The Importance of Being Earnest Noah | Meliha Grbic’ | Mia Klopfenstein | Geneve Lau The Meeting of Cecily & Gwendolen Click ↯ https://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=1Yvb25Ypvhw&t=137s Let’s Talk! stock conflict? satire? characters? dramatic irony? foreshadowing? Convention 1 : Foil Algernon and Jack ★ Older/younger sibling ★ Jack: more responsible, compassionate ○ “For Heaven’s sake, don’t try to be cynical. It’s perfectly easy to be cynical.” ○ “My dear Algy, I don’t know whether you will be able to understand my real motives. You are hardly serious enough.” ★ Algernon: frivolous, less responsible, aesthetically concerned ○ “If I am occasionally over-dressed, I make up for it by being immensely over-educated” (1292-1293) ○ Cucumber sandwich situation Convention 1 : Foil Gwendolen and Cecily ★ Urban/Country life ★ Similarities: both love Ernest, diary, ★ Gwendolen: sophisticated, polished ○ “Gwendolen: [Satirically.] I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade. It is obvious that our social spheres have been widely different.” (II. 297-229) ★ Cecily: simple, witty and charming ○ “Gwendolen: Five counties! I don’t think I should like that; I hate crowds. ○ Cecily: [Sweetly] I suppose that is why you live in town? [Gwendolen bites her lip, and beats her foot nervously with her parasol.] Convention 2 : Denouement ★ Bunburying conflict climaxes in the garden, Resolution occurs in the house ★ Cecily and Gwendolen swear to remain distant to Jack and Algernon ○ However, Gwendolen makes the first move: “Mr. Worthing, I have something very particular to ask you” (1891-1892). ○ Characterization of Gwendolen and Cecily lends itself to a fast resolution ★ Gwendolen and Cecily are immediately content with the bunburying explanations ○ “Gwendolen: ...Their explanations appear to be quite satisfactory.../ Cecily: I am more than content…” (1913-1915) ★ Jack reveals Algernon’s deception to Lady Bracknell → She doesn’t care ○ Condones the marriage of Algernon and Cecily. ★ Jack and Algernon are actually brothers → How ironic! Jack is Ernest. ★ Everyone embraces their beloved. ★ “Jack: On the contrary, Aunt Augusta, I’ve now realised for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest” (2411-2414). Convention 3 : Dramatic Irony Gwendolen and Cecily fighting over “Ernest” Textual Evidence ★ Audience knows what they don’t ★ “Cecily: But I don’t like the name of Algernon…/ Algernon: ★ ...if my name was Algy, couldn’t you love me?/ Cecily: I might Pursuit of name rather than a person respect you, Ernest, I might admire your character, but I fear that I should not be able to give you my undivided attention” Jack and Algernon (1438-1448). ★ Audience sees the situation tie itself up ★ “Cecily: Dearest Gwendolen, there is no reason why I should ★ make a secret of it to you. Our little county newspaper is sure Algernon pretending to be Ernest to chronicle the fact next week. Mr. Ernest Worthing and I are engaged to be married./ Gwendolen: My darling Cecily, I think Gwendolen and Cecily engaged to the same Ernest there must be some slight error. Mr. Ernest Worthing is engaged to me. The announcement will appear in the “Morning Post” on Saturday at the latest” (1568-1576). ★ Neither have them have seen the other’s fiancè Convention 4 : Verbal Irony Verbal irony provides humor and characterization Examples Textual Evidence ★ Earnest vs Ernest ★ “On the contrary, Aunt Augusta, I’ve now realized the first time in my life the vital Importance of ★ Cucumber Sandwiches Being Earnest.” ★ Gwendolen and Cecily ★ Algernon: “I am greatly distressed, Aunt Augusta, about there being no cucumbers, not even for ready money.” ★ Cecily: “Oh, flowers are as common here, Miss Fairfax, as people are in London.” Gwendolen: “Personally I cannot understand how anybody manages to exist in the country, if anybody who is anybody does. The country always bores me to death.” Critical Lens 1 : Feminist Background: ★ Domesticity and motherhood ★ Influence in the public sphere was limited ★ Marriage is social climbing/preservation Play: ★ Female agency in love-Cecily pursuing Algernon ★ Lady Bracknell as a leader and a strong female lead ★ Miss Prism as the epitome of education and changing female roles (heroine) Theme: ★ Through his play The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde challenges prevailing notions about the roles of women and men. Through his use of foil, verbal irony and characterization, Wilde simultaneously demonstrates the increasing responsibility and freedom women have and the farcical idea that men are naturally superior to women. Critical Lens 2 : Marxist ★ Members of Victorian England high society are primarily concerned with their social status, and as a result they choose to interact primarily with those who will preserve or boost their status and power ★ Bunburying is a form of deception that only members of high society can exercise due to their lack of responsibility and excess resources Critical Lens 3 : Historical Particularism Politics at the time: Home Rule- self government for Ireland ★ Jack- Liberal Unionist, does not support Home Rule ★ Lady Bracknell’s inquiry, affecting social status as well as moral code The threat & fear of revolution ★ Lady Bracknell considers revolutionary actions “morbid” ★ Working-class riot at Trafalgar Square ★ Unempathetic feelings of this class towards other classes .