The Canterville ghost was cremated with stately honour. From being an object of ridicule,he has gained the sympathy of all.What does this tell you about basic human traits?
The Canterville Ghost is more of a funny story than a scary story because it deals mostly with the plight of the ghost who feels as if he is under siege from human beings, that is, the Otis family and especially, the twins. Wilde plays upon the conventional images of how a ghost has been represented in popular imagination and literature to draw his portrait of the ghost. His work incorporates the stereotypical picture of the old manorial ghost in a suitably haunted house, playing on key elements from gothic and supernatural stories but also shows him as an egotistical artist interested in the art of scaring people. For the ghost, it is more of a performance than any real malevolent intention to scare people. In spite of the fact that the ghost had come to this state by murdering his wife, Wilde did not let the story become macabre or sinister. The ghost was actually quite benevolent as is reflected by his treatment of Virginia. The basic human trait that is reflected in this story is that it is possible to redeem oneself and attain salvation through the atonement of one's sins and repentance for their actions.