NOTE: You will have time on Friday to work on this assignment.
Study Questions to Explore
1) Explore the way Wilde uses this idea of secrecy in order to keep up appearances, while living freely under an assumed name. Think about the following exchange from the play:
Lady Bracknell: Algy, I hope you are behaving very well.
Algernon: I am feeling very well, Aunt Augusta.
Lady Bracknell: That is not quite the same thing. In fact, the two rarely go together.
4) How does Wilde comment on social class? What are his views?
Lady Bracknell: Algy, I hope you are behaving very well.
Algernon: I am feeling very well, Aunt Augusta.
Lady Bracknell: That is not quite the same thing. In fact, the two rarely go together.
How does this apply to Jack's philosophy of life, and the need for a dual identity? How does the idea of being "Earnest/earnest" tie back to the idea of secrecy AND the overarching themes?
2) How does Wilde divulge the secret at just the right comedic moment? How does everyone react?
3) Where do you see the elements of Aestheticism in the play?
4) How does Wilde comment on social class? What are his views?
5) How does Wilde comment on literature and education? What are his views?
6) How does Wilde comment on religion? What are his views?
7) How does Wilde comment on marriage? What are his views?
8) How are the characters used to present stereotypical and symbolic representations in the play?
9) How does Wilde use satire and humor to present his views?
10) How is this play a satire on the classic comedy? How are moments "over the top?"
How does Wilde comment on Marriage? What are his views?
ReplyDelete“To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.” This line was shockingly funny as losing a parent is a nightmare and they’re using that unfortunate situation as an excuse, making sure it is perfectly believable. In his short story, “The Importance of Being Earnest” Oscar Wilde jokes of the seriousness of marriage as Algenon and Jack take their trips to the country. When Jack is speaking of getting married Algenon replies, “Nothing will induce me to part with Bunbury, and if you ever get married, which seems to me extremely problematic, you will be very glad to know Bunbury. A man who marries without knowing Bunbury has a very tedious time of it.” (Pg 5). Burnbury is Algy’s excuse to go to the country and escape married life to have a good time, therefore you can infer Wilde thinks married life is impossible without being able to escape. As the story goes on Wilde continues to mock the solemnity of marriage as Jacks marriage begins with a lie as his fiancee Gwendolyn believes his name is earnest, “My own Ernest! ;But you don’t really mean to say that you couldn’t love me if my name wasn’t Ernest?;But your name is Ernest.” (pg.8). Jack uses a fake name in the beginning of his relationship and eventually proposes to Gwendolyn without her knowing his actual name ; Jack. As Wilde writes the short story Importance of being earnest he makes many parallels to his personal life as he too escaped family life and his comments on marriage in a non serious manner, this gives you insight on to Wilde’s perception on marriage.
Sean Healey
Favorite part of act I and II: Lady Bracknell: [Pencil and note-book in hand.] I feel bound to tell you that you are not down on my list of eligible young men, although I have the same list as the dear Duchess of Bolton has. We work together, in fact. However, I am quite ready to enter your name, should your answers be what a really affectionate mother requires. Do you smoke?
ReplyDeleteJack: Well, yes, I must admit I smoke.
Lady Bracknell: I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind. There are far too many idle men in London as it is.
How does Wilde comment on marriage? What are his views?
The entire exchange between Lady Bracknell and Jack regarding his potential marriage to Gwendolen shows just how planned out a marriage is and very much doesn't even matter about love. It seems to be very much planned out by the parents an less by the love of a man and a women.
Lady Bracknell: I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind. There are far too many idle men in London as it is. How old are you?
Jack: Twenty-nine.
Lady Bracknell: A very good age to be married at. I have always been of opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing. Which do you know?
And the fact that there is literally a job interview to be qualified to marry this woman's daughter seems absurd to begin with. I don't believe Wilde thinks the conventional marriage in London back in the late 1800's meant anything and he would've appreciated a marriage with less things involved and it being more between he man and woman.
Wilde also represents marriage as something that will ruin a mans life in kind of a funny way.
