Questions and Answers
In which year did 'The Model Millionaire' originally appear in print?
1887
What is Hughie Erskine's annual income?
$200
Why does Colonel Merton not want Hughie to marry Laura?
Hughie has a poor financial outlook
What is the minimum amount of money Hughie needs to make to marry Laura?
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What is Alan Trevor's profession?
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What is the elderly man in the painting holding?
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What is the name of Hughie's love interest?
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What is the title of the anthology in which 'The Model Millionaire' was reprinted?
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What is the author's nationality?
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How does Hughie feel about the elderly beggar?
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Why does Hughie feel unfair about Alan's business practice?
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What is the denomination of the coin Hughie gives to the elderly guy?
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Why does Baron Hausberg want to be painted as a beggar?
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How much money does Hughie receive as a wedding gift from Baron Hausberg?
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Why can't Hughie and Laura get married initially?
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What is true about Hughie?
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What does the phrase 'Model Millionaire' refer to?
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Why does Hughie feel guilty?
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Who tells Hughie that the elderly guy he met was Baron Hausberg?
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What is the central theme of 'The Model Millionaire'?
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Why was Hughie's relationship with Laura in jeopardy?
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What was Alan Trevor doing when Hughie visited him?
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Why did Hughie give the model a sovereign?
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Who did Hughie meet at the Palette Club later that evening?
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What did Hughie learn from Alan at the Palette Club?
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Who sent Hughie a letter with a $10,000 check the following morning?
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What was the purpose of the $10,000 check?
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Who spoke during the wedding breakfast?
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What is the moral of the story according to the passage?
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What is the result of Baron Hausberg's actions in the story?
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What is the primary trait that allows Alan Trevor to achieve financial success from his art?
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What is the attitude of the wealthy towards romance and charm in the story?
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What is the main characteristic of Hughie Erskine that sets him apart from others in the story?
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What is the role of artists in society according to Alan Trevor?
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What is the most important trait that Wilde suggests is necessary for a person to have in the story?
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What is the theme of 'The Model Millionaire' that is explored through the character of Hughie Erskine?
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What is the significance of the 'great truths of modern life' mentioned in the story?
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What is the contrast between Hughie Erskine and Alan Trevor in the story?
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What is the significance of the story's focus on the social function of artists?
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What is the overall message of 'The Model Millionaire' about the relationship between appearance and reality?
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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.
