![]() ![]() ![]() The Rocket is happy to cry self-indulgent tears, even though he is warned by the other fireworks that he will not be able to function as a firework if his powder gets damp. Nobody wants to listen to a show-off who believes their talent or ‘genius’ (the Rocket’s word) will carry them through without the need for humility or hard work. What is the moral of ‘The Remarkable Rocket’? That self-importance and narcissism make for a lonely life, both for the narcissist and for their art. Many fairy tales have a moral, since they are aimed at children and children’s literature (Lewis Carroll aside) tends to have a moral message. Similarly, the Rocket’s insistence on having an audience – whether for his sparkling conversation or his final explosion – raises the possibility that, in ‘The Remarkable Rocket’, Wilde is making a comment on art and his relationship with its audience. ![]() Both of these utterances are made by the Rocket. Indeed, this story contains several of Wilde’s most-quoted witticisms, including ‘I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying’ and ‘hard work is simply the refuge of people who have nothing whatever to do’. ![]()
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