Lord Arthur Savile's Crime; The Portrait of Mr. W.H., and Other Stories

"Lord Arthur Savile's Crime; The Portrait of Mr. W.H., and Other Stories" by Oscar Wilde is a set of short stories from the late 1800s, with the initial story focusing on Lord Arthur Savile. After a palm reading reveals a grim future, Lord Arthur feels obligated to commit murder to fulfill a dark prophecy tied to his destiny. “Lord Arthur Savile's Crime” begins by showing a lively picture of Victorian high society that happens during a party at Lady Windermere's fancy house. Palm readings are very popular among the rich people there, and this sets up the story of Lord Arthur, whose fate is believed to be full of sadness and responsibility. At the party, he gets interested in a mysterious palm reader named Mr. Podgers and decides to get his own palm read. The mood turns scary when Podgers reacts strangely to Lord Arthur's hand, hinting at the difficult journey ahead; it mixes humor and sadness, making readers think about how fate, morals, and acting all come together in life.