Words versus deeds

Irish author Oscar Wilde’s The Devoted Friend is a satirical short story. It contains themes of friendship, selfishness and manipulation. It centres around Hugh, a self-centred miller, and Hans, a seemingly devoted farmer.

As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that Hugh’s concept of friendship revolves around exploiting Hans for personal gain. Hugh convinces Hans that true friendship involves sacrificing one’s possessions for the other. Hans, being naive and excessively trusting, willingly gives away his belongings, believing this will strengthen their friendship. Meanwhile, Hugh cleverly takes advantage of Hans’s generosity, continuously demanding more and more.

Throughout the tale, it becomes evident that the miller is highly exploitative in nature. He plunders his friend Hans by speaking eloquently about friendship, asserting that genuine friendship is devoid of any unselfishness. At another point, he convinces Hans that while he may be familiar with the practice of friendship, understanding its theoretical aspects requires even greater sacrifices.

As time progresses, Hugh’s demands become increasingly absurd and unreasonable. He persuades Hans to part with his prized possessions. Blinded by his devotion to Hugh, Hans willingly sacrifices everything, living in poverty to fulfil his friend’s wishes. The narrative satirises the concept of blind loyalty and exposes the darker side of human nature. Wilde critiques the superficial nature of exploitation. Through Hans and Hugh, he unveils the perils of unchecked trust and the consequences of being blinded by false devotion.

Hugh the Miller is not Hans’s true friend, even though he talks extensively about being a great friend to Hans. Instead, it soon becomes obvious that the Miller uses Hans, taking from him and giving nothing in return. The Miller regularly helps himself to fruits and flowers from Hans’s garden, with Hans giving his blessing to do so. However, when winter arrives and Hans’s garden is bare, the Miller stops coming around to see his friend. When spring returns, the Miller resumes his visits and promises to give Hans an old wheelbarrow he needs. Despite repeatedly mentioning the promised wheelbarrow, the Miller never delivers it. Instead, he uses the assurance of the wheelbarrow, which he claims he will definitely give to his friend, to manipulate Hans into doing favours for him.

Favours cost Little Hans his life. One night, the Miller asks him to fetch the doctor for his injured son. When Hans seeks the Miller’s lantern for light on a stormy night, the Miller refuses. In the dark, Hans loses his way, wanders onto the moor, and drowns.

At Hans’s funeral, the Miller insists on being the Chief Mourner, claiming to have been a great friend to Hans. However, he complains that now Hans has died, he doesn’t know what to do with the wheelbarrow, which is cluttering up his home.

Similarly, when I compare the exploitative Miller with our politicians, it seems fitting. They exploit our economically disadvantaged citizens, akin to the character Hans. Politicians approach the people during elections, promising improved opportunities once in power. They pledge quality education, better healthcare and affordable living. They assure us that they will play a vital role in the welfare of the people. However, when they assume office, they often exploit the public trust and fail to fulfil their promises, eventually leaving the country.

The fate of our people mirrors that of Hans, who remains a victim of theoretical friendship as the Miller’s promises are never realised. Similarly, the assurances of our politicians rarely materialise for the well-being of the people once they are in power. It is crucial to discern the true commitment of candidates before electing them into office. Otherwise, our people may become prey to the theoretical words of leaders that are never translated into practical actions, leading to the tragic consequences faced by Hans.

Now is the time to identify those who are truly committed to serving the public and distinguish them from false leaders.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2024.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.