Oscar Wilde’s ​
The Importance of Being Earnest ​
(1890s) *a DRAMA (and boy, is it dramatic) *to be ​
earnest ​
is to be sincere, serious, & intensely convicted ­Wilde’s definition of the term, however, is a bit more negative: smug, self­righteous, pompous (all qualities Wilde believes are inherent in Victorian society) ­Victorian ​
melodrama​
­­”sentimental comedy” ­​
comedy of manners ​
(comments on society’s behaviors & relationships) *​
satire​
­­humor with the intent to criticize ­Wilde introduces the ​
stock character (archetypal character), ​
“the dandy” *a man who pays special attention to his physical appearance­­witty­­philosophical thinker­­speaks in aphorisms and paradoxes­­self­knowingly shallow (does this sound like anyone we know?) ~Algernon/Algie = Wilde? ~Cecily = female version of the dandy? thematic ideas & pertinent concepts: ­city life v. country/pastoral life (London = city; Hertfordshire = country) *both lifestyles are lavish and upper­class (no poor people in sight) *superficiality of society (like ​
Pride & Prejudice ​
on steroids) ~I’m also reminded of ​
Gatsby *marriage­­”business or pleasure?” *morality = stifling and constraining­­satirizing the Victorian upper­class ­​
Is it ​
moral ​
to be ​
earnest​
? *disguise/attempting to “reinvent” oneself and escape the constraints of society *disguise = art? *deception/the double life *Algie refers to this as “Bunburying” ~creating a deceptive “character” that allows one to live two lives: one that is serious and one that is mischievous/hedonistic *puns/plays on words *Ernest = anything but ​
earnest *inversions of expected/stereotypical roles/ideas ­what is considered “moral” isn’t moral ­”Divorces are made in Heaven.” ­women = powerful & in control of their romantic lives ­Everything is topsy­turvy! *dark humor­­a lot of death­talk ­characters (and Wilde) seem to think death is an experience over which humanity has control (final artistic “stroke” or reshaping of one’s “clay”)­­life = piece of art *fiction v. reality; fiction ​
becoming ​
reality *​
COMMUNION SCENES/FOOD *FOOD = SEX FOOD = GLUTTONY
FOOD = CONFLICT
OH MY! characters: *John Worthing, J.P. (Justice of the Peace)­­protagonist (is he a “good” guy) *”sketchy” familial background (found in a handbag...seriously) *has 2 alter­egos: 1) Jack = country (Hertfordshire) 2) Ernest = city (London) *Algernon Moncrieff (Algie)­­protagonist part 2? *the ​
dandy​
...Wilde? *Lady Bracknell’s nephew *invents a fictional friend­­”Bunbury”­­to get him out of social obligations *has a servant named Lane *Gwendolen Fairfax *Lady Bracknell’s daughter/Algernon’s cousin *romantically interested in “Ernest” (John/Jack) *sophisticated, fashionable, pretentious (female “dandy”) *Will only marry someone by the name of Ernest (a ridiculous standard). *Cecily Cardew *John = Cecily’s legal guardian (she calls him Uncle Jack) *foil to Gwendolen ­wild­child (free­spirited), speaks more naturally, is not pretentious, imaginative *fascinated with ​
wickedness *romantically interested in “Uncle Jack’s brother, Ernest” (who is really Algernon)­­she ​
invents ​
a romance between the two of them SO MANY ERNESTS! *Lady Bracknell (pretty much Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s twin) *Gwendolen’s mom/Algernon’s aunt *very wealthy­­wants Gwendolen to marry well & have financial wealth *snobby *domineering...or powerful? ​
Hello, gender stereotypes! *hilarious because she is so ridiculous *believes ignorance = “delicate, exotic fruit” (yum) *Miss Prism: Cecily’s governess (AH, ​
THE TURN OF THE SCREW!​
) *holy cliches (pretend there’s an accent mark over the “e”­­thanks, Google Docs) *proper (almost prude), but hilarious (We all have a friend like Miss Prism…) *claims to have written a novel (ok) *Canon Chasuble: Reverend of the estate (D.D. = Doctor of Divinity) *has the hots for Miss Prism *is asked by both Jack & Algie to legally become “Ernest”