Oscar Wilde's 'The Model Millionaire' Summary
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Questions and Answers

In which year did 'The Model Millionaire' originally appear in print?

  • 1891
  • 1887 (correct)
  • 1890
  • 1885

    • What is Hughie Erskine's annual income?

  • $100
  • $1000
  • $500
  • $200 (correct)

    • Why does Colonel Merton not want Hughie to marry Laura?

  • Hughie is not well-educated
  • Hughie is too old
  • Hughie is not handsome
  • Hughie has a poor financial outlook (correct)

    • What is the minimum amount of money Hughie needs to make to marry Laura?

    <p>Ten thousand pounds</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Alan Trevor's profession?

    <p>Artist</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the elderly man in the painting holding?

    <p>A walking stick and a hat</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of Hughie's love interest?

    <p>Laura Merton</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the title of the anthology in which 'The Model Millionaire' was reprinted?

    <p>Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the author's nationality?

    <p>Irish</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Hughie feel about the elderly beggar?

    <p>Sympathetic</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why does Hughie feel unfair about Alan's business practice?

    <p>Because Alan only pays his models one shilling per hour and doesn't share the proceeds from the sales of their portraits</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the denomination of the coin Hughie gives to the elderly guy?

    <p>A sovereign</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why does Baron Hausberg want to be painted as a beggar?

    <p>The reason is not specified in the content</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How much money does Hughie receive as a wedding gift from Baron Hausberg?

    <p>10,000 pounds</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why can't Hughie and Laura get married initially?

    <p>Because Hughie needs to have 10,000 pounds of his own money</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is true about Hughie?

    <p>He is kind and generous, but lacks intelligence and resources</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the phrase 'Model Millionaire' refer to?

    <p>Baron Hausberg, who poses as a beggar</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why does Hughie feel guilty?

    <p>Because he gave a millionaire a penny</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who tells Hughie that the elderly guy he met was Baron Hausberg?

    <p>Trevor</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the central theme of 'The Model Millionaire'?

    <p>The materialistic aspects of life</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why was Hughie's relationship with Laura in jeopardy?

    <p>Because he was unable to raise £10,000 on his own</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was Alan Trevor doing when Hughie visited him?

    <p>Painting a model</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why did Hughie give the model a sovereign?

    <p>Out of compassion</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who did Hughie meet at the Palette Club later that evening?

    <p>Alan Trevor</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Hughie learn from Alan at the Palette Club?

    <p>That the model was a millionaire</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who sent Hughie a letter with a $10,000 check the following morning?

    <p>Baron Hausberg</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the purpose of the $10,000 check?

    <p>As a wedding gift to Hughie and Laura</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who spoke during the wedding breakfast?

    <p>Baron Hausberg</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the moral of the story according to the passage?

    <p>Financial success can provide happiness if used to benefit others</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the result of Baron Hausberg's actions in the story?

    <p>He advanced from a millionaire model to a better one</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary trait that allows Alan Trevor to achieve financial success from his art?

    <p>His talent and brilliance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the attitude of the wealthy towards romance and charm in the story?

    <p>They see it as a privilege of the wealthy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main characteristic of Hughie Erskine that sets him apart from others in the story?

    <p>His physical attractiveness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of artists in society according to Alan Trevor?

    <p>To reflect the world as it is</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the most important trait that Wilde suggests is necessary for a person to have in the story?

    <p>Generosity and compassion</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the theme of 'The Model Millionaire' that is explored through the character of Hughie Erskine?

    <p>Appearance vs. Reality</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the 'great truths of modern life' mentioned in the story?

    <p>They are a source of irony and humor in the story</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the contrast between Hughie Erskine and Alan Trevor in the story?

    <p>Hughie is physically attractive, while Alan is unattractive</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the story's focus on the social function of artists?

    <p>To explore the tension between artistic representation and reality</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the overall message of 'The Model Millionaire' about the relationship between appearance and reality?

    <p>Appearance and reality are often in conflict</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    "The Model Millionaire" by Oscar Wilde

    Background

    • The short story "The Model Millionaire" was written by Oscar Wilde and first published in The World in June 1887.
    • It was later reprinted in the anthology Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories in 1891.

    Characters

    • Hughie Erskine: the protagonist, a young, attractive, and well-liked man who is struggling financially.
    • Laura Merton: the woman Hughie loves, who reciprocates his feelings.
    • Colonel Merton: Laura's father, who does not want Hughie to marry his daughter due to his poor financial prospects.
    • Alan Trevor: Hughie's artist friend, who is painting the elderly beggar.
    • The elderly beggar: later revealed to be Baron Hausberg, one of Europe's wealthiest men.

    Plot

    • Hughie gives his last sovereign to the elderly beggar, who is posing as a model for Alan Trevor's painting.
    • The beggar is revealed to be Baron Hausberg, who is amused by Hughie's kindness.
    • Baron Hausberg sends Hughie a check for £10,000 as a wedding gift, allowing him to marry Laura.
    • Hughie and Laura get married, with Alan Trevor as the best man and Baron Hausberg speaking at the wedding breakfast.

    Themes

    • The importance of kindness and generosity, even when one is struggling financially.
    • The materialistic aspects of life, and how financial success can be used to benefit others.
    • The contrast between Hughie's financial struggles and the wealth of Baron Hausberg.

    Appearance vs. Reality

    • In "The Model Millionaire," physical attractiveness is highly valued in late-19th-century London society, but it can be deceiving.
    • Hughie Erskine's good looks make him widely admired, but he lacks brilliance and ambition.
    • Alan Trevor, on the other hand, is an unattractive but brilliant artist who achieves financial success through his work.

    Artists and Society

    • The story explores the social function of artists and their responsibility in depicting the world around them.
    • Alan Trevor believes that artists should depict the world "as they see it, not as they know it," suggesting that art is purely representational.

    Generosity and Compassion

    • The story highlights the importance of generosity and compassion as the most consequential traits a person can have.
    • Hughie Erskine's tenderhearted nature is contrasted with the "great truths of modern life," which prioritize wealth and romance over other values.
    • Hughie's charming and romantic nature allows him to subsist on a meager family allowance despite not learning these "great truths."

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    Description

    A brief summary of Oscar Wilde's short story 'The Model Millionaire', first published in 1887. The story revolves around a young man who is moved to compassion by an elderly beggar posing as a model for his artist friend.

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