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 Wilde divulge the secret at just the right comedic moment? How does everyone react? How does the idea of being "earnest" tie back to the idea of secrecy AND the overarching themes? How does this idea tie into the concept of Aestheticism?
Use direct examples from the text in your responses. Read you classmates blogs, and see what explore other possibilities.
If you would like to study the play one more time, please check out this classic version of the play:
I found The Importance of Being Earnest to be much more amusing and clever than I ever expected it to be. One major theme of the entire piece is secrecy, with the character of Algernon harboring a secret identity named Bunbury, whom he claims is his dear friend in order to, “be able to go down into the country whenever [he] choose[s],” and the character of Jack frequently going by the name of Ernest so, “that [he] may be able to come up to town as often as [he] like[s],”. By doing this, they are able to do whatever they like, and simply blame it on their nonexistent counterpart. The fact that Wilde is able to so humorously explore the overbearing pressures of society by having two characters go to such great lengths in order to do as they please is very impressive. And the fact that every single one of Jack’s lies told throughout the play work out to be unintentionally true by the end of the piece just goes to show how much Wilde enjoyed poking fun at the typical ‘happy ending’ of works. Like we briefly touched upon prior to reading the piece, I found the play to be a strong parallel to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with all the misunderstandings working out perfectly in the end. Furthermore, by Wilde divulging the secret just as the lies become even more tangled, with Gwendolyn and Cecily discovering the truth together at just the right moment, he creates an incredibly amusing display; both young women are incredibly confused, with both young men trying to save their respective engagements. In addition to this, all of the characters quickly get over their anger over the situation - so long as the truth works out in their benefit. For example, Lady Algernon initially despises Cecily, though once she learns she has, “130 thousand pounds,” to her name, she becomes quite fond of her. And when Gwendolyn discovers Jack’s true name has been Ernest all along, she is immediately satisfied. The idea of being earnest in general is incredibly ironic when it comes to the overarching theme of the play and the idea of secrecy. By Jack and Algy both displaying such conviction through their lies and ultimately the truth, they are able to get what they desire in the end. Concerning aestheticism, Wilde makes it a point to poke fun at how much society focuses on appearances, much like he believes art should simply be based on its beauty and the art in and of itself, as opposed to the deeper meaning.
ReplyDeleteFor me, The Importance of Being Earnest turned out to be much more amusing and clever than I ever expected it to be as well. The irony in the title and the story is incredibly interesting and something that truly added to the plot. I think that you're completely right when you say that by Jack and Algy both displaying conviction through their lies and ultimately the truth, they are able to get what they desire in the end. This is a very interesting idea and is very interesting to think about with how much people are able to get away with.
DeleteWhile reading The Importance of Being Earnest I realized how much marriage, appearances, money, and aestheticism mattered in the Victorian age. The emphasis put on those topics led to telling many secrets and lies. Wilde uses the lies as a way of making fun of Victorian society and ideals. As Lady Bracknell says “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”. Wilde is devaluing the importance of marriage and making fun of it by making it sound silly and like a given. In addition, the theme of aestheticism is present through much of the story. Although there is strong story line, changing names and identities, the lifestyle of the characters are all extremely laid back. The scenes in the movie, were aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and it seemed like there was never really a sense of urgency in the story. The idea of being “earnest” ties back into the story at the end. It is ironic that Earnest’s name is earnest as he was lying about his name and taking on a completely different persona. However, at the end when Algernon and Jack expose themselves and Cecily and Gwendolen still want to get married, the earnest component is brought up. The whole time they are being hypocritical taking on a different identity, but at the end when Earnest learns of who his family is, he finds out that his name is Earnest. In the end, the story goes full circle and when the truth finally comes out, Wilde makes it so that the whole time Earnest was technically telling the truth the whole time.
ReplyDeleteOf course, The Importance of Being Earnest was used to satirize Victorian Era society--something Oscar Wilde clearly detested. At that time, most people reacted positively to stories like "Oliver Twist", where every conflict would be suddenly resolved within the last few pages. With the ending of The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde mocked this idea, having the most absurd discoveries and resolutions appear. As the ending also emphasizes, there is a touch of irony in the way the lies in the play are presented. For instance, Jack’s closing line where he mentions, “‘I’ve now realized for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest’” (54) is completely contradictory. This is due to the fact that Jack, of course, never was truly earnest. Despite all the lies he has told, including that of his own identity, he still seems to perceive himself as a pious, honest man as everything ended well for him. Jack’s comment on being earnest does not also seem completely genuine due to this fact. Both Jack and Algernon’s fabricated identities also mirrored Wilde’s views on London society. In the beginning of the play, Algernon describes how “‘the truth is rarely pure and never simple’” (6), then proceeds to explain, “‘Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!’” (6). Again, this is an ironic statement as the “‘modern literature’” (play) itself is about dishonesty. It also highlights how the deceitful the upper-class could be, where their lies enhance their lives. While Jack uses Ernest to entertain himself in the city (and be with Gwendolen), Algernon initially uses Algernon to escape social events. Furthermore, the title of the play itself seems to represent irony, seeing how both protagonists were incredibly deceitful and benefited from it. This relates to both “The History Teacher” and “A Barred Owl”, where the lies that the adults tell the children actually help preserve their innocence and allow them to mature. In addition, the use of deceit in The Importance of Being Earnest connects to Wilde’s views on aestheticism. I found that it captured the fourth tenant in The Decay of Lying, which states, “Lying, the telling of beautiful untrue things, is the proper aim of Art”. Clearly, this mirrors the message of The Importance of Being Earnest, where lying made Jack and Algernons’ lives ideal.
ReplyDeleteJill, I really like your comparison you made between the play and the poems we just read.
Delete^ -Nadia
DeleteI like how you pointed out the irony in the title, given that Jack and Algernon benefit from the opposite of being Earnest, and all the other contradictions you were able to notice in the text.
DeleteAt first I had trouble understanding this play because I had interpreted Wilde as a much more stern or pensive writer based on our first introductions of him. I can’t speak for his other works but after reading “The Importance of Being Earnest,” I could feel enjoyment that Wilde got from writing this work. It gave me an entirely different impression of him. There is clearly a lot of thoughtfulness that had to be carefully written into the play, but it comes off as effortless and clever without taking itself too seriously. Wilde was entirely opposed to the stuffiness of Victorian society and the lighthearted mood of the play reflects how much his style differed from an otherwise stern environment. The play seems to envelope all of the objections he had towards the Victorian era, presented in a more creative way than hard-handed criticisms. The concept of secrecy and lying throughout was one of the funniest recurrences within the play, and how it all seems to benefit the liars in the end. Jack summarizes this point in the end saying, “Gwendolen, it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth. Can you forgive me?” and of course Gwendolen forgives him. The environment of the play that allows for lying to work in favor of the characters is entirely based on the personalities of the characters themselves. They are all caricatures of Victorian society that honestly and openly display their negative qualities such as Gwendolen and Cecily’s superficial fixation on the name Earnest, Jack and Algy creating entirely separate identities just to be able to go to town or the country, and Lady Bracknell’s obsession with class above and beyond what is reasonable. All are treated as completely normal and acceptable qualities as represented in this line, “How absurd to talk of the equality of the sexes! Where questions of self-sacrifice are concerned, men are infinitely beyond us.” The characters are oblivious of their own ridiculousness which allows the audience to know so much more than just the secret of the names. This seems to make it even more funny when the secret is revealed, as we have known everything about these completely ignorant characters all along. Predictably, the initial, hollow anger from Cecily and Gwendolen quickly dissipates, Jack and Algy getting away with everything they have lied about without consequence. Against all logic, the end is exceedingly happy, and all the more funny because of this. The final line, “On the contrary, Aunt Augusta, I’ve now realised for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest.” could suggest that Jack has learned something, though the fact that “Earnest” is capitalized nods to the audience that he knows no more now than he knew at the beginning and will likely never learn his lesson.
ReplyDeleteMy experience with “The Importance of Being Earnest” was by far my favorite reading experience so far in this class, simply because it was funny and not depressing. That being said, there are many other more legitimate reasons to enjoy this text, such as its cleaver comedic timing and exploration of the deuilty between being earnest and secrecy. When examining the comedic value of the play, and more specifically the revelation that Algy and Jack had been living double lives, Wild takes his time with the setup, but fundamentally relies on commonplace societal expectations as the setup. Wild takes the assumption that the lies and vice of Algy and Jack would come back to bite them, but continuously defines this as none of the other characters care. This impunity even applies to other characters, such as Gwendelin, who changes her opinion of Cecily on a dime, including her first impression of Cecily. However, Wilde does take full advantage of the setup time to cultivate these expectations to make people think they will be punished for their lies. Ignoring the part where Gwendolen and Cecily were perfectly fine with being deceived, the plot of this play would make for a predictable, but not terrible, drama. As such, right at the moment when you would expect them to be reprimanded, when Gwendolyn and Cecily have discovered there is a problem, Wilde makes a joke of having Jack and Algy eat some muffins and get away with everything.
ReplyDeleteBy defying societal expectations, Wild also offers some commentary these expectations, even if it comes in joke form. Through the irony of earnest being a lair, and then actually be earnest in name and nature, Wilde clearly presented a fairly positive view of secrecy. Rather, his real priorities are laid out in the given quotation; when Aunt Agusta asks Algy how he is, Algy responds to what Wilde would see as the real question and tells her how he is feeling. Aunt Augusta then asserts that the two do not go together often, but does not chastise Algy about it, but rather gets straight to gossiping about Lady Hudberry. This would all seem to point to Wilde seeing little importance in being Earnest. As for how this work translates into aestheticism, my best guess is that the final reveal that Jack was Earnest all along was an allegory for art imitating life, however that would depend on one’s view of bumbrying as an art form.
