questions), imperative and exclamatory sentences.
Let us look at some examples:
❖ “She had a magnificent constitution, and a really wonderful
amount of animal spirits” [17].
This is an example of declarative sentence. Because it states a fact in the
affirmative form. It may also state some fact in the negative form. This sentence
just tells us that the woman was slender and active.
❖ “My dear Hiram, what can we do with a woman who faints?” [17]
This sentence is a vivid example of interrogative sentence. The interrogative
sentence asks a question. It is also formed by means of inversion.
❖ “Please don't go, Miss Virginia” [17].
Here we can see an example of imperative sentence. Imperative sentence serves
to induce a person to do something, so it expresses a command, a request, an
invitation, and something like that.
❖ “What a monstrous climate!” [17]
This is an example of exclamatory sentence. This type of sentences expresses
some kind of emotion or feeling.
Now let us talk about the other type of simple sentences. According to their
structure simple sentences are divided into two-member and one-member
sentences.
❖ “You can help me” [17].
Here we can see complete two-member sentence, where the subject is “you”
and predicate is “can help”.
❖ “- You mean the Garden of Death? - she whispered.
- Yes, death” [17].
Here is an example of incomplete two-member sentence. In this case the
predicate is missing.
A one-member sentence is a sentence having only one member which is neither
the subject nor the predicate. Such sentences are used in descriptions and
emotional speech. If the main part of a one-member sentence is expressed by a
noun, the sentence is called nominal. And if the main part of a one-member
sentence is expressed by verb, the sentence is called verbal.
❖ “Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with
the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence. To have
no yesterday, and no to-morrow. To forget time, to forget life, to be
at peace” [17].
There are some examples of one-member verbal sentences. In the first one
sentence we have a subject “death” and verb “must be”. And in the following
sentences this subject is not mentioned. But in this particular case, a reader
easily can understand, reading the description, that the author is speaking about
death.
Both two-member and one-member simple sentences, can be extended and
unextended. Extended sentence consists of primary parts and one or more
secondary parts: object, attribute, adverbial modifier. Unextended sentence
consists only of the primary parts – subject and predicate.
❖ "Virginia, a wife should have no secrets from her husband" [17].
Here we can see an example of extended sentence. Where “a wife” is a subject,
“should have” is a predicate, “no secrets” is an object and “her husband” is an
object too.
❖ “- Dear Cecil! I have no secrets from you.
-Yes, you have” [17].
This is an example of unextended sentence. There are no object, attribute or
adverbial modifier. This sentence consists only subject “you” and predicate
“have”.
❖ “He had been very wicked, but he was really sorry for all that he
had done, and he gave me this box of beautiful jewels before he
died” [17].
There is an example of compound sentence. Compound sentence consists of two
or more clauses coordinated with each other. So in this example we can see, that
these three clauses. All of them concern the Canterville ghost’s behavior. They
are closely connected but in the same time they may be independent from each
other.
❖ “Good heavens! child, where have you been, - said Mr. Otis, rather
angrily, thinking that she had been playing some foolish trick on
them” [17].
In this sentence we can see two clauses: principal clause and subordinate clause.
So this is an example of complex sentence. Where “...said Mr. Otis, rather
angrily, thinking that...” is a principal clause and “...that she had been playing
some foolish trick on them” is a subordinate clause.
Syntactical level also contains repetitions. As a syntactical stylistic device
repetition is recurrence of the same word, word combination, phrase for two and
more times.
❖ “To forget time, to forget life, to be at peace” [17].
In this sentence we can see repetition which is called anaphora. Because in this
case the beginning of the clauses is repeated. The beginning “to forget” is
repeated two times.
❖ "Yes, you have. You have never told me what happened to you
when you were locked up with the ghost - he answered, smiling"
[17].
There is an example of catch repetition in these sentences. First sentence ends
with phase “you have” and the next sentence starts with the same phrase.
❖ “Poor, poor ghost” [17]!
