The Selfish Giant: A timeless story by Oscar Wilde
"The Selfish Giant" is a well-known story by Oscar Wilde about a giant who, after building a wall around his garden to keep children out, finds his garden perpetually stuck in winter. He eventually realizes his selfishness is the cause, lets the children back in, and his garden returns to its former beauty, teaching a lesson about kindness and generosity. The story has also been adapted into other media, including a 2013 film directed by Clio Barnard.
Free online reading the story The Selfish Giant -Project Gutenbarg
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Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was an Irish poet, playwright, and wit, famous for his flamboyant style, Aestheticism movement advocacy ("art for art's sake"), and masterpieces like The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray. His celebrated literary success was tragically cut short by a public trial for "gross indecency" (homosexuality) in 1895, leading to two years of hard labor, poverty, and an early death in Paris, leaving behind a complex legacy of brilliant art and personal ruin. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Early Life & Education
- Born: Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde in Dublin, Ireland, on October 16, 1854, to acclaimed writer/poet Jane Wilde and surgeon Sir William Wilde.
- Education: Excelled at Trinity College, Dublin, and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he embraced Aestheticism and won the Newdigate Prize for his poem Ravenna. [7, 8, 9, 10]
Career & Literary Success
- Literary Debut: Moved to London, published poetry, lectured in America, and began writing fairy tales and essays.
- Major Works: Achieved fame in the early 1890s with plays like Lady Windermere's Fan, An Ideal Husband, and the enduring comedy The Importance of Being Earnest, alongside his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891). [2, 3, 9, 11]
Scandal & Imprisonment
- Affair: Began a homosexual affair with Lord Alfred Douglas ("Bosie") in 1891, attracting the hostility of Douglas's father, the Marquess of Queensberry.
- Trials: Sued Queensberry for libel but lost, leading to his own prosecution for "gross indecency," resulting in a two-year prison sentence for hard labor.
- Writings from Prison: Wrote De Profundis (a long letter) and The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898). [2, 4, 12]
Final Years & Legacy
- Release & Exile: Released in 1897, he lived in poverty and exile in France, separated from his wife, Constance (who died in 1898).
- Death: Died in Paris on November 30, 1900, at age 46.
- Legacy: Despite attempts to suppress his work, Wilde is celebrated as a literary genius whose wit, social commentary, and tragic life continue to influence literature and culture. [1, 3, 6, 13]
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