Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 167 Georgian Scientists Vol. 6 Issue 4, 2024 https://doi.org/10.52340/gs.2024.06.04.16 , https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0802-4085 , . “The Happy Prince and Other Tales.” . , , , . , , „ “, . : , , , , , , . , , . : , , , , , , , - “. -19 , , , „ “ , . , - „ “ - Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 168 . „ “ , , „ , . “. ... „ , , . , . , , “. [Wilde, 2016] , . - , . , , , (1837-1901) . , . , , , , . , , , , - : , , , . , „ “, „ “, „ “ (“The Importance of being Earnest”) , , - . , : . „ “, Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 169 , „ , , . , , . , , “. , , ; . [ , 1988:176] , „ , , . „ “. [ , 1984:107] , , , , , . : „ ... , , , , , , , !“ [Wilde, 2018] : „ “ (1888) „ “ (1891). , . . , , , , . , „ : “ (1912) : „ , .“ [Ransome, 2011]. , . , , , , , , . Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 170 , , , . , . „ “. , . , , . , - - . . , , , , , , , . “ , , , , . , , „ “ . ( ). “He is as beautiful as weathercock,” remarked one of the Town Councillors who wished to gain a reputation for having artistic tastes; “only not quite so useful,” he added, fearing lest people should think him unpractical, which he really was not” [Wilde, 1979:48-49] („- ,- , , - , ,- , “). , 1960:15-16] , , . : Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 171 , „ “ . , , , , . “which he really was not” („ ( - ), “. . „ “. , . , . , , : “And at noon the Student opened his window and looked out. ‘Why, what a wonderful piece of luck!’ he cried; ‘here is a red rose! I have never seen any rose like it in all my life. It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long Latin name’; and he leaned down and plucked it.” [Wilde, 1979:45](„ : -„ , !“ - , -„ ! . , “. [ , 1960:43] , , , . , , : “What a silly thing Love is,” said the Student as he walked away. “It is not half as useful as Logic, for it does not prove anything, and it is always telling one of things that are not going to happen, and making one believe things that are not true. In fact, it is quite unpractical, and, as in this age to be practical is everything, I shall go back to Philosophy and study Metaphysics.” [Wilde, 1979:46] („- !“ - , - „ , , , , . . . “. , 1960:45] Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 172 , , , . , , , , , “. “ , , , . , : “It is a ridiculous attachment,” twittered the other Swallows. “She has no money, and far too many relations”; and indeed, the river was quite full of Reeds.” [Wilde, 1979:28] („- “,- . – „ , . - .“)[ , 1960:17] , , , . , , : „ .“ , „ “ , : “I am afraid it will not go with my dress,” she answered, “and, besides, the Chamberlain’s nephew has sent me some real jewels, and everybody knows that jewels cost far more than flowers.” [Wilde, 1979:45] [Wilde, 1979:46] („- , “ - , -„ , , “. [ , 1960:44] , : “... after all, who are you? Only a Student. Why, I don’t believe you have even got silver buckles to your shoes as the Chamberlain’s nephew has and she got up from her chair and went into the house.” Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 173 [Wilde, 1979:46] („... , . . , “. [ibid.] , . „ “ . , . , , , . , , . : “It is quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship. I am sure the clergyman himself could not say such beautiful things as you do, though he does live in a three-storied house and wears a gold ring on his little finger.” [Wilde, 1979:56] („ , . , “.) [ , 1960:60] , „ “ . , . . , , , : “Common sense, indeed!” said the Rocket indignantly. “You forget that I am very uncommon and very remarkable”. [Wilde, 1979:74] („- “- ,- „ , , “.) [ , 1960:85] , : “common,” “common sense” („ “) , Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 174 „ “. „ “ „ “ , „ “ „ “ . : “It is quite evident that you have always lived in the country,” answered the Rocket. “Otherwise you would know who I am. However, I excuse your ignorance. It would be unfair to expect other people to be as remarkable as oneself.” [Wilde, 1979:80] („- , ,- „ - , , . , , , “) [ , 1960:94] , . , , : “My good creature,” cried the Rocket in a very haughty tone of voice. “I see that you belong to the lower orders. A person of my position is never useful. We have certain accomplishments, and that is more than sufficient. I have no sympathy myself with industry of any kind, least of all with such industries as you seem to recommend. Indeed, I have always been of the opinion that hard work is simply the refuge of people who have nothing whatever to do.” [Wilde, 1979:80] („- “,- , - , . . . , , . , , “.) [ , 1960:95] , , , , , : “I am glad that she has gone,” he said to himself. “She has a decidedly middle-class mind,” and he sank a little deeper still into the mud and began to think about the loneliness of genius.” [Wilde, 1979:81] („- , “,- , - “. - “.) [ , 1960:96-97]. “loneliness of genius” („ “), , , “ . Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 175 , , . “ . , “Dear me! How shabby the Happy Prince looks!” [Wilde, 1979:37] („ - ! !“)[ [ , 1960:31], :“How shabby indeed!” [...] („ - , !“) [ , 1960:31]. , , , : „ “. [ , 1960:31] , , . . ,“ , , : “Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everybody in good society holds exactly the same opinions.” [Wilde, 1979:78] („ , , , “). [ , 1960:92] , , , , , , , , , , , , . „ “, , . : Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 176 “Is that the end of the story?” asked the Water-rat. “Certainly not,” answered the Linnet. “That is the beginning.” “Then you are quite behind the age,” said the Water-rat. “Every good storyteller nowadays starts with the end, and then goes on to the beginning, and concludes with the middle. That is the new method. I heard all about it the other day from a critic who was walking round the pond with a young man. He spoke of the matter at great length, and I am sure he must have been right, for he had blue spectacles and a bald head, and whenever the young man made any remark, he always answered, ‘Pooh!’” [Wilde, 1979:57-58] „- ?“ - . - , - ,- . - , - ,- , . . , , . . , , . , - „ “. [ , 1960:61-62] : , , , , : „ “. , - , . “But love is not fashionable anymore, the poets have killed it. They wrote so much about it that nobody believed them, and I am not surprised. True love suffers and is silent. ... Romance is a thing of the past.” [Wilde, 1979:70-71] . , . “ ... “. [ , 1960:80] “, , . , , Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 177 : , . “What a remarkable phenomenon!” said the Professor of Ornithology as he was passing over the bridge. “A swallow in winter!” and he wrote a long letter about it in the local newspaper. Every one quoted it, it was full of so many words that they could not understand.” [Wilde, 1979:32] („- ,- , ,- ! . , “.) [ , 1960:23] . , , , - . , , : “The Mathematical Master frowned and looked very severe, for he did not approve of children dreaming. [Wilde, 1979:28] („ , “. , 1960:16] „ “, , , . : “Then you should certainly lecture on Philosophy.” [Wilde, 1979:79](„- , “. [ , 1960:94] “ : . “How well you talk!” said the Miller’s Wife, pouring herself out a large glass of warm ale. “Really, I feel quite drowsy. It is just like being in church.” [Wilde, 1979:57] („- , ,- . - , “. [Wilde, 1979:61] „ “ , , , Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 178 , , . “I had thoughts of entering public life once myself,” remarked the Duck. “There are so many things that need reforming. Indeed, I took the chair at a meeting some time ago, and we passed resolutions condemning everything that we did not like. However, they did not seem to have much effect. Now I go in for domesticity and look after my family.” [Wilde, 1979:81] („- ,- ,- . , . . “. [ , 1960:96] „ “ , , - : “And here is actually a dead bird at his feet!” continued the Mayor. “We must really issue a proclamation that birds are not to be allowed to die here.” And the Town Clerk made a note of the suggestion. The Remarkable Rocket [Wilde, 1979:38] („- , ,- , - , .- “. [ , 1960:32] , . “, , , . , , . , . Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 179 , , „ “ : There is no good in my going to see little Hans as long as the snow lasts,” the Miller used to say to his wife, “...“when people are in trouble they should be left alone, and not be bothered by visitors. That at least is my idea about friendship, and I am sure I am right. So I shall wait till the spring comes, and then I shall pay him a visit, and he will be able to give me a large basket of primroses and that will make him so happy.” [Wilde, 1979:56] („- , ? - - , . . , . . “). [ , 1960:59-60] , “ . , , , . , „ “ , , , , . , , , . , , : Why, if little Hans came up here and saw our warm fire and our good supper, and our great cask of red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature. I certainly will not allow Hans’s nature to be spoiled. I am his best friend, and I will always watch over him, and see that he is not led into any temptations.” [Wilde, 1979:56-57] („ , , , . , ? . . , “) [ , 1960:60]. . , , , : “Lots of