In this sentence is used successive repetition. One unit is reiterated two times.
And repeated word is “poor”.
Inversion is one more stylistic device that Oscar Wilde used in this short story.
Stylistic inversion is any violation of the traditional, fixed word-order (subject,
predicate and then object) which does not change the grammatical type and the
meaning of the sentence but adds a logical stress or emotional colouring to the
utterance.
❖ “...in the last carriage was Mrs. Umney...” [17]
This sentence does not have traditional word-order, because here we can see
complete inversion. On the first place stands adverbial modifier “in the last
carriage”, “was” is a predicate and it stands on the second place and in the end
we can see subject “Mrs. Umney”.
❖ “In the hall they found a group of frightened servants…” [17]
This is an example of partial inversion. Because predicate “found” is written
after subject “they” but the subject stands after the adverbial modifier “in the
hall”.
❖ “Not the slightest trace of Virginia had been discovered” [17].
In this sentence we can see an inversion too. “The slightest” is an attribute, then
stands the subject “trace”, then the attribute “of Virginia” and then the predicate
“has been discovered”. In this sentence we can see, that expressions, that begins
with “not” are inversions.
Sometimes the author uses detachment in his work. Detachment is based on
singling out a secondary member of the sentence to emphasize it with the help
of intonation; marked graphically by a comma, full stop or dash. Any part of
speech may be detached.
❖ “Here they roused up the rural policeman, but could get no
information from him, and, after riding all over the common, they
turned their horses' heads homewards, and reached the Chase about
eleven o'clock, dead-tired and almost heart-broken” [17].
This sentence contains two examples of detachment. First one is “..., after riding
all over the common, ...” and the second one is “..., dead-tired and almost heart-
broken”. It is easy to get, that both of them are detachments, because this
sentence can be understood correctly even without these phrases.
Oscar Wilde also used an ellipsis. An ellipsis is a deliberate omission of at least
one member of a sentence. The words which are left out may be easily
understood from the context.
❖ “- Have you ever read the old prophecy on the library window?
- Oh, often, - cried the little girl” [17].
In this case, Virginia answered the question with only one word. Only adverbial
modifier “often” is used. She could give the full answer, using at least subject
and predicate, but she did not. But as it is an ellipsis, we can easily understand a
context.
Polysyndeton is a repetition of a conjunction before each parallel word or
phrase. Polysyndeton makes each member of a catalogue stand out
conspicuously - each item is given weight.
❖ “...if you have always been sweet, and good, and gentle, the angel
of death will have mercy on me” [17].
There is an example of polysyndeton. Here we can see, that a conjunction “and”
is repeated two times before two synonyms “good” and “gentle”.
Also it is possible to find in the short story one more stylistic device which is
opposite to polysyndeton. This is asyndeton. Asyndeton is a deliberate
avoidance of conjunctions.
❖ “To forget time, to forget life, to be at peace” [17].
In this case, we can see, that the author does not use any conjunctions. He only
puts commas. So this asyndeton helps the reader to perceive every clause as it is
separated from the others. And in the same time, they are closely connected by
the context.
Oscar Wilde used parallel construction in the story. Parallel construction is the
repetition of the structure of several successive clauses within a sentence or
sentences in a macro context.
❖ “When a golden girl can win
Prayer from out the lips of sin,
When the barren almond bears,
And a little child gives away its tears,
Then shall all the house be still
And peace come to Canterville” [17].
In this poetry we can see two parallel constructions. The first one construction is
“When a golden girl can win … When the barren almond bears” and is
repeated two times. The second one is “And a little child gives away its tears …
And peace come to Canterville” is also repeated two times.
So, as we can see, the author actively used many stylistic devices from the
syntactical level. And, as devices from the other levels, syntactical devices are
used to avoid a tautology, to make the language of the story more fascinating
and melodious, to emphasize certain phrases or words, to make each new
sentence more enchanting to the reader and make him plunge into the magical
world invented by the author.

