"The Canterville Ghost" is a popular story by Oscar Wilde, widely adapted for the screen and stage. The story of the Canterville Ghost takes place in an old English country house, Canterville Chase, which has all the accoutrements of a traditional haunted house. Descriptions of the wainscotting, the library paneled in black oak, and the armor in the hallway characterize the Gothic setting and help Wilde clash the Old World with the New. Typical of the style of the English Decadents, the gothic atmosphere reveals the author's fascination with the macabre. Yet he mixes the macabre with comedy,...

Basil Hallward paints a portrait of a handsome young man, Dorian Gray. Dorian wishes that he could always stay handsome and young, and his wish comes true. But there are consequences.