Lane: I attribute it to the superior quality of the wine, sir. I have often observed that in married households the champagne is rarely of a first-rate brand.
Algernon: Good heavens! Is marriage so demoralising as that?
Lane: I believe it is a very pleasant state, sir. I have had very little experience of it myself up to the present. I have only been married once. That was in consequence of a misunderstanding between myself and a young person.
He has Algernon be appalled at the thought of marriage because it would mean that he would have to give up having cheap champagne instead of his class version. I believe this to be a play on the situation because Wilde isn't trying to say that h will lose just this one thing but that a man will lose a whole bunch of stuff from his life that he quite fancies and enjoys doing. Wilde really does oppose of a conventional marriage.
- John Marshall
In the play of the importance of being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, there seems to be some unique language in the play that we found funny even though it is not meant to be humorous. A quote that I thought was funny was said by Jack was when he explained to Lady Bracknell that when he was born, he was found in a handbag. Jack told her that “I was in a hand-bag—a somewhat large, black leather hand-bag, with handles to it—an ordinary hand-bag in fact”. Her reaction to him saying that was also funny to me. But other than that, Oscar Wilde expresses his views heavily so far in this play. There is one topic in particular that interest me was marriage. He thinks that you have to be rich and have a large amount of income. When Jack was talking to Lady Bracknell about marrying her daughter, she said “State you name, rank, and serial number”. This quote means that she basically wants to know if Jack is rich or not and if he was not as rich as she thought he was, he would probably would not be able to marry her. But then she found out that Jack was left by his parents in a bag with handles on it. For example, Lady Bracknell went on to say, “I confess I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred, in a hand-bag, whether it had handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life that reminds one of the worst excesses of the French Revolution”. This quote says how she was not pleased with him being born in a handbag. Also in the play, he also comments on social class. In the play, I feel like everyone is wealthy and sometimes and it is all about what your income is. For example, when Lady Bracknell was talking to Jack, one of the first questions she asked was what was income was, Jack responded “between seven thousand and eight thousand a year”. I feel that throughout this play, I feel that they are living in a dream and everything is all dreamy and there is no realism which shows who Oscar Wilde is.
ReplyDeleteHow does Wilde comment on social class? What are his views?
ReplyDeleteIn The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde he makes a lot of comments on his views and ideals. He speaks about his view on the rich social class with good humour and he really trash on them, it makes you really believe what he says when you look back at it since he was extremely rich at one point of his life.” I feel bound to tell you that you are not down on my list of eligible young men, although I have the same list as the deer Duchess of Bolton has. We work together, in fact. However, I am quite ready to enter your name, should your answers be what a really affectionate mother requires. Do you smoke?Jack: Well, yes, I must admit I smoke. Lady Bracknell: I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind. There are far too many idle men in London as it is. How old are you?”(9) What Lady bracknell is saying here is that in London there are many men who are rich but they don't do anything and they just sit around all day, he jokes by saying smoking is a “Job” when it is not a job at all it is a hobby many people did at this time. During this same conversation he Jack continues to be questioned by Lady Bucknell to see if he is the right man for gwendolen and he continues to speak on education and social class by using comedy in the same way, “I have always been of the opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing. Which do you know?Jack: [After some hesitation.] I know nothing, Lady Bracknell.Lady Bracknell: I am pleased to hear it. I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone …. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square. What is your income?”(9) He speaks about how all the education in London is unsound and needs improvement then says hints that the rich are sort of controlling it since if you were to ever learn it would cause a serious problem for the rich. Overall I think after having it all going for him and being apart of the rich social class then being sent to jail and losing it all really made him have spite towards the high class people in london but also I think he really has had time to reflect and really observed the other people he was around at that time and is sort of calling them out.
Kate Lyons
ReplyDeleteHow does Wilde divulge the secret at just the right comedic moment? How does everyone react?
“The moment Algernon first mentioned to me that he had a friend called Ernest, I knew I was destined to love you”. This makes it all the more comedic when both Cecily and Gwendolyn discover that neither Jack nor Algernon is named Earnest. While keeping secrets may seem like an obstacle, Wilde shows how they can be freeing. The Jack’s two names allow him to explore both urban and country life as much as he pleases.
