Pomegranates as a Symbol of Sin in Oscar Wilde's A House of Pomegranates

Abstract

In 1891, Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) had collected four of his fairy tales and published them under the title A House of Pomegranates. Strangely enough, none of these four tales and there are mere slight references to this fruit in the whole work. Recent criticism has viewed such references as a unifying element to bring the different four tales within the range of one book. However, a further scrutiny of these tales reveals a symbolic role for pomegranates through which the author presents his unorthodox religious vision. The present study seeks to prove that Wilde has manipulated pomegranates as a symbol of sin. The apple - as a traditional symbol of sin - has been exchanged by pomegranates , turning each of the four tales into a variation on the theme of Fall and Redemption.

Keywords

Oscar Wilde's