The Nightingale and The Rose

By: Oscar Wilde(Analyzed by Ayu Bulan Paramastri)

In this paper, the writer wants to analyze The Nightingale and The Rose authorized by Oscar Wilde. The writer wants to discuss the three important characters: The Young Student, the Nightingale and The Professor’s Daughter and also the kind of love of each of them. The intrinsic elements used are Character and Conflict in Plot. While the extrinsic elements used are Love, Sacrificial Love, Erotic Love and Materialistic Love. The analysis shows that the nightingale has sacrificial love, the young student has erotic love and the professor’s daughter has materialistic love. Keywords:The Nightingale and The Rose, Oscar

Wilde, Character, Plot, Conflict, Love, Sacrificial Love, Erotic Love, Materialistic Love.

ABSTRACT

Di dalam makalah ini, penulis ingin menganalisa The Nightingale and The Rose karya Oscar Wilde. Penulis ingin berdiskusi mengenai tiga karakter utama: Si Murid, Burung Bul-bul and Anak Perempuan Professor and juga macam-macam jenis cinta di tiap karakter. Unsur intrinsic yang digunakan adalah Karakter dan Konflik di dalam Plot. Sedangkan unsur ekstrinsik yang digunakan adalah Cinta, Cinta Yang Berkorban, Cinta Erotis dan Cinta Materialistis. Analisis ini menunjukkan bahwa Burung Bull-bul memiliki cinta yang berkorban, Si Murid memiliki cinta erotis and Anak Perempuan Professor memiliki cinta materialistis. Kata Kunci: The Nightingale and The Rose, Oscar Wilde, Karakter,

Alur Cerita, Konflik, Cinta, Cinta Yang Berkorban, Cinta Erotis, Cinta Materialistis.

ABSTRAK

Background of The Study

An allegorical fable of love, sacrifice and selfishness. As with all of Wilde's short stories it embodies strong moral values and is told with an effervescence akin to that of the 1001 nights. 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.

Taken from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/590272.The_Nightingale_a

nd_the_Rose

To appreciate the poem of Oscar Wilde,

Nightingale And The Rose.

To analyze the intrinsic elements (Characters and Conflict in Plot) in Oscar Wilde, Nightingale And The Rose.

To analyze the extrinsic element (Love, Sacrificial Love, Erotic Love, Materialistic Love) Oscar Wilde, Nightingale And The Rose.

Purpose of The Study

The scope of this study is to analize the

intrinsic elements in Oscar Wilde, Nightingale And The Rose, such as the Characters and Conflict in Plot. While, extrinsic elements in this study will focuse on Love, Sacrificial Love, Erotic Love, Materialistic Love.

Scope of The Study

The Biography of The Author

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on October 16, 1854 in

Dublin, Ireland. His father, William Wilde, was an acclaimed doctor who was

knighted for his work as medical advisor for the Irish censuses. William Wilde

later founded St. Mark's Ophthalmic Hospital, entirely at his own personal

expense, to treat the city's poor. Oscar Wilde's mother, Jane Francesca Elgee, was

a poet who was closely associated with the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848, a

skilled linguist whose acclaimed English translation of Pomeranian novelist

Wilhelm Meinhold's Sidonia the Sorceress had a deep influence on her son's later

writing.

Taken from: http://www.biography.com/people/oscar-wilde-9531078#synopsis

The Nightingale and the Rose is a romantic short

story. The main character is Nightingale that is a small brown European bird known especially for the beautiful song which is usually heard during the night. The Nightingale gave her life-blood to Young student who loved a woman. A Nightingale’s life-blood could crimson the heart of a rose that the Young student needed in order to he could dance with the woman. The grave that is near the young student’s garden is a main place in the story “The Nightingale and the Rose.”

The Summary 1

At the time, the winter has chilled tree-rose’s veins and the frost

has nipped its buds, and the storm has broken its branches, and tree-rose shall have no roses. In this case, Nightingale flew over to find Rose-tree. She visited three places but she didn’t get the red-Rose. In the third place, Nightingale beg to Rose-tree gave its red rose for her. There is way to get a red rose. The nightingale must build the red rose out of music by moonlight, and stain it with her own heart’s-blood. Nightingale must sing to the Rose-tree with her breast against a thorn. At last, the Young student got and brought the red rose to the woman but she neglected the red rose. The Young student was broken heart he threw it away into street where it fell into gutter.

Taken from: https://devi10.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/setting-analysis-of-the-nightingale-and-the-rose/

The Summary 2

CharactersA character, then, is presumably an imagined

person who inhabits a story although that simple definition may admit to a few exceptions (Kennedy, 1983: 45).

