William Wilson (short story) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "William Wilson" |
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The Gift, Carey and Hart, Philadelphia, 1840
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| Author | Edgar Allan Poe |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Horror |
| Published in | Burton's Gentleman's Magazine |
| Media type | |
| Publication date | October 1839 |
William Wilson is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1839. It tells a spooky tale about a young man who meets someone who looks exactly like him. This other person seems to know everything about him and often tries to stop him from doing bad things.
Contents
The Mysterious Double
The main character, also named William Wilson, goes to a school where he meets another boy. This second boy looks just like him, acts like him, and even shares his birthday! This kind of look-alike is called a doppelganger.
The first William Wilson starts making poor choices in his life. But no matter where he goes, his mysterious double always appears. The double seems to know all of William's plans and often gets in his way, especially when William is about to do something wrong.
William travels to many different places, trying to escape his double. But the double always finds him. It's like the double is a shadow he can't get rid of. William gets very frustrated because he can't understand how the double always knows where he is or what he's planning.
The Final Confrontation
Eventually, William Wilson becomes so angry and desperate that he attacks his double. He believes that if he gets rid of the double, he will finally be free.
After the attack, William sees his double in a mirror. The double seems to be mocking him, as if to say, "You can't escape yourself." This moment is very chilling and makes William realize something important about his actions.
Inspiration for the Story
Edgar Allan Poe, the author, later shared that he got the idea for William Wilson from another writer. He was inspired by a story written by Washington Irving. Irving's story also featured a character who faced a look-alike and eventually caused harm to them.
Images for kids
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Wilson and his "double" at the carnival in an illustration by Byam Shaw for a London edition dated 1909
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Stoke Newington retains two parish churches: St Mary's Old Church (left) and New Church (right)
See also
In Spanish: William Wilson (cuento) para niños
