The Sphinx Without a Secret

Oscar Wilde, "The Sphinx Without a Secret" (1887)


Sometimes, fans of weird fiction fall into the trap of thinking that for a given work, there is some secret to uncover—an interpretation of the story that will unlock its meaning. This scientific-like model treats fiction as something where textual evidence is used to uncover the answer to its interpretation. But that approach comes under fire in Wilde’s work.

“My dear Gerald . . . women are meant to be loved, not to be understood.”

Good speculative fiction gives form to the unanswerable, and the wonder comes from the questions raised. The best ghost stories don’t have ghosts, the most interesting Sphinx has no secrets. “The Sphinx Without a Secret” is a story without a mystery; there is nothing to figure out.

“’I wonder?’” he said at last.”

And that, my friend, is the key to unlocking the interpretation of this story.


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