I liked your interpretation on the ending and its connection to aestheticism. Art imitating life seems to connect the main themes of the play.
DeleteI thoroughly enjoyed The Importance of Being Earnest. I believe that Wilde’s upbringing had a huge influence on the play. He was apart of the same high society as the characters in the play. He would sit in on his mother’s salons and would just listen, I am positive in his hours of listening he picked up on the darker side to being apart of the upper class. At the time, high society was all about appearances and what others thought of you, not about who you really were under all the labels. Gwendolyn sums this up when she states “in matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.” The obsession with class and wealth is evident when Lady Bracknell drills Jack on his income and his assets. She is pleased to find out he has a country home and a town home but remarks that his town home is on “the unfashionable side” of Belgrave Square (a very expensive and desirable location). Lady Bracknell also displays her desire to retain her status when she is suddenly very supportive of Algernon's engagement to Cecily when it is revealed she has 130 pounds in her bank account. I think that part of the irony in the play is that Jack and Algernon create reasons to escape the lives they live. Algernon created a dying friend “Bunbury” who he would use as an excuse to visit the country as much as he’d like, a way to escape the high society life in the city.
ReplyDeleteI think that the conversation between Lady Bracknell and Algy about behaving and feeling well is very telling. Algy was under tremendous pressure to conform to the society in which he lived. Lady Bracknell is very concerned with her image and the image of her family, and she wants to make sure that Algy is behaving well. When asked if he is, he responds “I am feeling very well”. I believe he may respond to this because although he is not behaving in a way society would approve, he is feeling well because he is able to be himself.
- Anna
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ReplyDeleteI think it's really interesting that you commented on how Cecily and Gwendolen don't seem to hold much of a grudge. I wonder if it would be the same if the roles were reversed.
DeletePersonally, I found The Importance of Being Earnest to be an enjoyable and refreshing read. I had never read a book in school that focused so much on breaking free from the traditional constraints of literature and for this reason I found this play to be very enjoyable to read. I really liked Lady Bracknell’s character since I found her remarks to be ironic and very amusing. One of the recurring themes throughout the play is the idea of secrecy, since nearly every character in the play, especially Algernon and Jack, conceal a number of secrets from the other characters. Algernon and Jack are both “Bunburyists” as Algernon calls it, or having a double identity for the purpose of concealing their true identity when they are around certain people. Jack pretends that he has a brother named Ernest, and he pretends to be Ernest when he spends time in town, and he uses his true identity and name when he is in the country. Algernon does something similar by making up a fake friend under the name of Bunbury who constantly suffers from poor health so he has an excuse to get out of his responsibilities that he does not wish to fulfill. Without these secrets, Algy and Jack would have to drastically change their lives and their appearances would differ greatly. Wilde uses this secrecy throughout the play to create a comedic effect, such as when Jack proposes to Gwendolen under the identity of Ernest. Gwendolen speaks of how happy she is since she always wanted to have a husband named Ernest and that, in her opinion, the name Jack is an indication of someone who is “more than usually plain,” while being completely unaware that “Ernest” is actually named Jack. When Gwendolen realizes that Jack has been lying to her the entire time and Jack admits that he “never had a brother in [his] life” and has “not the smallest intention of ever having one in the future,” it is realized that, accidentally, Jack had been telling the truth the entire time. Miss Prism admits to leaving Jack in a handbag at a train station as a child, a child who is the brother of Algernon. Later, Jack realizes that not only is Algy his brother, but his Christian name from when he was baptized is Ernest. Wilde makes this scenario to create a comedic effect as the characters realize that Jack has been telling the truth the entire time, even though he believed himself that he had been telling lies. At the end of the story, everyone reacts positively, especially Gwendolen and Cecily, since they both get to marry Jack and Algernon, respectively, but only after some moments of confusion and anger when the two women realize that they were being lied to (or so they thought). The idea of being earnest actually ends up tying into the secrecy practiced throughout the play since when Jack and Algy intended to keep their secrets, they ended up accidentally telling the truth. In a way, The Importance of Being Earnest is connected to the idea of aestheticism since the play is written purely for having a comedic effect upon readers, and there is not intended to be a very deep meaning behind the character’s actions except to make fun of the character’s actions.
ReplyDeleteAlthough The Importance of Being Earnest is not a very long play, I now understand why it is such a staple in american literature. Because there was only a few recurring characters that made up the plot, everything that Oscar Wilde had them say and do was for a very specific reason.
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 is a very smart line by Wilde because without even knowing it, Algernon is exposing to his aunt that he is in fact not behaving well, as we know he is running around using a different name. The comedy that Lady Bracknell brings to the scenes is based off her irony, and I found that as we got to know her better throughout the play, her comments became even more humorous and fitting with the scenes and her personality. In this particular conversation she is very straight forward with her nephew, telling him that he can not be feeling well and behaving well, because you can't possibly be both at one time. This is one of the first times there is a full conversation with Lady Bracknell, and we discover that her morals are so unrealistic that her personally appears to be joke. Oscar Wilde does this because like we have talked about in class, all the hints that he leaves in the character’s actions and words are there to poke fun at all the symbolism that is usually used in literature. Sometimes symbolism is important to convey a message, but Wilde wanted to poke fun at that by using athleticism to emphasize that some things can just be artistic and beautiful to enjoy. The most excitement part of the play comes at the end because not only do Cecily and Gwendolen find out the truth about the men they are engaged to, but we also learn that Algernon and Jack are brothers. This is Wilde’s way of making fun of the fact that many pieces of literature end in marriage or some sort of a family reunion.Oscar Wilde was very advanced writer for his time, and many people did not realize that until much later.
I didn't realize before that Lady Bracknell is the main contributor of irony, but you're totally right! I think that a lot of time she is clueless about what is going on and brings dramatic irony to the situation. She also overstates and understates frequently, which mocks high society in England.
DeleteGrace, I agree with both you and Emma about Lady Bracknell's character. She was one of my favorite characters because of the humor and irony she added into the play. She seems oblivious to what is going on some of the time, but that is what makes her character so entertaining.
DeleteI definitely did love having the experience of reading “The Importance of Being Earnest”, especially as a class. It’s a very simple short play yet so complex in subtle satirical comedy that ridicules Victorian culture, specifically those of the upper-class. This is highlighted with the character Lady Bracknell and the overly pretentious sayings she had about society, politics, lower-class, and marriage. The concept of “sophistication” and wealth was a running theme throughout the entire play that stood between Jack and Gwendolen’s marriage. Wilde is specifically mocking upper-class making it comical as they are written out to seem more elegant than intellectual. The character Lady Bracknell mocks the Victorian principles it is however ironic that she claims to be a ‘guardian’ of these principles. Some of her remarks being, “never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon. Only people who can’t get into it do that” and “The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound”. One particular idea I enjoyed the mockery of, was how well books at the time were set up meticulously to have a happy ending, so Wilde capitalized on this. Jill mentioned the book “Oliver Twist” that came out at the time, having the resolution within the last few pages. Where books suddenly have a person (or thing) show up that ends up resolving or causing a problem that can pathe a predictable storyline. Even Cecily says, “Mamma has a way of coming back suddenly into a room…” and ‘suddenly’ comes back into the room when Jack is proposing. This can also be said for the handbag that resulted in Jack finding out he was the brother of Algernon.
ReplyDeleteWilde’s humor in The Importance of Being Earnest is masterful. His timely use of irony is comedic for even the most serious of readers. One of his most important techniques is play on words. The underlying humorous mood of the piece is a result of an extended play on the word “earnest” and the name “Ernest.” This wit serves to further the theme of secrecy, while maintaining a degree of honesty. It seems to be a paradox, and yet Jack and Algernon manage it. In the exchange between Aunt Augusta and Algernon, Wilde characterizes Algernon as sly, yet truthful. He “feels” very well, although his behavior is typically at odds with his temperament. In reaction to Algernon’s wit, Aunt Augusta reveals the secret he seeks to avoid by being “earnest” in his reply. Wilde constructs many of the interactions throughout the play in this fashion, as a satire of the values of English society. For Oscar Wilde, aestheticism was an exploration of beauty, the art of the system. High society in England could not function without secrecy, for there was a reputation to be upheld. Indeed, it is difficult for Jack to convince Algernon that his name is not Ernest. Algernon says,“You have always told me it was Ernest. I have introduced you to everyone as Ernest. You answer to the name of Ernest. You look as if your name was Ernest. You are the most earnest-looking person I ever saw in my life.” To portray one identity, and really be another is only possible if one is “earnest,” a regular “Bunburyist.” However, Jack later finds his Christian name to be Ernest, a coincidence unrealistic to the point of irony, but then again Wilde seeks only the beauty of the art of fiction. Realism is markedly absent and aestheticism overwhelmingly manifest.
ReplyDeleteI like your connection of secrecy in the play to secrecy in high Victorian society.
DeleteYou did a really nice job of decoding the motives behind all the characters. I definitely agree that Wilde's love of aestheticism played a large role in how he portrayed all of his characters, especially Algy and Jack.
DeleteI went into reading “The Importance of Being Earnest” expecting it to be similar to a lot of the other pieces of fiction I have read from that time period: serious and stern. However, I quickly realized my expectations were wrong, and I ended liking the play a lot more that I thought I would. It strayed from all of the traditional elements of literature in order to focus on its own light hearted humor. In fact, I think it was the satirical and humorous tone, which ended up making fun of a lot of the things that I expected the play to be about, that captivated me the most. My favorite example of this is when Cecily and Gwendolyn are fighting over tea.