2.4 Lexical-syntactical stylistic devices

Syntactical stylistic devices add logical, emotive, expressive information to the
utterance regardless of lexical meanings of sentence components. There are
certain structures though, whose emphasis depends not only on the arrangement
of sentence members but also on their construction, with definite demands on
the lexico-semantic aspect of the utterance. They are well-known as lexico-
syntactical stylistic devices.
One of these stylistic devices is climax. In climax each next word combination,
clause or sentence is logically more important or emotionally stronger and more
explicit.
❖ “To forget time, to forget life, to be at peace” [17].
The climax happens when the ghost talks to Virginia about his feelings of
sadness and pain and asks her for help. First of all, ghost says about time, then
he says about, what is more important than time, and ends with peace, what
means the death, what is emotionally stronger than life.
In this short story author often used simile. It consists in an explicit likening of
one object to another object on the basis of some common feature.
❖ “Miss Virginia E. Otis was a little girl of fifteen, lithe and lovely as
a fawn” [17].
This simile is used to introduced Virginia at the start of the story. The
comparison indicates her fragility and innocence, since she is likened to a young
deer, which is typically considered a vulnerable creature.
 ❖ “His eyes were as red as burning coals” [17].
This simile is used to describe the ghost's fearsome appearance when Mr. Otis
first sees him. Burning coals carry the suggestion of causing pain, which implies
the ghost may be capable of violence, and also raise the traditional idea of hell
as a fiery, burning place, suggesting that the ghost is some sort of cursed spirit.
❖ “A horrible spectre, motionless as a carven image” [17].
This simile is used to describe the "ghost" that the Ghost of Canterville is
initially terrified by, only to later realize that he has been the victim of a cruel
prank. The simile compares the fake ghost to a sculpture or to an image carved
of stone, and therefore puts an emphasis on its stillness.
❖ “Her little lips trembled like rose-leaves” [17].
This simile is used to describe Virginia's reaction when she learns that the ghost
has not slept peacefully for more than three hundred years. The trembling
reveals that she is upset on his behalf, while the comparison of the trembling to
rose-leaves implies that she remains attractive even while she displays this
emotion.
Few times Oscar Wilde used periphrasis in his work. Periphrasis is a figure of
speech when a longer phrase with descriptive epithets, abstract general terms is
used instead of a possible shorter and plainer form of expression. It aims at
representing the author’s idea in a roundabout way.
❖ She had a magnificent constitution, and a really wonderful amount
of animal spirits” [17].
In this case “wonderful amount of animal spirit” could be paraphrased as active
or lively.
Litotes are not often seen in his work. But it would be better to mention them.
Litotes is two-component structure in which two negations are joined to give a
positive evaluation.
❖ “Still in spite of everything he was not left unmolested” [17].
So, we can easily understand, that this is litotes, because negative particle “not”
and negative prefix “un” in front of the word “molested”. So, combination of
these two components gives us a positive meaning, that he was molested. This
is why we can get that this is an example of litotes.
So, as it is seen, Oscar Wilde does not use many lexical-syntactical stylistic
devices. For example, he did not mention examples of anticlimax and antithesis.
But, considering how capably he used other devices, we can turn a blind eye to
the lack of several of them. After all, as the writer considered, "art for art's
sake". We just need to enjoy the art, not look for something logical or consistent
in it.

