Answer:
The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde is a short story about a prince who had a sheltered youth because he was only allowed around happiness and beauty. After his death, he becomes a golden statue and can see the poverty and desolation in the city. One day as winter is approaching, a bird, Swallow, flies to his feet and feels his tears of sadness. The Prince tells Swallow that he is sad because of human suffering. Although Swallow should fly south for the winter, he stays with the Prince to help him by delivering his jewels and plated gold to people in need. Once the Prince has lost all his gold and jewels, the townspeople judge him as ugly. Swallow demonstrates compassion and sacrifice by staying with the Prince because he has gone blind from giving away his jewel eyes. But since it has become winter, Swallow soon dies. The Prince then dies of a broken heart. However, in the end, the pair are rewarded with everlasting life in heaven.
"The Happy Prince" is an allegory because there is a deeper moral meaning behind the actions of the Prince and the Sparrow. Using different themes, Wilde conveys that people should be judged by their actions which stem from compassion, rather than be judged by appearances or material possessions. This is an underlying political statement about rich/poor divides. A biblical allegory also exists at the end, where God and Angel appear to make judgments based on a person's (and bird's) moral character.