ReplyDelete“Cecily: [Sweetly.] Sugar?
Gwendolen. [Superciliously.] No, thank you. Sugar is not fashionable anymore. [Cecily looks angrily at her, takes up the tongs and puts four lumps of sugar into the cup.]...
Gwendolen. You have filled my tea with lumps of sugar, and though I asked most distinctly for bread and butter, you have given me cake. I am known for the gentleness of my disposition, and the extraordinary sweetness of my nature, but I warn you, Miss Cardew, you may go too far.”
With this scene, Wilde is able to make a direct criticism of the frivolous trends followed by high society through Gwendolen’s absurd response to sugar in tea. The clever way that Wilde is able to insert his mocking commentary on the upper class and societal expectation makes the play unique and exciting to follow. Even the title of the play had a clever and ironic twist to it. Ernest as an adjective means sincere and honest, however in the play the name was used to cover up lies made by Jack and Algy. The importance of the name Ernest to Gwendolen and Cecily also has ties to aestheticism. Each one is set on marrying a man named Earnest, and it seems that they fell in love with men going by that name for the aesthetic purpose of it.
“Gwendolen: We live, as I hope you know, Mr. Worthing, in an age of ideals. The fact is constantly mentioned in the more expensive monthly magazines, and has reached the provincial pulpits, I am told; and my ideal has always been to love some one of the name of Ernest.” She doesn’t seem interested at all in marrying a man named Jack, as the name isn’t ideal and doesn’t have “thrill” or “music” like Ernest does.
I really like the quote that you chose to analyze, I think that it captures Wilde's criticism of society perfectly.
DeleteThe title of Oscar Wilde’s play, The Importance of Being Earnest, suggests a play that is both solemn and formal, which is ultimately the exact opposite of what Wilde delivers. Clearly, a master of the ironic and sarcastic, Wilde uses the play on words in his title to usher in and manipulate deceptiveness back onto itself until, in a moment of satirical release, make-believe and role-playing become reality. It is quite a rollercoaster of twists-and-turns with each character and set of circumstances wreaking havoc on the play. Of course, “Being Earnest” is at the forefront of the play’s intent, and this is both a literal and figurative mandate. On the one hand, Jack and Algernon both play Earnest the person, but it is the undercurrent of deceit that is the driving force of this play. Jack is Earnest in the city; Algernon is Earnest in the country; and no one is at all earnest. In the end, Jack is legitimately Earnest. Again, this play on words reveals an acknowledgement of the significance of owning the truth. But, are the misstatements and ruses too much for the players to withstand? “… (A)fter all, who has the right to cast a stone…?” Miss Prism seems to think that “repentance” can right the wrongs of all who have played loose with the truth. But, even Jack appreciates his birthright, he “realize(s) for the first time … the vital Importance of Being Earnest.” And with that closing line, Jack merges the dichotomy of themes in Wilde’s seminal work and brings them into focus. The buffoonery of Jack and Algernon’s antics would have delighted the aesthetic movement and those who saw art for art’s sake, but the hidden meaning in Wilde’s words exposes him as less superficial and a much deeper thinker.
ReplyDeleteI like the point you make about the title of the play. :)
Delete^ - Nadia Aruri
DeleteI really like how you tied in the irony name 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. It really reflects Oscar Wilde's work as a whole, not in it's accuracy but in the sarcastic tone and events in the play.
ReplyDeleteAs many of my peers have previously mentioned, I loved the experience of reading “The Importance of Being Earnest” in class. Often in school we read serious and somber books about death and other melancholy subjects. It was fun to switch it up and read a comical play. Although the play is fairly brief, it is wonderfully crafted in a way that makes it subtly humorous. Oscar Wilde formulates the book around the secrecy and “bunburying” of two main characters, Ernest/Jack and Algernon. Due to the pressure of Victorian society, these characters feel the need to lie about their identities in order to be accepted in such a critical community. In particular, I think the conversation between Algernon and Lady Bracknell brought up some very important points about the theme of the play. When Lady Bracknell says, “Algy, I hope you are behaving well.”, he responds by saying, “I am feeling very well, Aunt Augusta.” By not directly answering the question, we see that he is indeed not behaving well but is feeling better than ever. In an age of judgement and pressure, it is nearly impossible to behave well and feel good at the same time.
ReplyDeleteAestheticism relates very well to “The Importance of Being Earnest”. Aestheticism was about “art for art’s sake” and appreciating the beauty in art rather than the true meaning of it. Similarly, the characters in “The Importance of Being Earnest” view life in a very superficial way that only focuses on how things appear, rather than how they truthfully are. For example, Lady Bracknell believes that the appearance and class of her husband are the most important part. She even says, “You can hardly imagine that I and Lord Bracknell would dream of allowing our only daughter--a girl brought up with the utmost care--to marry into a cloak-room, and form an alliance with a parcel?” Not only is class and appearance important to her, but she also raises her daughter to have the same mindset.
Throughout The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde frequently builds up jokes for long periods of time to finally be revealed for a clever punchline. A good example of such is demonstrated when Algy eats all of the cucumber sandwiches, and pretends to be shocked when they’re gone, by “[picking up empty plate in horror.]” and exclaiming “Good heavens! Lane! Why are there no cucumber sandwiches? I ordered them specially.” Knowing this style of Wilde’s humor, the entire winding story can be viewed as the buildup to the final punchline that Jack’s lies had all been true, and he finally knew “the importance of being earnest.” This complex story full of loose ends that realistically would never be tied comes together perfectly with a bow on top due to parodying cliche, heartfelt tales such as Oliver Twist with the reveal of Jack’s true childhood. Of course, due to the entire play being satire, everyone naturally welcomes this twist and lives happily ever after.
ReplyDeleteSecrecy, specifically when emphasized with humor, propels most of the plot development within The Importance of Being Earnest. Mockeries of societal expectations within Victorian society and works of literature that were praised at the time are themes that the play is dependent upon to prove a point by not having a point. The Importance of Being Earnest demonstrates Wilde’s support of aestheticism by essentially making fun of what was deemed meaningful in culture at the time, and claiming it had no true purpose. Aestheticism is a paradox, because even being meaningless has meaning, and expresses the author’s viewpoint on the topics they write about. By closing the story with Jack claiming to have realized “the importance of being earnest” regardless of being completely insincere throughout the whole play, a meaningful purpose is given to Wilde’s work, whether or not he intended to. This final punchline to an entire novel’s worth of buildup reveals the hypocrisy and superficiality of the Victorian era that Wilde so deeply detested.
I agree with your point of how realistically the loose ends of the play would never be tied that perfectly together. The play follows the path of a complete circle, literally. It ends with the last line of the play being the title. Wilde really hit home with his distaste for Victorian society by ending with this final blow.
DeleteWhen it came time to read Oscar Wilde I wasn’t sure what to expect. Like most people, I knew the Oscar Wilde quote “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken” but that was the only thing that I knew from him. I never knew that he wrote books or what time period he was from or anything about his personal life. Reading, The Importance of Being Earnest, it gave me an insight to his personal life both in his personality and his affairs. The way that he uses secrecy in his writing is the same way that he used it in his everyday life. With private excursions to the country, the same way that Algy uses Bunbury as a way to escape to the country. He was able to live in the public eye, just as Algy, running a normal life that hid his private affairs. Hence, the quote from Lady Bracknell that "behaving very well" and "feeling very well", "rarely go together." Both Algy and Wilde lived this Bunburyist lifestyle that allowed for them to feel very well and not behave very well.
ReplyDeleteWhen the secret is revealed at the end, it’s set up perfectly. When the girls meet and suddenly everyone starts coming to Jack’s house in the country you can predict what’s going to happen next. Everyone is shocked by the reality of their names and identities. One of the more interesting reactions is from Cecily, who had said she always knew she was going to love someone named Earnest. She is able to get her happy ending as is everyone else when it turns out that all their lies were true. The idea of being “earnest”, is very important in this context. Earnest, truly was being sincere as he did end up being Earnest.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde was my favorite read for the year because not only do I enjoy plays, but I was fond of Wilde’s use of humor throughout the play. One of the first aspects of the piece that stood out to me was the connection to aestheticism in the play. Oscar Wilde grew up in a family that was very dogmatic in regards to the world of art. They believed that it was okay for an individual to lie in order to increase the profoundness of the story. Similarly, that idea is expressed in the play in regards to Algy’s and Jack’s behavior. Throughout the play, they were not Earnest to their identity and name. However, this was done for a greater purpose, which was to please the ones they love. Given that Gwendolen and Cecily both had a desire to have a man called Earnest, they were willing to create lies for the greater good. Furthermore, in the interaction “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.” Here is an example where Wilde uses comedy in order to engage the audience further. In addition, the theme of secrecy is recurring in the characters of Algy and Jack since they were dishonest about their names. However, Wilde is able to make specific choices in regards to the plot so that past events tie into the present and creates a comedic reveal at the end.
ReplyDeleteThe Importance of Being Earnest was one of the few literary works we’ve studied in school that has physically made me laugh out loud. The constant irony that is strung along from start to finish kept the dialogue interesting, and of course, comical! In the very first scene, the random anecdotes made me chuckle as we read them aloud in class. The cucumber sandwiches, particularly Algy saying things like, “Please don’t touch the cucumber sandwiches. They are ordered specially for Aunt Augusta. [Takes one and eats it.]” is just one of the many examples of their silly personalities. Algy and Jack could perhaps considered immature, but their charismatic personalities are charming to follow along with, despite their fake identities. I think that Wilde was illustrating through these characters how we all secretly would love a separate identity to escape to now and then. Current day examples like Hannah Montana continue to emphasize this theme of false identities and the thrilling freedom that can come from forgetting our common identification. When the truth about the men’s identities is revealed, rightfully so, both Gwendolen and Cecily are angry that their future husbands have been lying to them. The likelihood of this situation happening in real life is rather unlikely, which makes the situation and their anger all the more comical. Furthermore, when it is discovered that Miss Prism left Jack in the handbag, making him Algy’s younger brother, the likelihood of reality because even less realistic, therefore even more comical. The secrets, lying and, pretending demonstrate the opposite of being earnest, again adding to the sense of irony throughout the play. In the exchange between Lady Bracknell and Algy, the difference between behaving well and feeling well emphasizes the importance of honesty, or lack thereof. Both Algy and Jack are dishonest for the majority of the play, creating the spectacle of “being earnest “ that Oscar Wilde portrays to the audience.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I loved the humor in the play! It definitely made it more enjoyable to read. I also liked your connection to Hannah Montana- totally the same idea! She doesn't want to be a full time popstar so she hides her identity in order to escape the spotlight of fame.
Delete- Anna
I really enjoyed reading and watching Oscar Wilde’s work, The Importance of Being Earnest. Each character had its own unique personality and contributed in their own way to the play. Wilde’s humor and irony throughout the play kept me intrigued and invested in the story line. The theme of education and truth were two very important ideas that were threaded throughout the work. Being well educated and wealthy was of great importance, especially to Lady Bracknell. The secrecy of identity showed irony throughout the play as well because of who “Jack” ended up actually being. This play is a staple to how much wealth and status mattered in the Victorian Age, and how little freedom women had in choosing a husband. The strict, traditional, money driven characteristics of Lady Bracknell is a perfect indicator of what The Victorian Age was truly like. Wilde’s choice to add comic relief to the mix helped take away from showing how little options women had in their life at the time.
ReplyDeleteFor me, reading the The Importance of Being Earnest was a really enjoyable experience. I feel that as high school students, and especially AP students we don’t often get the chance to read literature like Wilde’s. We’re subjected to more serious novels and plays, that display a message about social or political issues around the world. And while I do enjoy many of these novels, it was nice to get a good laugh in for once.
ReplyDeleteIn this play, candor isn’t something that really any of the characters hold a high value to. Wilde takes us on this journey of two men deciding they want to marry these two women they have encountered who both think they are of the name of Earnest. It’s quite comedic, and as the story progresses, they become more entangled in their lies. When caught in their lies, Jack explains to the girls the truth at once and says, “Gwendolen—Cecily—it is very painful for me to be forced to speak the truth. It is the first time in my life that I have ever been reduced to such a painful position, and I am really quite inexperienced in doing anything of the kind. However, I will tell you quite frankly that I have no brother Ernest. I have no brother at all.” Jack, as well as Algeron, are pathological liars. They do not see the truth of any value, and think lying is a much more efficient way of living their lives. In this part, he comes outright and just says it.
But it isn’t just Jack and Algy. It seems everyone in this novel feels the same way about lying, that it’s a way of life. The girls don’t hold back either, in a conversation between Ms. Bracknell and Cecily taking about age, they go: “Cecily: Well, I am really only eighteen, but I always admit to twenty when I go to evening parties.
Lady Bracknell: You are perfectly right in making some slight alteration .Indeed, no woman should ever be quite accurate about her age. It looks so calculating.”
At the end, all the characters reach a point where they must halt in their lies and reveal the truth. One thing that stands out as the most unique is perhaps the fact that none of characters feel any remorse about lying.
- NADIA
DeleteIt takes a certain type of personality, and respect for comedy in order to fully appreciate and respect Oscar Wildes work, The Importance of Being Earnest, and for that matter all of Wilde’s work. Without respect for secrecy, irony, and comedy the embodiment of Wilde’s prose could easily be lost on a read. The dedication Oscar Wilde puts into his writing style and tone is the perfect example of the Aestheticism movement. The irony of his characters is carried out throughout the whole play, thus making Wilde’s work that much stronger. The Importance of Being Earnest showed mastery in setting up and building a secret only to unveil it at the perfect moment in the plot. The climax of the poem is the perfect example of this, Algernon and Jack withhold their true identities from their love interests throughout the majority of the play. This allows the suspense to build, constructing the perfect climax for everything to be revealed.
