A notable element of the satire used in Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost is the products the Otis family advertises to Sir Simon, the ghost haunting Canterville Chase. Long-titled products with testimonials of perfection aid in the development of the materialist attitudes held by the Otis family. There is a certain importance presented in these commercialized products. Both products being advertised are attributed to a name, declaring that this is a singular, unique product to a brand. Additionally, there are testimonials as to why these products are something a consumer should use. For example, the soap ad utilizes the opinion of a doctor to sell their product. The advertisement strategies used in these late 18th-century advertisements employ a sense of high importance, which is reminiscent of how the Otis family presents products to their problems.
Gibbon, Charles. “Advertisements for Cocoa and Biscuits.” The Victorian Web, Scanned image and text by Simon Cooke, 1890, https://victorianweb.org/art/design/advertisements/11.html. Accessed 12 December 2023.
Advertisements for Soap and Other Cleaning Products.” The Victorian Web, 2 March 2023, https://victorianweb.org/art/design/advertisements/3g.jpg. Accessed 12 December 2023.
