Directions: Please compose an essay and post it to Turnitin.com.
From Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde - ACT I
Duchess of Berwick. [Coming over and shaking hands.] Dear Margaret, I am so pleased to see you. You remember Agatha, don’t you? [Crossing L.C.] How do you do, Lord Darlington? I won’t let you know my daughter, you are far too wicked.
Lord Darlington. Don’t say that, Duchess. As a wicked man I am a complete failure. Why, there are lots of people who say I have never really done anything wrong in the whole course of my life. Of course they only say it behind my back.
Duchess of Berwick. Isn’t he dreadful? Agatha, this is Lord Darlington. Mind you don’t believe a word he says. [Lord Darlington crosses] No, no tea, thank you, dear. [Crosses and sits on sofa.] We have just had tea at Lady Markby’s. Such bad tea, too. It was quite undrinkable. I wasn’t at all surprised. Her own son-in-law supplies it. Agatha is looking forward so much to your ball to-night, dear Margaret.
Lady Windermere. [Seated] Oh, you mustn’t think it is going to be a ball, Duchess. It is only a dance in honour of my birthday. A small and early.
Lord Darlington. [Standing] Very small, very early, and very select, Duchess.
Duchess of Berwick. [On sofa] Of course it’s going to be select. But we know that, dear Margaret, about your house. It is really one of the few houses in London where I can take Agatha, and where I feel perfectly secure about dear Berwick. I don’t know what society is coming to. The most dreadful people seem to go everywhere. They certainly come to my parties—the men get quite furious if one doesn’t ask them. Really, some one should make a stand against it.
Lady Windermere. I will, Duchess. I will have no one in my house about whom there is any scandal.
Lord Darlington. Oh, don’t say that, Lady Windermere. I should never be admitted! [Sitting.]
Duchess of Berwick. Oh, men don’t matter. With women it is different. We’re good. Some of us are, at least. But we are positively getting elbowed into the corner. Our husbands would really forget our existence if we didn’t nag at them from time to time, just to remind them that we have a perfect legal right to do so.
Lord Darlington. It’s a curious thing, Duchess, about the game of marriage—a game, by the way, that is going out of fashion—the wives hold all the honours, and invariably lose the odd trick.
Duchess of Berwick. The odd trick? Is that the husband, Lord Darlington?
Lord Darlington. It would be rather a good name for the modern husband.
Duchess of Berwick. Dear Lord Darlington, how thoroughly depraved you are!
Lady Windermere. Lord Darlington is trivial.
Lord Darlington. Ah, don’t say that, Lady Windermere.
Lady Windermere. Why do you talk so trivially about life, then?
Lord Darlington. Because I think that life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about it. [Moves up]
Duchess of Berwick. What does he mean? Do, as a concession to my poor wits, Lord Darlington, just explain to me what you really mean.
Lord Darlington. [Coming down back of table.] I think I had better not, Duchess. Nowadays to be intelligible is to be found out. Good-bye! [Shakes hands with Duchess.] And now—[goes up stage] Lady Windermere, good-bye. I may come to-night, mayn’t I? Do let me come.
Lady Windermere. [Standing up stage with Lord Darlington.] Yes, certainly. But you are not to say foolish, insincere things to people.
Lord Darlington. [Smiling.] Ah! you are beginning to reform me. It is a dangerous thing to reform any one, Lady Windermere. [Bows and exits.]
General Directions: The score that you assign should reflect your judgment of the quality of the essay as a whole—its content, its style, its mechanics. Reward the writers for what they do well. The score for an exceptionally well-written essay may be raised by one point above the otherwise appropriate score. In no case may a poorly written essay be scored higher than a (C-).
(A Essays)
Lord Darlington. Don’t say that, Duchess. As a wicked man I am a complete failure. Why, there are lots of people who say I have never really done anything wrong in the whole course of my life. Of course they only say it behind my back.
Duchess of Berwick. Isn’t he dreadful? Agatha, this is Lord Darlington. Mind you don’t believe a word he says. [Lord Darlington crosses] No, no tea, thank you, dear. [Crosses and sits on sofa.] We have just had tea at Lady Markby’s. Such bad tea, too. It was quite undrinkable. I wasn’t at all surprised. Her own son-in-law supplies it. Agatha is looking forward so much to your ball to-night, dear Margaret.
Lady Windermere. [Seated] Oh, you mustn’t think it is going to be a ball, Duchess. It is only a dance in honour of my birthday. A small and early.
Lord Darlington. [Standing] Very small, very early, and very select, Duchess.