CONCLUSION
Oscar Wilde has created an extremely fascinating story that is simply
impossible to ignore - “The Canterville Ghost”. On the one hand, it is a funny
book that is a handbook for many children. More than one generation grew up
on this story and on other books by Oscar Wilde. On the other hand, this story
raises quite important questions, both then and today.
There is a lot of hidden meanings in the story "The Canterville Ghost". Through
the use of metaphors, the author tells us a not such a childish story. Although, at
first glance, it may seem that the author's sole purpose is a comic effect when he
describes the abuse of a ghost. But it is worth digging deeper. He does not use
irony to this work in vain. Irony is mostly used to portray the conflict of
nationalities.
The bloodstain, that the ghost so painstakingly redraws every night, also
appears in the work for a reason. It is a symbol that art is eternal and it will be
reborn like a phoenix, even when the ignoramuses will try to wipe it off the
global map.
Having analysed Oscar Wilde's rich writing style, we can conclude that a great
variety of expressive means and stylistic devices used by him in the work “The
Canterville Ghost” plays a vital role in the interpreting of the author`s message
as well as his personal attitude to the events described. Repetitions, metaphors,
similes, epithets, and many other stylistic devices which were analysed not only
to diversify the text of the novel, but also to reflect the author's feelings and
contribute to the distinctive atmosphere of the book.
Our stylistic analysis has shown that the author often uses stylistic devices of
phono-graphical and lexical levels to describe the irony of what is happening
and the temper of the characters, while syntactical and lexico-syntactical
stylistic devices serve to enhance the achievable effect and to attract the reader's
attention. It once again confirms that the use of various means of expressiveness
is the dominant technique which allows the writer to implement the aesthetic
principles of his work.
It is also important to mention that this course paper can help the readers to look
at the novel “The Canterville Ghost” from another angle and to understand it
better. Therefore, it seems to us that the research will be of great use not only to
linguists but also to ordinary readers.
Thus, taking into consideration everything mentioned above, we can come to
conclusion that in the course of our work all the tasks were completed, and,
therefore, the aim of the research is totally achieved.
 SUMMARY
Курсова робота “Стилістичний аналіз оповідання Оскара Уайльда
“Кентервільський привид” може бути допоміжною як і для звичайного
читача, так і для науковця, який тільки починає своє знайомство з
роботами автора. Адже, завдяки використанню стилістичних засобів,
Оскар Уайльд вклав в оповідання багато прихованого змісту. Тож,
розуміючи вжиті стилістичні засоби, ми стаємо на крок ближчими до
усвідомлення тієї проблематики, яку автор описував у своїй роботі.
Мета передбачає вирішення таких завдань:
● проаналізувати концепцію “Мистецтво заради мистецтва”;
● дослідити соціальний та історичний контекст оповідання;
● -пояснити жанр оповідання
● виокремити та дослідити готичні елементи в “Кентервільському
Привиді”;
 ● зробити короткий огляд адаптацій “Кентервільського Привида”;
● Зробити лінгвостилістичний аналіз оповідання “Кентервільський
привид”.
Матеріалом дослідження слугувало оповідання Оскара Уайльда
“Кентервільський Привид”.
Курсова робота складається зі вступу, двох розділів, висновку, опису та
списку літератури.
У вступі обґрунтовано актуальність теми дослідження, визначено мету,
завдання, об’єкт і предмет дослідження, описано методи дослідження,
вказано на теоретичне і практичне значення.
У першому розділі праці “Теоретичний Огляд” детально описано
передумови написання оповідання, досліджено жанр, пояснено головні
ідеї течії “Мистецтво заради мистецтва”, виокремлено готичні елементи
оповідання, та згадано адаптації, які вказують на те, що навіть через
століття ця робота Оскара Уайльда користується неабиякою
популярністю.
У другому розділі “Лінгвостилістичний аналіз “Кентервільського
привида” детально проаналізовані так стилістичні рівні, як лексичний,
синтаксичний, фонографічний, морфологічний та лексико-синтаксичний.
У висновках узагальнено теоретичне та практичне значення курсової
роботи.
Обсяг курсової роботи становить 42 сторінки.
Список використаної літератури налічує 17 позицій.
List of Sources:
[1] Валова О.М., Америка в восприятии Оскара Уайльда. – Пермский
государственный институт искусств и культуры (Кировский филиал),
2010. – pp. 367 - 369.
[2] Afi catalog of feature films the Canterville Ghost [Electronic Resource]. –
Mode of Access:
https://catalog.afi.com/Film/2470-THE-CANTERVILLEGHOST?
sid=27f87a2d-4720-4c0f-8a05-2fa4212f255f&sr=11.7472515&cp=1&pos=0
[3] Beckson K. Encyclopedia Britannica Oscar Wilde [Electronic Resource]. –
Mode of Access: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Oscar-Wilde
[4] Bowen J. Gothic motifs. Published: 15 May 2014

[5] Boyd W. // A short history of the short story, Prospect, 2016.

[6] Cliff Notes, Critical Essays Oscar Wilde's Aesthetics [Electronic Resource].
– Mode of Access: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/p/the-picture-of-
dorian-gray/critical-essays/oscar-wildes-aesthetics
[7] Course Hero, The Canterville Ghost | Context [Electronic Resource]. –
Mode of Access: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Canterville-
Ghost/context/
[8] Encyclopedia.Com The Canterville Ghost [Electronic Resource]. – Mode of
Access: https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-
and-books/canterville-ghost#G

[9] Encyclopedia Britannica Definition of short story [Electronic Resource]. –

Mode of Access: https://www.britannica.com/art/short-story

[10] Grubica I., Beran Z. The Fantastic of the fin de siecle / Grubica I., Beran Z.
– published 2016 – p. 31
[11] Hughes W., Punter D., Smith A. The Encyclopedia of the Gothic,
published 2016 – p. 34.
[12] Jennifer S. Adams // Nothing Is True But Beauty: Oscar Wilde in the
Aesthetic Movement, 2009. – pp. 7-8.
[13] Maryam, An analysis of language style in short story “The Canterville
Ghost” by Oscar Wilde / Maryam, 2013 – p. 2.

[14] Merriam-Webster Definition of short story [Electronic Resource]. – Mode

of Access: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20story

[15] Raškauskienė A. Gothic Fiction: The Beginnings / Vytauto Didžiojo

universitetas Kaunas, 2009 – p. 11.
[16] The Victorian Era England facts about Queen Victoria, Society &
Literature With Special Reference to Art for Art’s Sake [Electronic Resource].
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[17] Wilde O. The Happy Prince and Other Tales. – London. Penguins books,
1994 / Wilde O. The Canterville Ghost and Other Stories. – NY, Dover
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