Character Sketch of Hugh the Miller

Introduction and Background

Oscar Wilde has presented Hugh the miller as a symbol of selfishness in the story The Devoted Friend. Hugh
the miller is a cruel and cunning fellow. He had six cows, a flock of sheep, many bags of flour and a flourmill,
On the other hand, his friend Hans is a poor fellow who is devoted to his friend to the extent of foolishness.
DIMENSIONS OF HIS CHARACTER
A Fair-Weather Friend
What is friendship but a name a charm what lulls to sleep a shadow that follows wealth and fame and leaves
the wretch to weep. [GOLDSMITH]
Oscar Wilde has made the above lines crystal clear by the character of Hugh the miller who is projected as a
fair-weather friend. He did not stand by Hans through thick and thin of life. He was totally unaware of the
principles of true friendship. He had an axe to grind even at the expense of friendship or friend.
Cunning and Craft
Miller was cunning to the cove and crafty to the backbone. He was crafty as a fox. Millers cunningness was
reduced to transparency when he used exploit poor Hans by making false aims of true friendship and made the
most of Hans simplicity. He used to talk a lot about the value and importance of friendship but he never acted
like a true friend.
Hypocrytic Mentality
The happenings of the story draw our attention towards the hypocrytic nature of miller. He seems to be a
perfect actor and knows all the tactics how to cheat a simple man. He takes undue advantage of Hans
simplicity. He was a figure of hypocrisy and cruelty.
Hypocrisy is the base of every sin. [Gandhi]
Every inch Selfish and Self-centered
Miller was out and a selfish and self-centered. He visited Hans garden in all seasons except the winter in the
hope of collecting fruits and flowers from his garden but he never bothers to help Hans in the hour of difficulty.
This was an ample proof of millers selfishness.
The supreme manifestation of millers selfishness was reduced to transparency when in a stormy and a dark
night, he sent Hans to fetch the doctor for his injured son. He even refused to give him his lantern, Hans while
returning to home fell into a pool of water and could not survive. Thus became a victim to millers selfishness.
Selfishness and desire of worldly pleasure always leads to sin.
A Man of Low Character
Miller was absolutely a wicked, cruel and mean fellow. He was devoid of all the characteristics of a gentleman.
By making a false promise to give an invalid wheelbarrow to Hans, he took all sorts of add jobs from Hans and
keeps on repeating his pledge of handing over the wheel-barrow.

Final Estimate Of His Character

All the elements of his story reveal to us that Hugh the Miller was a perfect symbol of selfishness and
embodiment of wickedness.
Friendship has a sweetness of honey, deepness of sea and strength of bull. Moreover, true friendship has no
room for selfishness, cruelty and exploitation, but Hugh the Miller was totally unaware of soul of friendship.
Little Hans laid down his life and leaves an everlasting impression on our minds but miller remains a devil in the
mark of an angel.

Character Sketch of Little Hans

Introduction
Oscar Wilde has presented the Little Hans as a symbol and incarnation of innocence, sincerity and sacrifice in
the story The devoted friend. The devoted friend holds a mirror to the selfish world. It is tale of two friends
narrated in an ironical one.
Yes- Oh dear yes- The world tells a story. [FASTER E.M, ENGLISH NOVELIST]
Background
Little Hans is a poor fellow who is devoted to his friend, Hugh the miller to the extent of foolishness. On the
other hand miller is a cruel and cunning fellow who is insincere and selfish to the core in the matter if friendship.
He has a beautiful garden where he works where his cunning friend miller visits in the hope if collecting fruits
and flowers. Hans think that miller is a good devoted friend. Little Hans emerges from the host of the character
as a figure of devotion and innocentisity.
Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue.
DIMENSIONS OF HIS CHARACTER
Symbol of Sincerity and Devotion
A person wishing to live of honour, should follow the path of sincerity.
Little hans was out and out a sincere, honest and noble guy. He was sincere to the core of his heart and
devoted to his backbone to his friend. His devotions were to the extent of foolishness but the miller remains a
devil in the mark of an angel.
Hans was very devoted to miller in spite of his selfishness. His Devotion to friendship was reduced to
transparency when he agreed to fetch the doctor in order to cure millers son in s stormy and dark night even in
the absence of lantern.
Sincerity is one of the obliging think for me. [DR.THOMAS , DRAMATIST]
The Simplest Nature
Whose armour is his honest thought and simple truth is his utmost skill. [HENRY WOTTON]
It goes without saying that Hans was a very simple and innocent person and miller took undue advantage of his
simplicity. Due to his simplest nature, miller took all sorts of odds jobs from Hans while Hans made a blind faith
on his pledge of handing over the always worked for him without any reward.

Every Inch Loyal and Honest

A honest man is the noblest work of God. [ALEXENDURE POPE]
Every pore of the body of Little Hans was filled with the sands of loyalty and honesty. This was the unshaken
aspect of his nature. He was miles away from deception and fraud. He was trustworthy and reliable man and
proved to be a bosom friend of miller who was wolf in the sheeps clothing. Little Hans in spite of his simplicity
and innocence was aware of the soul and principles of true friendship. Little Hans did whatever he could do for
the sake of his friend. His faithfulness was become crystal clear when he laid down his life at the altar of
friendship.
To be honest, as the world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand.
[W.SHAKESPEARE]
Sacrificing Nature
Sacrifice is the quintessence of devoted friend.
Hans was an embodiment of sacrifice and kindness. He was simple, sincere and cooperative. He never once
showed resentment or protest when miller took undue advantage by taking from his garden lot of flowers and
fruits. He went on working for the miller as a paid servant. The supreme manifestation of his sacrificing nature
was reduced to night and while returning to home he fell into a pool of water and could not survive and thus
became a victim of selfishness if a fair weather friend .
Conclusion
From the above traits of his character it is crystal clear that Hans is a diamond of the first water or porest rays.
Hans laid down his life and thus wrote a lesson all in blood that nothing is nobler than being faithful and sincere
to keep the tie of friendship strong.
Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend.