"The Nightingale and the Rose" by Oscar Wilde

                                             "The Nightingale and the Rose" is a short tragic fantasy story for children by the Irish author Oscar Wilde.

                 The nightingale and the rose is an emotional story following the theme of the nature of love. Oscar Wilde gives us the impression it is a fairytale about true love, but as we read on, we realize how ironic the story is. The supposed love between the student and the girl proves to be a shallow love based on materialistic happiness, while the story’s irony also lies in the nightingale’s sacrifice, the only character that gives pure and unconditional love.

                 In this story, a young man, a student, is told by a woman that she would dance with him at the ball the next night if he brought her a red rose.  However, he has no red roses, and is vocalizing his despair when a nightingale hears him.  The nightingale is touched by the soul of this student, and desires strongly to help him.  The bird flies around trying to find a red rose at various rose bushes, but none are red.  He finallly pierces his heart on a thorn to bleed onto a white rose, making it a brilliant red rose, and in the process dies.  The student finds the rose and is thrilled, so he plucks it and brings it to his love interest.  The girl rejects the rose saying it won't match her dress; plus, someone else has brought her jewelry, which is much better.  Angry, the student walks away and throws the rose in the gutter where it is run over by a cart.  He decides that love is ridiculous and logic is better, goes home and reads a book.

               The nightingale, which is a totally different character, made the ultimate sacrifice herself because the life of a little bird is nothing like real love. The nightingale wants the student to experience the love that he was dreaming about. Also she didn’t know it the girl loved the boy or she would accept the rose, but she gave her life away so as to at last offer him a chance. To sum up the nightingale is the most likeable character in the whole story , she is unselfish, kind, nice, and dares to sacrifice her own life for true love.

             It is the tale of a lovestruck student who must provide his lover with a red rose in order to win her heart. A nightingale overhearing his lament from a solitary oak tree is filled with sorrow and admiration all at once, and decides to help the poor young man.

             She journeys through the night seeking the perfect red rose and finally comes across a rambling rose bush but alas, the bush has no roses to offer her. However, there is a way to MAKE a red rose, but with grave consequences.