The Canterville Ghost II Summary

Summary

After a violent storm the night before, the Otis family discover the bloodstain on the library floor again at breakfast despite Washington's repeated use of Paragon Detergent. Interest in ghosts spreads through the household: Mr. Otis begins to doubt his scepticism, Mrs. Otis plans to join the Psychical Society, and Washington prepares a learned letter on stubborn sanguine stains. That evening the family go out for a drive and return without discussing the supernatural; they later retire early with all lights out.

Just after midnight Mr. Otis is awakened by metallic clanking in the corridor. Calmly striking a match and checking the time, he confronts the apparition — Sir Simon de Canterville — chained and terrible in the moonlight. Instead of panic, Mr. Otis politely produces a small bottle of the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator and leaves it for the ghost, suggesting it oil his chains. Mortified and enraged, the ghost smashes the bottle and flees, emitting a green light. As he is chased — hit by a thrown pillow hurled by two white-robed children (the Otis twins) — he escapes through wainscoting and takes refuge in a secret chamber. There he broods on his past triumphs terrifying the nobility and servants of England and vows vengeance at being treated with such modern, practical insolence.

Key events

1. The mysterious bloodstain reappears on three consecutive mornings despite cleaning.
2. The family grows interested: Mr. Otis doubts, Mrs. Otis joins a society, Washington researches stains.
3. After a family outing and early bedtime, Mr. Otis hears clanking and finds Sir Simon in the corridor.
4. Mr. Otis calmly offers a bottle of Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator to oil the ghost's chains.
5. The humiliated ghost breaks the bottle, gives a ghastly light, and is driven off by thrown pillows.
6. Sir Simon escapes into a secret chamber and recalls past scares, resolving to seek revenge.

Analysis

This section deepens the novel's satirical contrast between American pragmatism and English Gothic tradition. Wilde uses comic deflation — the dignified, terrifying ghost reduced to a problem of rusted chains solvable by a commercial lubricant — to undercut supernatural menace and to portray Mr. Otis's unflappable, practical mentality. The episode highlights cultural collision: the American readiness to apply commercial solutions and witty civility to ancient horror exposes the old-world ghost's impotence in the face of modernity.

Narratively, the chapter shifts tone from domestic curiosity to nocturnal encounter, accelerating the plot by provoking Sir Simon's wounded pride and his vow of revenge, which foreshadows future conflict. Wilde's language balances deadpan irony and vivid grotesque detail (the ghost's green light, chains, and catalogue of past victims), reinforcing themes of reputation and performance: Sir Simon rehearses his own biography of terrors as if cataloguing stage roles. The thrown pillow and children's intervention invert expected fear dynamics: innocence and common sense overcome ancestral terror. Symbolically, the lubricant and pillow represent modern instruments of banality that neutralize historical myth; the stain motif continues to suggest a persistence of past crimes resisting tidy elimination.

Important quotes

“"I don't think it can be the fault of the Paragon Detergent," said Washington, "for I have tried it with everything. It must be the ghost."”

Washington OtisShows the family's practical, experimental approach and Washington's humorous attempt to explain the stain scientifically.

“"My dear sir," said Mr. Otis, "I really must insist on your oiling those chains, and have brought you for that purpose a small bottle of the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator."”

Hiram B. OtisThis deadpan, comic reply deflates the ghost's menace and exemplifies American pragmatism confronting English superstition.

“For a moment the Canterville ghost stood quite motionless in natural indignation; then, dashing the bottle violently upon the polished floor, he fled down the corridor, uttering hollow groans, and emitting a ghastly green light.”

NarratorDescribes the ghost's humiliation and retreat, blending grotesque imagery with comic failure and setting up his vow of vengeance.

Characters in II

• Hiram B. Otis
• Mrs. Otis
• Virginia Otis
• Washington Otis
• The Otis Twins
• Sir Simon de Canterville
• Lord Canterville
• Madame de Tremouillac
• Lady Stutfield
• Charles James Fox