people act well,” answered the Miller; “but very few people talk Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 180 well, which shows that talking is much the more difficult thing of the two, and much the finer thing also.” [Wilde, 1979:57] („- , . , , “) [ , 1960:61]. , , . , . , . „ “, . , , . , . , , : . . : “Pray, what are you laughing at?” inquired the Rocket; “I am not laughing.” “I am laughing because I am happy,” replied the Cracker. “That is a very selfish reason,” said the Rocket angrily. “What right have you to be happy? You should be thinking about others. In fact, you should be thinking about me. I am always thinking about myself, and I expect everybody else to do the same. That is what is called sympathy. It is a beautiful virtue, and I possess it in a high degree.” [Wilde, 1979:78] : „- , - , - . - , , - . - . - . - ? . , . . . “. [ , 1960:84] : Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 181 The Rocket is irritated by the Frog who is talking about himself instead of listening to him “You are a very irritating person,” said the Rocket, “and very ill-bred. I hate people who talk about themselves, as you do when one wants to talk about oneself, as I do. It is what I call selfishness, and selfishness is a most detestable thing, especially to any one of my temperament, for I am well known for my sympathetic nature.” [Wilde, 1979:78-79] „- ,- ,- . , , , , . , , , “. [ , 1960:92-93] , , . , : “No one in the whole world is so sensitive as I am, I am quite sure of that. “What is a sensitive person?” said the Cracker to the Roman Candle. “A person who, because he has corns himself, always treads on other people’s toes,” answered the Roman Candle in a low whisper; and the Cracker nearly exploded with laughter. [Wilde, 1979:78] („- ? - . - , , “,- “) , 1960:84]. . , ; , . , . , , , : “I never said I knew him,” answered the Rocket. “I dare say that if I knew him I should not be his friend at all. It is a very dangerous thing to know one’s friends.” [Wilde, 1979:75] „ - , , - , - , , . “) [ , 1960:87]. Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 182 „ “. , . “- , : “I am rather afraid that I have annoyed him,” answered the Linnet. “The fact is that I told him a story with a moral.” “Ah! That is always a very dangerous thing to do,” said the Duck. “And I quite agree with her.” [Wilde, 1979:66] („- , - - , , . - , - . “). [ , 1960:75] , , . : , , , . , , , , , , . , , , . , , , , , . , , , , , , , , . , , : , , , Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 183 , ; : , , , , , , , . , . : ., „ “, . , 1960. ., „ “, „ “, , 1988. ., „ “, , 1984. Wilde, O., Fairy Tales by Oscar Wilde, Moscow, Progress Publishers 1979. Ransome, A. (2011). Oscar Wilde: A critical study. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/36017/36017- h/36017-h.htm Wilde O. (1979). Fairy tales. Progress Publishers. (Original work published 1888) Wilde, O. (2016). The decay of lying. https://www.berfrois.com/2016/0Wilde’s 8/oscar-wilde- arts-rough-material/ (Original work published 1891) Wilde O. (2018). The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde, Arion Press Wilde O. (2021). The happy prince and other tales. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/902/902- h/902-h.htm (Original work published 1888) Social Satire in Oscar Wilde's Fairy Tales Abstract: This article studies the fairy tales by Oscar Wilde from the perspective of social satire employed by the author to expose the vices of his contemporary Victorian Society. The texts used as empirical material for the study are the fairy tales from “The Happy Prince and Other Tales.” They fall under the category of literary fairy tales and possess all the features characteristic of this literary genre. The plots of Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales are not always original, but their author’s individual, exquisite style, prolific imagination, and ample word repertoire make them unique. Wilde’s fairy tales as well as other works are the embodiment of his aesthetic principle “art for art’s sake”, considering beauty as art’s main pursuit. The magic and beauty in Wilde’s fairy tales are accompanied by severe criticism of Victorian morality with its hypocrisy, materialism, snobbishness, arrogance, idleness, uniformity, narrow-mindedness, and selfishness. The criticism is expressed with the help of allegory, irony, paradox, and other literary devices. Keywords: fairy tales, allegory, hypocrisy, irony, paradoxes, social satire, Victorian morality