Class 9 English - CBSE
Supplementary: The Happy Prince
Supplementary: The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde is a touching tale about a magnificent statue adorned with gold and jewels who weeps over the misery of his city. A little swallow, delayed on its migration to Egypt, becomes the prince's messenger, stripping away the statue's beauty to help the poor, the sick, and the suffering. This chapter matters greatly for CBSE board exams as it tests narrative comprehension, character analysis, and the central themes of sacrifice, true beauty, and empathy. Questions frequently focus on moral values and symbolic meanings.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Sacrifice
The willingness of both the Happy Prince and the Swallow to give up their physical comfort, beauty, and ultimately their lives to help others.
True Beauty
The story contrasts outward material wealth and beauty with the inward spiritual beauty of kindness, charity, and selflessness.
Empathy and Compassion
The Happy Prince cannot ignore the suffering in his city once he is able to see it, highlighting the duty of the privileged to help the marginalized.
Injustice in Society
Oscar Wilde uses the fairy tale to critique real-world social inequalities, showing the stark contrast between rich rulers and starving citizens.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In CBSE Class 9 English, the Supplementary Reader (Moments) carries around 10-12 marks. This chapter frequently appears as long-answer questions (5 marks) testing character sketches or theme analysis, and short-answer questions (2-3 marks) on specific plot incidents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the statue called the Happy Prince if he never smiled?
He was called the Happy Prince during his lifetime because he lived in a palace where sorrow was not allowed to enter, but he only learned true happiness after helping others.
Why did the Swallow die?
The Swallow stayed back out of love and loyalty to the blind Happy Prince, delivering all his gold and jewels, and eventually succumbed to the severe winter cold.
What were the two most precious things in the city mentioned at the end?
God's angels chose the dead Swallow and the broken leaden heart of the Happy Prince as the two most precious things in the city because of their supreme sacrifice and love.
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