How does Wilde comment on social class? What are his views?
Wilde comments on social class when Lady Bracknell doesn't want her daughter to marry Jack because he has no family, his only parents is a leather bag “Lady Bracknell: Where did the charitable gentleman who had a first-class ticket for this seaside resort find you?
Jack: [Gravely.] In a hand-bag.
Lady Bracknell: A hand-bag?
Jack: [Very seriously.] Yes, Lady Bracknell. I was in a hand-bag—a somewhat large, black leather hand-bag, with handles to it—an ordinary hand-bag in fact.” Lady Bracknell disapprove of Jack because he was born in a handbag and had no special last name to give him clout.
Adriana DeSantis: part 1
ReplyDeleteWhat does Wilde comment on marriage? What are his views?
Throughout the exchanged conversation between Jack and Gwendolen, Wilde displays his view on this matter as he seems to be very passionate about marriage and love. It seems as if he is demonstrating his passion and love for someone in his life throughout the play. As we observed in class, Wilde had many lovers throughout his life, whether they were male or female. Through Act I, they both illustrate their love for each other in the form of it being perceived as a secret from Lady Bracknell. As the play progresses, they openly express their love for each other which leads to the lengthy conversation with Lady Bracknell as she demonstrates an interview style questionnaire.
Gwendolen: I adore you. But you haven’t proposed to me yet. Nothing has been said at all about marriage. The subject has not even been touched on.
Jack: Well . . . may I propose to you now?
Gwendolen: I think it would be an admirable opportunity. And to spare you any possible disappointment, Mr. Worthing, I think it only fair to tell you quite frankly before-hand that I am fully determined to accept you.
Jack: Gwendolen!
Gwendolen: Yes, Mr. Worthing, what have you got to say to me?
Jack: You know what I have got to say to you.
Gwendolen: Yes, but you don’t say it.
Jack: Gwendolen, will you marry me? [Goes on his knees.]
Gwendolen: Of course I will, darling.
Lady Bracknell: However, I am quite ready to enter your name, should your answers be what a really affectionate mother requires. Do you smoke?
Jack: Well, yes, I must admit I smoke.
Lady Bracknell: I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind. There are far too many idle men in London as it is. How old are you?
Jack: Twenty-nine.
Lady Bracknell: A very good age to be married at. I have always been of opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing. Which do you know?
Jack: [After some hesitation.] I know nothing, Lady Bracknell.
Adriana DeSantis: part 2
ReplyDeleteHow does Wilde divulge the secret at just the right comedic moment? How does everyone react?
In Act II, Jack travels back to the country to reveal the news to his family that his brother has died in Paris. Moments later, Cecily enters the scene with a large announcement of Ernest being in the country for Jack. This scene demonstrates a humorous moment in the play as Jack was revealing to his family that his dear brother was dead and moments later Ernest appeared to be talking to Cecily. Everyone reacts similarly as they are all equally astonished that his brother is in fact not dead but very much alive. It seemed oddly weird to his family that the death of his brother was a miscommunication which adds onto the commediac aspect of this given moments.
Chasuble: Your brother Ernest dead?
Jack: Quite dead.
Miss Prism: What a lesson for him! I trust he will profit by it.
Chasuble: Mr. Worthing, I offer you my sincere condolence. You have at least the consolation of knowing that you were always the most generous and forgiving of brothers.
Jack: Poor Ernest! He had many faults, but it is a sad, sad blow.
Chasuble: Very sad indeed. Were you with him at the end?
Jack: No. He died abroad; in Paris, in fact. I had a telegram last night from the manager of the Grand Hotel.
What is the matter, Uncle Jack? Do look happy! You look as if you had toothache, and I have got such a surprise for you. Who do you think is in the dining-room? Your brother!
Jack: Who?
Cecily: Your brother Ernest. He arrived about half an hour ago.
Jack: What nonsense! I haven’t got a brother.