ReplyDeleteThe men have been lying compulsively in order to avoid the overwhelming social responsibilities at the time, they instead go around ‘bunburying’ and pining after their love interests, “Jack: [Slowly and hesitatingly] Gwendolen—Cecily—it is very painful for me to be forced to speak the truth. It is the first time in my life that I have ever been reduced to such a painful position, and I am really quite inexperienced in doing anything of the kind. However, I will tell you quite frankly that I have no brother Ernest. I have no brother at all.” All of Jack and Algy’s lies come crashing down in front of them and they almost lose their dream girls because of it. Wilde does this in order to create some conflict, and timing at which he does this only adds to the effect by furthering the reactions of the rest of the cast. The moment an author reveals their secrets is so crucial, it’s all about timing. Oscar Wilde’s timing was impeccable which made his work so powerful.
Wilde wrote the “The Importance of Being Earnest” following the structure of a Shakespearean comedy; the characters have a problem, the plot follows them trying to absolve this problem, the play ends with the problem resolved and everyone gets married. Wilde uses this structure to satirize Victorian society by writing a play that he knew would appeal to a wide range of audiences. This play is an example of Wilde’s love for aestheticism as well, having written it with the intention of giving the story and its characters little to no depth. Wilde uses comedic secrecy at a surface level understanding, setting up his jokes in a way where the audience already knows what is going to happen. He does this by using secrecy as the thread that connects all of his characters lives, the title of the play creating a paradox to this element of secrecy. This is most prevalent with the characters Jack and Algy, related by their mastery of bunburying. They have both created separate identities from themselves that allow them to get away from their everyday lives. It is this separate identity that introduces the audience to the main dilemma of the play as well as their future wives. The lives of Jack and Algy become paralleled by the end of Act II, when the truth of their deceit has been revealed. Once the truth comes out, all is well in the world of the play, having the perfect little ending.
ReplyDeleteReading "The Importance of Being Earnest" was a great experience as I enjoyed the contrastingly comedic plot line taken to traditional moral-based texts. The basis of the text centered around the title "The Importance of being Earnest" works to intertwine an ironic secrecy to the characters among each other. Tied into the ideas of aestheticism, this text lacked a hidden meaning or moral, but merely served to amuse. Specific references such as the cucumber sandwiches served as an emphasis for this. Instead, the text focuses on interaction between the character's secrecy and the ultimate resolution. Characters initially remained secretive about personal facts and lied throughout with the invention of the character Bunbury who suffers from illness when proved practical, and of Earnest who serves as a second identity. John and Algy hiding their names entailed this lesson as they initially served to be anything but Earnest, and at last when finally coming forth about their true selves, did they learn that Jack was truly Earnest. This choice in plot was intended both physically, but also came to show their truthfulness and sincerity in finally coming forth. Ultimately, the meaning behind this highlighted the idea that lying to prevent hurting someone rarely works as it will eventually come to light, and that integrity and sincerity prevail.
ReplyDeleteReading The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde was a much different experience than I thought it would be. Although I had expected the overall Victorian era that was focused on society and each character’s role in it, I was surprised at the amount of secrecy. I like how Wilde commented on the pressure of society by adding humor and irony with his characters by allowing Jack to live a double life as Ernest and Algernon as Bunbury, and later as Ernest as well. Jack reasons that since in the country he has a responsibility to take care of Cecily, he adopts a “high moral tone”. He explains that this “tone can hardly be said to conduce very much to either one’s health or one’s happiness…That, my dear Algy, is the whole truth pure and simple.” He uses Ernest to lead a second life in which he can escape the social constructs of the time.These secrets seemed to unfold at just the right moment, whether it was Aunt Augusta bursting in after the two proposals or Bunbury conveniently dying just before her little visit. At these truths, especially when Gwendolyn and Cecily learn the truth about their fiancees, there is an immediate shock. But surprisingly, the characters don’t seem to hold too much of a grudge as the conflict is usually magically solved by the end of the same act. For example, when the girls learn about all the lies their partners have told but end up forgiving and forgetting only moments later when Jack’s true origin and name as well as Cecily’s funds are discovered. At the end, we find out that Jack’s name in fact was Ernest and he did have a brother, so all the lies that he had told ended up being the truth and solving everything. He tells Gwendolyn, “I always told you, Gwendolen, my name was Ernest, didn’t I? Well, it is Ernest after all. I mean it naturally is Ernest.” Although he thought it was a lie, his name truly was Ernest and he had a brother all along. I think that this play ties into Aestheticism because like “The Hunger Artist”, society is about the facade that you put on for the rest of the world. Gwendolyn explains, “In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.” Although it may not be honest and sincere to pretend, the face you put out to the world is ultimately the most important rather than if it is true. They don’t see the struggles of the artist, or in this case the deceit and lies behind someone’s social status. Just as in Aestheticism, the emphasis is put on the art’s beauty rather than the meaning behind it or what went on behind the scenes to create it.
ReplyDeleteI like how you tied it back in with The Hunger Artist. I think it's a great point that you never know what struggles or lies are underneath someone's outward appearance.
ReplyDelete-Anna