The Canterville Ghost VII Summary

Summary

Four days after the recent supernatural events, a grand nocturnal funeral for Sir Simon is held at Canterville Chase. The procession—hearse, coaches, servants with torches—moves to the little churchyard where Lord Canterville, the United States Minister (Mr. Otis) and his family, and Mrs. Umney attend. Rev. Augustus Dampier reads the service; Virginia lays an almond-blossom cross on the coffin as the moon emerges and a nightingale sings, and she reflects on the ghost's description of the Garden of Death.

The next morning Mr. Otis interviews Lord Canterville about the jewels Sir Simon gave Virginia. Mr. Otis argues the gems are heirlooms and should be reclaimed, and he expresses scruples about allowing his daughter to keep them. Lord Canterville listens kindly, then insists the jewels belong to Virginia, noting that whatever belonged to the ghost transferred to the purchasers of the house and that no legal claim to heirloom status exists. He reluctantly persuades Mr. Otis to allow Virginia to keep the jewels. The narrative then jumps ahead: Virginia becomes Duchess of Cheshire, her jewels win admiration at court, and despite some social objections (including Mr. Otis’s theoretical reservations about titles), she marries her boy-lover. The Duke and Duchess return to Canterville Chase after their honeymoon; at the grave they have placed Sir Simon's initials on the tomb and a verse from the library window. In the ruined chancel the Duke gently asks Virginia to tell him what happened when she was locked with the ghost; she keeps the incident as a private secret, saying the experience taught her about life, death, and love.

Key events

1. Night funeral procession for Sir Simon at Canterville Chase with torches and purple pall
2. Virginia lays an almond-blossom cross on the coffin under moonlight and a nightingale's song
3. Mr. Otis disputes ownership of the jewels with Lord Canterville
4. Lord Canterville decides the jewels legally and kindly belong to Virginia
5. Virginia becomes Duchess of Cheshire; her jewels are admired at court
6. The Duke and Duchess visit Sir Simon's grave; Virginia keeps her ghostly experience private

Analysis

This section closes Sir Simon’s narrative arc by shifting from eerie comedy to sober ceremony and then to social resolution. The funeral scene stages communal ritual: the procession, torchbearers, pall, and minister give gravity to a previously farcical haunting, signaling that the ghost’s story now belongs to memory rather than nightly interruption. The moonlight, almond-blossom cross, and nightingale gently transform the supernatural into a poetic, consoling vision—the Garden of Death—emphasizing themes of reconciliation between life and death and the redemptive possibility of courage and compassion.

The legal and social discussion about the jewels juxtaposes American republican practicality (Mr. Otis’s scruples and comic rhetoric against titles) with British aristocratic kindness (Lord Canterville’s gentlemanly decision). This debate furthers themes of cultural contrast and the collision of values already present in the novel, while also providing a tidy, civilized resolution: the heroine is rewarded and social tensions are mellowed. Structurally, Wilde moves the story forward through dialogue and social detail, then time-skips to show the moral outcomes—marriage, public admiration, and private intimacy—without diluting the earlier supernatural episode. Virginia’s refusal to reveal her secret reinforces her maturity and preserves the ghost’s dignity; it also keeps a quiet, intimate emotional core amid the novel’s satirical surface.

Important quotes

“By the side of the hearse and the coaches walked the servants with lighted torches, and the whole procession was wonderfully impressive.”

NarratorOpens the funeral scene and sets a solemn, ceremonial tone that contrasts with earlier comic hauntings.

“anything that belonged to the ghost passed at once into your possession”

Lord CantervilleLord Canterville’s legalistic argument that justifies Virginia keeping the jewels and resolves Mr. Otis's objections.

“He made me see what Life is, and what Death signifies, and why Love is stronger than both.”

VirginiaVirginia explains, privately and movingly, how her experience with the ghost changed her understanding of life, death, and love.

Characters in VII

• Hiram B. Otis
• Mrs. Otis
• Virginia Otis
• Washington Otis
• The Otis Twins
• Sir Simon de Canterville
• Mrs. Umney
• Lord Canterville
• Rev. Augustus Dampier
• The Duke of Cheshire