Cecily: Oh, don’t say that. However badly he may have behaved to you in the past he is still your brother. You couldn’t be so heartless as to disown him. I’ll tell him to come out. And you will shake hands with him, won’t you, Uncle Jack? [Runs back into the house.]
Chasuble: These are very joyful tidings.
Miss Prism: After we had all been resigned to his loss, his sudden return seems to me peculiarly distressing.
Jack: My brother is in the dining-room? I don’t know what it all means. I think it is perfectly absurd.
My favorite line from the play so far is when Gwedolen says that she only likes men with the name Earnest and that if they are named anything else she wont marry them. Jack then says what about Jack, and she says “Jack? . . . No, there is very little music in the name Jack, if any at all, indeed. It does not thrill.” How does Wilde comment on marriage? What are his views? I think Wilde does not approve of marriage. He does not believe that love and marriage necessarily go together. In the play when Jack is talking to Algy about love, Jack says he loves Gwendolen. Algy then replies with “I thought you had come up for pleasure?... I call that business”. He doesn't believe that love and marriage need to go together. How does Wilde comment on social class? What are his views? Wilde shows there are 2 main classes, upper and lower class. These two classes are described by the setting and behavior of the characters. Algy in act I says, “Lane's views on marriage seem somewhat lax. Really, if the lower orders don't set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them? They seem, as a class, to have absolutely no sense of moral responsibility” (I.17). This tells us that Algy wants the lower class to set a moral example for the upper class. Wilde so far in this play, shows readers that there is a big difference between upper and lower class.
ReplyDeleteWilde does a good showing aestheticism through dialogue. The way the characters speak and show emotion is very proper, elegant, and rich. Even Lane the butler shows it like when he says, "I attribute it to the superior quality of the wine, sir. I have often observed that in married households the champagne is rarely of a first-rate brand." While the use of rich terminology is abused it is drenched in Wilde's comedy.
ReplyDeleteThis play has satire and humor written all over it. I think the two main components that were focused on to produce this play were satire and humor. You can see it in act 1 with both Jack and Algernon. "How are you, my dear Ernest? What brings you up to town?
Jack: Oh, pleasure, pleasure! What else should bring one anywhere? Eating as usual, I see, Algy" and "My dear fellow, the way you flirt with Gwendolen is perfectly disgraceful. It is almost as bad as the way Gwendolen flirts with you."
Also at the perfect moment when Jack and Algernon are talking about how they do business around there, Jack reveals his secret alter ego, Earnest. He pretends to be some person named Earnest that way he can do whatever he wants and blame someone else for his issues. The fact that both of them divulged their identical alter ego made the play even better for me because I knew I was going to enjoy the play even more.
My favorite scene, and many others, is the marriage interview being conducted by Lady Bracknell towards Ernst. This play being a comedy very much helps it being able to come up with some outrageous lines from characters. The fact that smoking is considered an occupation and that him being ignorant of most things is completely fine and dandy makes for some questioning thoughts for most people reading it, nowadays.
ReplyDeleteHow does Wilde comment on marriage? What are his views?
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of joking about marriage in this play with Algy when him and Jack speak and you can see the difference between the way Jack feels about marriage and how Algy does.
Jack: I am in love with Gwendolen. I have come up to town expressly to propose to her.
Algernon: I thought you had come up for pleasure? . . . I call that business.
Jack: How utterly unromantic you are!
Jack takes it seriously and wants marriage with Gwendalin and Algernon jokes about Jack wanting to get married, they started becoming more open about their love and being together. Oscar Wilde in his life had many affairs with both women and men and is very passionate about marriage and becoming married and being in love with someone.
How does Wilde use satire and humor to present his views?
He uses humor to make fun of norms or “standards” of morals or manners. He uses sarcasm in many ways like in the word “earnest” it is obviously a name but it also means seriousness or honesty and this whole play is full of comedy and lies. Both Algy and Jack start off their relationships with lies and even hide their other names from eachother.
