The Model Millionaire by Oscar Wilde. Narrator: Ben J. Read.

Summary

In Oscar Wilde's *The Model Millionaire*, Huey Erskine is a charming but penniless young man in love with Laura Merton, whose father demands a dowry of £10,000 for their engagement. Huey, unable to afford it, befriends an artist, Allan Trevor, who is painting a beggar as a model. In a moment of generosity, Huey gives the beggar a sovereign. Unknown to him, the beggar is Baron Hausberg, a wealthy millionaire. As a token of appreciation, the Baron gives Huey a wedding present of £10,000, enabling his marriage to Laura. The story highlights the themes of generosity, luck, and the unexpected rewards of kindness.

Takeaways

• 😀 Huey Erskine is an attractive, charming young man who struggles with money and lacks a profession.
• 😀 Despite being popular with both men and women, Huey cannot seem to make a living or find financial success.
• 😀 Huey is deeply in love with Laura Merton, but her father, a retired colonel, insists that Huey must have 10,000 pounds before they can marry.
• 😀 Huey tries various professions, including working on the stock exchange and selling tea and dry sherry, but none of them work out.
• 😀 Huey visits his friend Allan Trevor, a painter, and sees Trevor's latest artwork—a beggar man he is painting as a model.
• 😀 The beggar model is a ragged old man who stands as the subject of a life-sized portrait, and Trevor speaks highly of his artistry.
• 😀 Trevor reveals that he pays the beggar a shilling an hour for sitting and making a living as a model, while he earns 2,000 guineas for his finished paintings.
• 😀 After hearing about the beggar's dire situation, Huey gives him a sovereign (a gold coin) out of pity, feeling that the beggar needs it more than he does.
• 😀 Trevor later reveals that the beggar, whom Huey had pityed, is actually Baron Hausberg, one of the richest men in Europe, and a close friend of Trevor.
• 😀 Baron Hausberg was posing as a beggar to give Trevor a commission for a portrait, and Huey's act of kindness earns him a generous reward: a check for 10,000 pounds for his wedding with Laura Merton.

Q & A

Why is Huey Erskine considered an ineffective young man?

Huey Erskine is considered ineffective because, although he is good-looking and charming, he lacks a profession and has no financial success. Despite trying various ventures, such as working on the stock exchange and selling tea and sherry, none of them succeeded, and he lives on a small allowance from his father.

What is the main reason the Colonel refuses to accept Huey as a suitor for his daughter, Laura?

The Colonel refuses to accept Huey as a suitor because Huey does not have a stable income or wealth. He insists that Huey must have ten thousand pounds of his own before they can consider an engagement.

What role does Allan Trevor play in Huey's life?

Allan Trevor is a great friend of Huey and a painter. He admires Huey for his charm, spirit, and generosity, and offers him access to his studio. He also provides emotional support to Huey, though he is a bit cynical and detached when it comes to art and charity.

How does the beggar model impact Huey’s life?

The beggar model, who is actually Baron Hausberg in disguise, plays a pivotal role in changing Huey's life. Huey, moved by pity, gives the beggar a sovereign, which eventually leads to the Baron offering Huey a ten thousand-pound check as a wedding gift.

What is the significance of the sovereign that Huey gives to the beggar?

The sovereign represents Huey's generosity and impulsive nature. Despite his own financial struggles, Huey chooses to help the beggar, believing that the beggar is in greater need. This act of kindness indirectly leads to his eventual fortune.

What is the twist at the end of the story regarding the beggar's true identity?

The twist at the end is revealed when it is disclosed that the beggar, whom Huey had helped, is actually Baron Hausberg, a wealthy man with great influence. Huey unknowingly gives money to one of the richest men in Europe, which ultimately results in a wedding gift of ten thousand pounds.

How does Trevor react to Huey’s generosity toward the beggar?

Trevor finds Huey’s generosity amusing and doesn't understand Huey’s impulse to give money to a beggar. He jokes about Huey being naïve but later reveals the beggar’s true identity, which shocks Huey.

What does Trevor mean when he says, 'What seems poverty to you is picturesqueness to me'?

Trevor is commenting on how artists, like him, view poverty and hardship as elements of beauty or artistic value. To him, the beggar's rags are not symbols of misery, but rather of romanticism and artistic intrigue.

Why is Huey embarrassed after learning the beggar’s true identity?

Huey is embarrassed because he realizes that he gave a sovereign to a man who is actually extremely wealthy. He feels foolish for having made such a generous gesture to someone who didn't need it, and is even more mortified when he learns that Trevor had known the beggar’s identity all along.

How does the story end for Huey and Laura?

The story ends happily for Huey and Laura. Huey receives a ten thousand-pound check from Baron Hausberg, which allows him to fulfill the Colonel’s condition for marriage. Huey and Laura marry, with Trevor acting as the best man at their wedding.