PlotHolman quotes E.M. Foster definition of plot as

follows: “A story is ‘a NARRATIVE of events in their time-sequence. A plot is also a NARRATIVE of events, the emphasis falling on casuality’” (Holman, 1980: 335)

Literary Review (Intrinsic 1)

Conflict

“The struggle which grows out of the interplay of the two opposing forces in a PLOT. It is conflict which provides the elements of interest and suspense in any form of FICTION, whether it be DRAMA, NOVEL, SHORT STORY, or FILM” (Holman, 1980: 98)

Literary Review(Intrinsic 2)

LoveSimple Definition of love: a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person: attraction that includes sexual desire : the strong affection felt by people who have a romantic relationship: a person you love in a romantic way

Taken from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/love

Literary Review (Extrinsic 1)

Sacrificial Love

Sacrificial love is self-sacrifice with the pure motivation to alleviate the suffering of others. This supreme love is suffering love, love that requires involvement in the knotty problems of the world, love that bears with the failings and weaknesses of others, love that is committed to helping others regardless of the cost.

Taken from: http://www.unification.net/ws/theme139.htm

Literary Review (Extrinsic 2)

Erotic Love“Love is an activity, not a passive affect; it is ‘standing in’, not a ‘falling for’. In the most general way, the active character of love can be described by stating that love is primarily giving, not receiving” (Fromm, 1995: 17-18)

Materialistic Love“Anyone who is obsessively focused on money, or cares deeply about owning luxury goods can be described as materialistic.”Taken from: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/materialistic

Literary Review (Extrinsic 3)

StudentThe male character in this short story is called the student. He has

no name and this existence represents the category of student. He is the student of Philosophy and Metaphysics as shown in the quotation: “I shall go back to Philosophy and study Metaphysics” (Wilde, 1958: 15).

The student is also a melancholic and romantic type. He has a romantic imagination concerning the coming party. It is the prestigious dance party held by the prince. He imagines that he will dance a whole night with the beautiful daughter of the professor. As can be seen from the following quotation: “'The musicians will sit in their gallery,' said the young Student, 'and play upon their stringed instruments, and my love will dance to the sound of the harp and the violin. She will dance so lightly that her feet will not touch the floor, and the courtiers in their gay dresses will throng round her. But with me she will not dance, for I have no red rose to give her;' and he flung himself down on the grass, and buried his face in his hands, and wept” (Wilde, 1958: 9-10).

Intrinsic Discussion 1

However, his romantic imagination will not come true if he has no red rose which is a condition demanded by the professor’s daughter. Actually, this is the polite way of the professor’s daughter to refuse the student since the season is winter “But the winter has chilled my veins, and the frost has nipped my buds,” (Wilde, 1958: 11) and there are no flowers in winter. “But with me she will not dance, for I have no red rose to give her;' and he flung himself down on the grass, and buried his face in his hands, and wept” (Wilde, 1958: 9-10). The quotation also shows the weak personality of the student. He is not looking for a red rose. Instead he is just crying and lies down in the garden.

The conflict between the student and the professor’s daughter happens when the girl refuses the red rose from the student because she has had an expensive jewelry as accessory. This fact makes the student angry and reproaches the girl “Well, upon my word, you are very ungrateful,' said the Student angrily; and he threw the rose into the street, where it fell into the gutter, and a cart-wheel went over it” (Wilde, 1958: 15).

In his anger he throws the red rose. The precious red rose in the winter season falls into the dirt and crushed by a passing vehicle. This action shows that the student views thing from its usefulness. Once the thing is not useful, the student does not need it anymore and does not to keep it.

Intrinsic Discussion 2

The Professor’s DaughterThe description of the professor’s daughter can be seen

in the following quotation: “The daughter of the Professor was sitting in the doorway winding blue silk on a reel, and her little dog was lying at her feet” (Wilde, 1958: 15). It shows that she is from wealthy family and is used to living comfortably.

The professor’s daughter is a realistic and materialistic girl who values jewels more than a red rose. She prefers to have jewels as her accessory rather than a fresh and rare red rose of the winter “and, besides, the Chamberlain's nephew has sent me some real jewels, and everybody knows that jewels cost far more than flowers” (Wilde, 1958: 15).

The Nightingale

The nightingale is the non-human character in this short story. It is a female bird. However, she

can sing beautifully which is very strange because usually it is the male bird who has beautiful voice

“her voice was like water bubbling from a silver jar” (Wilde, 1958: 12).

The nightingale has a romantic character. She is full of passion and sensitive to other’s suffering: 

“Here at last is a true lover,' said the Nightingale. 'Night after night have I sung of him, though I knew him not: night after night have I told his story to the stars, and now I see him. His hair is dark as the hyacinth-blossom, and his lips are red as the rose of his desire; but passion has made his lace like pale Ivory, and sorrow has set her seal upon his brow” (Wilde, 1958: 9).

The nightingale is a worshiper of love. Her description of the student indicates her romantic view.

Intrinsic Discussion 3

Seeing that the young student suffers so much, the nightingale decides to have him finding the red rose even though it is in the winter:

“If you want a red rose,' said the Tree, 'you must build it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with your own heart's-blood. You must sing to me with your breast against a thorn. All night long you must sing to me, and the thorn must pierce your heart, and your life-blood must flow into my veins, and become mine” (Wilde, 1958: 11).Her effort has no result. There is no red rose in the winter. If she insists to have a red rose in the winter, there is a terrible consequence to her life.

Love

The nightingale, the student and the professor’s daughter have different kinds of love as will be discussed below.

Extrinsic Discussion 1

Sacrificial Love

The sacrificial is the nightingale’s love to the student. The nightingale knows the

student because he often sits in the garden where the nightingale has its nest.

However, the student does not know the nightingale. When the student desperately

wants a red rose in the winter to be able to dance with the professor’s daughter in the

ball, the nightingale decides to look for a red rose. She flies here and there in the

garden, but she can’t find a red rose because it is in the winter. When finally she can

find the red rose tree, the tree asks for a terrible exchange as has been mentioned

above. Considering that the nightingale has a very romantic spirit, she decides to

sacrifice herself in return of a red rose produced in the winter:

Extrinsic Discussion 2

And when the Moon shone in the heavens the Nightingale flew to the Rose-tree, and set her breast against the thorn. All night long she sang with her breast against the thorn, and the cold crystal Moon leaned down and listened. All night long she sang, and the thorn went deeper and deeper into her breast, and her life-blood ebbed away from her.She sang first of the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl. And on the topmost spray of the Rose-tree there blossomed a marvellous rose, petal following petal, as song followed song. Yale was it, at first, as the mist that hangs over the river - pale as the feet of the morning, and silver as the wings of the dawn. As the shadow of a rose in a mirror of silver, as the shadow of a rose in a water- pool, so was the rose that blossomed on the topmost spray of the Tree. But the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn. 'Press closer, little Nightingale,' cried the Tree, 'or the Day will come before the rose is finished.'

So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and louder and louder grew her song, for she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid” (Wilde, 1958: 13)

 

The long quotation above clearly indicates how painful and how long the nightingale suffering to

produce a red rose in the winter. She is not only hurting herself fatally bit by bit, but in the meantime

she is also singing romantic and sad songs until her last breath. A beautiful red rose is finally produced,

but the nightingale has no time to see it because death has come. However, as we have been discussed

above, the nightingale’s sacrifice is in vain because finally the student throws the red rose in the gutter.

Extrinsic Discussion 3

Erotic LoveThe erotic love is possessed by the young student. It can be seen from his imagination to dance and to hold the professor’s daughter closely all night in the ball “If I bring her a red rose she will dance with me till dawn. If I bring her a red rose, I shall hold her in my arms, and she will lean her head upon my shoulder, and her hand will be clasped in mine” (Wilde, 1958: 9). From the quotation above, it can be seen that the young student only visualizes the romantic-erotic scene but he does not take action to find the red rose.

Materialistic LoveThe materialistic love belongs to the professor’s daughter. First, she politely refuses the young student’s offer to dance by asking simple, romantic but impossible thing in the winter, that is, a fresh red rose. The implied reason behind the refusal is because the professor’s daughter knows that the young student is not rich. Second, when the young student gives the red rose to her, she still refuses him because she has been given jewelry by the Chamberlain’s nephew “the Chamberlain's nephew has sent me some real jewels, and everybody knows that jewels cost far more than flowers” (Wilde, 1958: 15). The quotation clearly indicates that the professor’s daughter values expensive thing that romantic thing which is an indicator of materialistic spirit.

Extrinsic Discussion 4

In The Nightingale and The Rose, a short story written

by Oscar Wilde, there are three important characters: The Young Student, The Nightingale and The Professor’s Daughter. Although the nightingale is not human being but she has human’s characters. The romantic nightingale adores love and is willing to sacrifice her life as an exchange for a fresh red rose in the winter. Her action symbolizes sacrificial love. The romantic young student has romantic erotic imagination with the professor’s daughter but he lacks actions to realize his imagination. His condition symbolizes erotic love. The professor’s daughter’s realistic choice of jewelry instead of a red rose symbolizes materialistic love.

Conclusion

Holman, C. Hugh. 1980. A Handbook to Literature (fourth edition). United State of America: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc.

Kennedy, X. J. 1983. LITERATURE An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (third edition). Canada: Little Brown & Company (Canada) Limited.

Wilde, Oscar. 1958. “The Nightingale and the Rose” in Qusus, J.S. and Nashif, A.M. (eds.). 1958. Selected English Prose. Great Britain: Western Printing Services LTD Bristol. (pp. 8-15).

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/590272.The_Nightingale_and_the_RoseJune, 8th 2016 – 08.00 AM

https://devi10.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/setting-analysis-of-the-nightingale-and-the-rose/June, 8th 2016 – 08.08 AM

https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/materialisticJune, 8th 2016 – 08.20 AM

http://www.biography.com/people/oscar-wilde-9531078#synopsisJune, 8th 2016 – 11.01 AM

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