Oscar Wilde’s Short Story, ‘A Remarkable Rocket’

“Firework Display at the Castel Sant' Angelo in Rome,” 1779, by Joseph Wright. Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia. Art Renewal Center

When a city wants to display fireworks on a special occasion, all kinds are needed for a great display. Fireworks have different traits and writer Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) personified the rockets and sparklers that light up the sky to tell a cautionary tale.

In  “A Remarkable Rocket,” Wilde presents a rocket that doesn’t listen to others around him, and thinks only of himself. This remarkable rocket believes that everyone has come to see him alone.

A Self-Centered Rocket

The prince is about to marry a Russian princess and the whole kingdom prepares to celebrate. And, because the princess has never seen fireworks before, the king orders fireworks for midnight after the wedding.

As the fireworks wait for their moment to dazzle the princess, they begin talking among themselves. They discuss the beautiful world around them, love and romance, and the prince and princess.

However, a loud coughing soon interrupts their discussion: “Ahem!” All the fireworks turned to look at “a tall, supercilious-looking Rocket, who is tied to the end of a long stick. He always coughs before he makes any observation, so as to attract attention.”

Upon gaining everyone’s attention, an arrogant rocket explains how fortunate the prince is to be married on the same day as he is to be launched. He is a most remarkable firework, for he has unparalleled parentage. His mother was “the most celebrated Catherine Wheel of her day” and his father was “a Rocket like [himself], and of French extraction.”

Yet, most of the other fireworks aren’t interested in this remarkable rocket and his parentage. When the other fireworks begin laughing, the remarkable rocket immediately interjects: “What right have you to be happy? You should be thinking about others. In fact, you should be thinking about me. I am always thinking about myself, and I expect everybody else to do the same. That is what is called sympathy.”

The remarkable rocket then wonders about the prince and princess, for what would happen if they somehow lost the pleasure of seeing him fired off? Their married life would be a disaster and the king himself would not get over the tragedy.

At this horrible thought, the remarkable rocket begins to cry. Seeing this, the other fireworks advise him to not cry, so that he can remain dry for the show. But the remarkable rocket is too taken by his own flights of fancy and continues crying.

Suddenly, it is time. The king, prince, princess, and people gather to witness the grand fireworks. One by one the fireworks launch happily into the sky. As the other fireworks ascend in beautiful light and sound, the remarkable rocket finds himself somewhere else. There he meets a frog, a dragonfly, a duck, and two little boys in a most undignified setting.

Through this story, Wilde demonstrates that a fireworks show should represent beauty in the night sky and the fun of celebrating something wonderful, and not be obsessed with one’s personal importance.  

Wilde’s story echoes Audrey Hepburn’s words: “It’s that wonderful old-fashioned idea that others come first and you come second.” This old-fashioned idea of selflessness and kindness recognizes the beauty of everyone and everything, and celebrates because of it.

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