Question

Write a short story in which a book , a key and a boy play an important role.

Answer 1

he Happy Prince’ is a melancholy tale, reflecting the style of a fairy-tale or fable – which is, after all, where short stories found their roots as a genre.

The story looks at themes of love and sacrifice, wealth and poverty, and the nature of true beauty.

Favourite Line: 'At that moment a curious crack sounded inside the statue, as if something had broken. The fact is that the leaden heart had snapped right in two. It certainly was a dreadfully hard frost.'

This line is extremely effective and moving due to the dramatic irony of the narrator’s suggestion that it was merely the frost that had broken the prince’s heart.

In contrast, the reader is able to recognise that it is the prince’s sorrow, and love for the poor little swallow, that has caused the 'leaden heart' to snap in two.