Duchess of Berwick. [On sofa] Of course it’s going to be select. But we know that, dear Margaret, about your house. It is really one of the few houses in London where I can take Agatha, and where I feel perfectly secure about dear Berwick. I don’t know what society is coming to. The most dreadful people seem to go everywhere. They certainly come to my parties—the men get quite furious if one doesn’t ask them. Really, some one should make a stand against it.
Lady Windermere. I will, Duchess. I will have no one in my house about whom there is any scandal.
Lord Darlington. Oh, don’t say that, Lady Windermere. I should never be admitted! [Sitting.]
Duchess of Berwick. Oh, men don’t matter. With women it is different. We’re good. Some of us are, at least. But we are positively getting elbowed into the corner. Our husbands would really forget our existence if we didn’t nag at them from time to time, just to remind them that we have a perfect legal right to do so.
Lord Darlington. It’s a curious thing, Duchess, about the game of marriage—a game, by the way, that is going out of fashion—the wives hold all the honours, and invariably lose the odd trick.
Duchess of Berwick. The odd trick? Is that the husband, Lord Darlington?
Lord Darlington. It would be rather a good name for the modern husband.
Duchess of Berwick. Dear Lord Darlington, how thoroughly depraved you are!
Lady Windermere. Lord Darlington is trivial.
Lord Darlington. Ah, don’t say that, Lady Windermere.
Lady Windermere. Why do you talk so trivially about life, then?
Lord Darlington. Because I think that life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about it. [Moves up]
Duchess of Berwick. What does he mean? Do, as a concession to my poor wits, Lord Darlington, just explain to me what you really mean.
Lord Darlington. [Coming down back of table.] I think I had better not, Duchess. Nowadays to be intelligible is to be found out. Good-bye! [Shakes hands with Duchess.] And now—[goes up stage] Lady Windermere, good-bye. I may come to-night, mayn’t I? Do let me come.
Lady Windermere. [Standing up stage with Lord Darlington.] Yes, certainly. But you are not to say foolish, insincere things to people.
Lord Darlington. [Smiling.] Ah! you are beginning to reform me. It is a dangerous thing to reform any one, Lady Windermere. [Bows and exits.]
Scoring Guide for Prompt on Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde
(A Essays)
These essays offer a persuasive analysis of how the playwright reveals the values of the characters and the nature of their society. The writers make a strong case for their interpretation of character and situation, developing the relationship between language and values. The writers consider literary and dramatic elements such as characterization, diction, and tone, engaging the text through apt and specific references. Although these essays may not be error-free, their perceptive analysis is apparent in writing that is clear, precise, and effectively organized. Generally, essays scored a (A) reveal more sophisticated analysis and more effective control of language than do essays scored an (A-).
(B Essays)
(B Essays)
These essays offer a reasonable analysis of how the playwright reveals the values of the characters and the nature of their society. The writers provide a sustained, competent reading of the passage, with attention to literary and dramatic elements such as characterization, diction, and tone. Although these essays may not be error-free and may be less perceptive or less convincing than (A) essays, the writers present their ideas with clarity and control and refer to the text for support. Generally, essays scored a (B+) present better-developed analysis and more consistent command of the elements of effective composition than do essays scored a (B/B-).
(C Essays)
(C Essays)
These essays respond to the assigned task with a plausible reading of the passage, but they tend to be superficial or undeveloped in their treatment of how the playwright reveals the values of the characters and nature of their society. While exhibiting some analysis of the passage, implicit or explicit, the discussion of how literary elements contribute to the author’s purpose may be slight, and support from the passage may be thin or tend toward paraphrase. While these writers demonstrate adequate control of language, their essays may be marred by surface errors. generally, essays scored a (C) lack the more effective organization and the more sustained development characteristics of (B) papers.
(D Essays)
(D Essays)
These essays fail to offer a less than thorough understanding of the task or a less than adequate treatment of how the playwright reveals the values of the characters and the nature of their society. Often relying on summary or paraphrase, the writers may fail to articulate a convincing basis for understanding the relationship between language and the values of the characters and the nature of society. They may misread the passage or may present an unfocused or repetitive reading characterized by an absence of textual support or an accumulation of errors. Generally, essays scored a (D+) exhibit better control over the elements of composition than those scored a (D/D-).
(F Essays)
These essays compound the weaknesses of the papers in the (D) range. They may persistently misread the passage or be unacceptably brief. They may contain pervasive errors that interfere with understanding. Although an attempt has been made to respond to the prompt, the writers’ ideas are presented with little clarity, organization, or support from the passage.
