Who said “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.”?

Verified

Oscar Wilde. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceThe Importance of Being Earnest (1895), Miss Prism, Act II

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“The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.”
— Oscar Wilde
VerifiedThe Importance of Being Earnest (1895), Miss Prism, Act II · evidenceFiction

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), Miss Prism, Act II.

APA

Wilde, O. (n.d.). The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/17937-the-good-ended-happily-and-the-bad-unhappily/

MLA

Wilde, Oscar. “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/17937-the-good-ended-happily-and-the-bad-unhappily/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Wilde, Oscar. “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/17937-the-good-ended-happily-and-the-bad-unhappily/.

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Verified"Bishop Blougram’s Apology", line 395; cited by Graham Greene as the epigraph he would choose for his novels. · evidenceDetails & citeFiction

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