Algernon: Yes. But why does your aunt call you her uncle? "From little Cecily, with her fondest love to her dear Uncle Jack." There is no objection, I admit, to an aunt being a small aunt, but why an aunt, no matter what her size may be, should call her own nephew her uncle, I can't quite make out. Besides, your name isn't Jack at all; it is Ernest.
Jack: It isn't Ernest; it's Jack.
Paige B
How does Wilde comment on marriage? What are his views?
ReplyDeleteWilde seems to be very passionate on marriage and love and he seeks to be in love with someone. He has had many partners in his life, both male and female. Although he feels very passionately about love and marriage, he also seems to joke about it and almost poke fun at it at the same time. He mentions how a man being married is a trap and impossible to escape even though he yearns for it. In the play, Jack takes marriage with Gwendolyn seriously, but Algernon jokes about it.
Nolan Brezinski
Aestheticism is obviously evident in this piece by wilde. With in this piece it explores the idea of performance and how the main characters’ personalities both change and remain unchanged within these performances. We establish Algernon and Jack as opposite characters who are both artificial because they both put on a performance, or pretend to be Ernest. It then aims to demonstrate that artificiality should be morally neutral because every human being is required to be artificial in life.
ReplyDelete“The first duty in life is to be as artificial as possible. What the second duty is no one has as yet discovered." I like this quote because wilde is almost saying fake it until you make it. lifes not gonna always be great you have to adapt in situations and make the best out of it. for algor and jack their two side characters are there artificial personalities so they can do more of what they want with out there real lives finding out.
JACOB MINI
How does Wilde comment on social class? What are his views?
ReplyDeleteIn the Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde comments on his views of Social class. He uses humor to speak on his reaction to Lady Bracknell not allowing her daughter to marry Jack. His only family was a leather bag. Jack is at the bottom of the social class in Lady Bracknell's opinion.
Jack: [Gravely.] In a hand-bag.
Lady Bracknell: A hand-bag?
Jack: [Very seriously.] Yes, Lady Bracknell. I was in a hand-bag—a somewhat large, black leather hand-bag, with handles to it—an ordinary hand-bag in fact.
How does Wilde comment on marriage? What are his views?
Wilde comments on marriage through Lady Bracknell's character. She does not approve of her engagement with Mr. Worthing. She believes that an engagement should come as a surprise and the marriage must be approved by the parents beforehand. Marriage should not be arranged alone in her opinion.
Gwendolen: I am engaged to Mr. Worthing, mamma. [They rise together.]
Lady Bracknell: Pardon me, you are not engaged to any one. When you do become engaged to some one, I, or your father, should his health permit him, will inform you of the fact. An engagement should come on a young girl as a surprise, pleasant or unpleasant, as the case may be. It is hardly a matter that she could be allowed to arrange for herself . . . And now I have a few questions to put to you, Mr. Worthing. While I am making these inquiries, you, Gwendolen, will wait for me below in the carriage.
Wilde is very good at presenting his views in comical ways. The opening scene of the play has satire within it when Algernon and Lane are discussing Lane’s piano playing through Algernon asking Lane about the missing bottles of champaign. Wilde in this one scene alone comments on music and science using irony and on possessions and marriage while being much more concerned about the horridity of marriage rather than the drinks that are being stolen by his workers and they are admitting to stealing them. Wilde tricks us all in the beginning with this, but also sets up our expectations for the rest of the play by showing us how nonchalant Algernon is and where his true interests lie. In the exchange between Lady Bracknell and Algernon:
ReplyDeleteLady Bracknell: Algy, I hope you are behaving very well.
Algernon: I am feeling very well, Aunt Augusta.
Lady Bracknell: That is not quite the same thing. In fact, the two rarely go together.
This exchange is very telling about Algy’s personality. Now reflecting on this quote, I am not surprised the Algy would show up to Jack’s country house because of how sneaky he is. He knows that since Jack uses Earnest he would not be able to shame him for have a dual identity, even though Jack just said he wants to kill Earnest. It was funny that Lady Bracknell inquired about Algernon's behavior, when we the audience, knows that he has deceptive plans. It also hints to us that she may know he isn’t often up to any good and she is trying to hint to him to behave better.
-Regan Grygiel