The Nightingale and the Rose

by

Oscar Wilde

The girl appears only briefly in "The Nightingale and the Rose," but she is vital to the story’s plot and themes. The daughter of the Professor, she embodies unfeeling materialism. Having told the Student that she will dance with him if he brings her a red rose, she later goes back on her word because a wealthier suitor has provided her with jewels. The girl's surroundings further underscore her shallow nature, since the silk she is spinning and the toy dog she owns are both luxury commodities.

The girl Quotes in The Nightingale and the Rose

The The Nightingale and the Rose quotes below are all either spoken by The girl or refer to The girl. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Love and Sacrifice Theme Icon
).
The Nightingale and the Rose Quotes

Surely Love is a wonderful thing. It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals. Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the market-place. It may not be purchased of the merchants, nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold.

Related Characters: The Nightingale (speaker), The girl
Related Symbols: The Red Rose
Page Number: 16
Explanation and Analysis:

The daughter of the Professor was sitting in the doorway winding blue silk on a reel, and her little dog was lying at her feet.

Related Characters: The girl
Related Symbols: Silk
Page Number: 19
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Nightingale and the Rose PDF

The girl Quotes in The Nightingale and the Rose

The The Nightingale and the Rose quotes below are all either spoken by The girl or refer to The girl. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Love and Sacrifice Theme Icon
).
The Nightingale and the Rose Quotes

Surely Love is a wonderful thing. It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals. Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the market-place. It may not be purchased of the merchants, nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold.

Related Characters: The Nightingale (speaker), The girl
Related Symbols: The Red Rose
Page Number: 16
Explanation and Analysis:

The daughter of the Professor was sitting in the doorway winding blue silk on a reel, and her little dog was lying at her feet.

Related Characters: The girl
Related Symbols: Silk
Page Number: 19
Explanation and Analysis: