One of Oscar Wilde's first published works, The Canterville Ghost is a fun ghost story for the whole family In The Canterville Ghost, Wilde wittily pitted no-nonsense American materialism against Great Britain's inherited legacy of tradition and gothic dread, with hilarious results. Though the satire is sharp, the underlying themes are about love and understanding, and it is only through the compassion of a child that an old spirit may finally find some peace.