# Friendship and Exploitation in Children’s Stories

> Theme guide for Children’s Stories by Oscar Wilde.

The Devoted Friend story explicitly critiques one-sided friendships where the powerful exploit the kind-hearted, a theme echoed in the Happy Prince's relationship with the Swallow.

## Where it surfaces

- [The Devoted Friend](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/children_s_stories_se/chapters/the-devoted-friend): The Miller's manipulation of Hans under the pretense of friendship highlights the theme of exploitation, where one party benefits at the expense of the other.
- [The Remarkable Rocket](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/children_s_stories_se/chapters/the-remarkable-rocket): The Rocket claims friendship with the Prince but admits he would not be his friend if he knew him, revealing a hollow and exploitative notion of connection.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/children_s_stories_se/themes/friendship_and_exploitation
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/children_s_stories_se/themes