Appearance, Reality, and Sincerity Theme Analysis

During one of Sir Simon’s more ambitious attempts to scare the Otis family, he finds himself face-to-face with a ghost and flees (as he so often does) in terror. Later, after considering that he himself is a ghost, and as such has no need to fear other ghosts, he returns to introduce himself to the specter. He discovers, to his surprise, that the “ghost” from which he fled was little more than a hodgepodge of kitchen utensils and root vegetables, cobbled together by the Otis family as a kind of spectral scarecrow: something far different than what it appeared to be on the surface. Like Sir Simon, readers of The Canterville Ghost would do well to attend to the differences between superficial appearance and reality, as much of the interaction between the Americans and their British cohabitant looks on the surface to be one thing when it is, in fact, another. Such artificiality masquerading as reality, Wilde argues, only serves to create or heighten conflict, as seen especially in the conflict between Sir Simon and the Otis family. Only sincerity, Wilde suggests, can work to resolve conflict, and he shows this in the ultimate outcome of the story.

Sir Simon is, decidedly, an artificial character. He is not only a ghost (which is not a natural being), but he is also somewhat inauthentic in his ghostliness, as he takes on other personas to exaggerate his ghostly characteristics. These personas—including Reckless Rupert, a headless Earl, and Jonas the graveless, a corpse-snatcher—become increasingly theatrical, even as they increasingly fail to terrify the Otis family. More and more, he finds himself resorting to stage props, such as horse-pistols or a rusty dagger, which enhances his association with artificiality and pretense. Sir Simon also constantly undoes the work of Washington Otis by replacing the bloodstain on the floor of Canterville Chase. Sir Simon does this not through supernatural means, but rather through the artifice of Virginia’s paints, which he steals from her. Like his costumes, these bloodstains become increasingly absurd as the conflict escalates. In the end, he even resorts to a ludicrously green-colored blood, as Virginia’s blood-colored paints run out. In both instances, as the artificiality of Simon’s attempts mounts, so too does its transparency. Each attempt becomes increasingly ridiculous and less likely to convince anyone that it is real.

Though more “real” than Sir Simon, the Otis family nevertheless becomes associated with artificiality, too, in the sense that they are superficial. Rather than dealing with Sir Simon directly, they resort to ridiculous products to try to minimalize or undo the work he does to scare them. For example, using the Pinkerton detergent to remove the bloodstains on a daily basis, and using the Tammany lubricant to silence the ghost’s creaking chains, are both examples of the Otis family dealing only with the symptoms of what’s going on around them while refusing to confront the reality that there is a ghost. In other words, the family is shown to be attuned much more to superficial aspects of the haunting than the extraordinary haunting itself—they’re missing the forest for the trees.

Virginia, however, is a model of the sincerity that the story suggests can cut through artificiality and superficiality in order to resolve conflict. From the very start, Virginia realizes that her paints are being used to create the “bloodstain” on the floor. Yet, though she mourns the loss of her supplies, she never mocks or derides Sir Simon until she has a chance to discuss the situation directly with him. Furthermore, Virginia is an artist, who creates good, wholesome art designed to bring about wisdom rather than frighten or enrage. Though she is young, Virginia recognizes that her art ought to seek truth. This is why she gets upset when she sees the green-colored bloodstain; she realizes that, without the color green, she’ll no longer be able to paint realistic (or true) landscapes. By seeking truth instead of visceral reaction, Virginia is also seeking to break the barrier of artificiality and replace it with sincerity. Through this ability, she is able to see that all of Sir Simon’s artificiality is a smokescreen designed to cover up the fact that he is the only one in the story who is afraid. That is, Simon fears that, with the arrival of the Americans who are immune to him, he will become irrelevant. Since he cannot rest, irrelevance would be the greatest possible torment to him. Virginia recognizes this, and through her sincere approach discovers the only possible way to mediate this conflict. By showing him true empathy, and faithfully praying for his salvation, Virginia learns that she can set Sir Simon free.

Interestingly, Wilde seems to have undertaken his own kind of artificiality in writing The Canterville Ghost. The story operates as a comedy most of the time, but underneath it is a tale of morality (one that teaches readers about the value of settling one’s disputes with kindness instead of with easy satire). Just as Sir Simon masks his desire for peace in his biting wit, so too does Wilde mask in satire the true moral of his story, the importance of empathy.