roosevelt

658 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The role of women in 20th century literature

Oscar Wilde establishes a difference between Jack and Algernon by creating a spoof on Jacks masculinity, through Algernon’s dandyish nature and by giving each of them certain characteristics.
Right from the start, Jack Worthing is depicted as the ingénue character of this novel. This is of course a satire of the ideal Victorian man. The classic Victorian man was socially confident, had a personal presence, and was almost certainly the dominating voice in a conversation with a lady. However, Oscar Wilde creates Jack as the ingénue by letting him be easily dominated, by putting him in the shoes of the innocent, unsophisticated and naïve when talking to the knowledgeable, sophisticated and worldly Gwendolen, and by being slow witted when talking to Algernon.
When Jack is talking to Gwendolen it becomes noticeable of his lack of masculinity and Gwendolen’s ‘appetite’ and intelligence. An example of this is when Jack is tentatively going about the subject of marriage by talking about the weather and Gwendolen says “don’t talk to me about the weather, Mr Worthing. Whenever people talk to me about the weather, I always feel quite certain they mean something else.” Instead of blushing and keeping quite, she puts him on his heels and states what she thinks; this is a very unladylike trait. As a result of Jack’s ingénue nature, his response is not a gentlemanly one. He is reserved and unable to say what he wants to. Consequently, he amateurishly fails to propose gentlemanly and relies on Gwendolen to lead him. By writing this, Wilde has created Jack as the ingénue and lady Gwendolen as the outspoken, educated and domineering figure. This is ironic as it should be the other way round.
Jack is also quite futile when it comes to a joke Algern...

... middle of paper ...

...e would admit to it immediately. This shows Algie’s ability to think on his feet, which as Gwendolen proven, Jacks lacks in.
In this play one can tell that Algernon of all people does not take anything seriously apart from the most trivial of matters. When it comes to proposing Jack says he came up to town for “pleasure”, whereas Algernon believes it is “business”. Moreover, when Algernon is playing the piano on the first page he says, “I don’t play accurately – anybody can play accurately – but I play with wonderful expression”. This shows the polarity between the two of them; Jack takes seriously what Algernon does not and vise versa.
Therefore, Oscar Wilde establishes a difference between the two of them by depicting Jack as the ingénue and Algernon as the dandy; by giving Algernon the gift of the gab opposite to Jack and by creating a satire on Jacks manliness.

Show More
Related

  • Unit 1 TEst

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    The idea of absurdity in Victorian times was embraced by some writers and looked down upon by others. Oscar Wilde embraced the absurd whole-heartedly. This is obvious, if not even the theme, of The Importance of Being Earnest. Not only is the word "absurd" used many times in the story, but the ridiculousness of the characters and their roles conveys the ideas of absurdity in the Victorian Era.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Roles of Women in Arcadia, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Look Back in Anger

    1829 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Oscar Wilde’s drama The Importance of Being Earnest, he uses light-hearted tones and humor to poke fun at British high society while handling the serious theme of truth and the true identity of who is really “Earnest.” Truth as theme is most significantly portrayed through the women characters, Gwendolen and Cecily but to present serious themes comically, Wilde portrays women to be the weaker sex of society, despite the seriousness of the subject—the identity of the men they want to marry.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Being Earnest Analysis

    1578 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jack’s persona ‘Earnest’ has been described by Miss Prism as “irretrievably weak and vacillating” (701.35). Not only that, but Jack uses his persona of Earnest to make it seem like Jack adheres to notions of duty, honor and respectability all the while getting into mischief in London as his fake brother Ernest. Jack has shown that he will even lie to his loved ones his persona in order to get away with misbehaving and be seen as upright and moral. Later into the play Jack and his double life collide when the woman he loves starts to love his alter ego Earnest, although Ernest was an escape Jack used for his personal life but when his personal life and his real life collide he has to embrace his deception to get the life that he truly

    Read More

  • Irony in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

    383 Words  | 1 Pages

    Irony in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde The play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is full of irony. Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, the protagonists in the play, get themselves into a complicated situation called Bunburyism (as Algernon refers to it). They pretend to be someone that they are not to escape their daily lives. They lie to the women they admire, and eventually the truth is revealed.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde

    1272 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...erpreted as dark and significant to the period. The comedy Wilde achieves is at the expense of the characters who are seemingly intelligent adding to the ironic structure that much of the comedy is based on. Many of the comic elements of the play are shown through human reactions to Victorian repression and the effect it has on the men and women of the time. Love seems to be nonexistent within the finds of the fierce and brutal Aristocracy when so many of the qualities they value are not based on human qualities but that of the class’s social norms. Wildes Characters are at often times not subtle about their distaste in marriage and love, Algernon is no exception to this “In aried lie, three is company, two is none” showing that they all have distorted views on many of the social practices that make them morally sound, thus adding to the satire elements of the play.

    Read More

  • Tartuffe Hypocrisy Essay

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    Molière’s play “Tartuffe and Oscar Wilde’s play “The Importance of Being Earnest” both demonstrate a comical portrait of hypocrisy. In “Tartuffe”, the main character Tartuffe is seen as a religious hypocrite who takes advantage of Orgon’s wealth and agrees to marry his daughter, Mariane against her wishes. In “The Importance of Being Earnest”, Jack and Algernon both lie about their identity to get the woman of their dreams. The authors use the concept of double personalities in the play to reveal the deceit and lies to represent the theme of hypocrisy. In fact, hypocrisy is not only displayed in the characters but in the play as a whole. Additionally, the plays are both hypocrital in ways that they do not follow the structure of comedy.

    Read More

  • Satire in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest

    1998 Words  | 4 Pages

    In conclusion, The Importance of Being Earnest strongly focuses on those of the upper class society and the vanity of the aristocrats who place emphasis on trivial matters concerning marriage. Both Algernon and Jack assume the identity of "Ernest" yet ironically, they both are beginning their marital lives based on deception and lies. Lady Bracknell represents the archetypal aristocrat who forces the concept of a marriage based on wealth or status rather than love. Through farce and exaggeration, Wilde satirically reveals the foolish and trivial matters that the upper class society looks upon as being important. As said earlier, a satiric piece usually has a didactic side to it. In this case, Lady Bracknell learns that the same person she was criticising is actually her own flesh and blood.

    Read More

  • Social Order Satire in "The Importance of Being Ernest"

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    Two adolescent women who incorrectly consider the men’s names to be Ernest, and who are passionate about the men for this very reason think highly of both Jack and Algernon. In relating the story of mix-ups and mistaken identities, the ideals and manners of the Victorian society are satirized in a comedy where the characters "treat all the trivial things of life seriously and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality"(Wilde, Oscar). Oscar Wilde’s amusing scenes often take their source in societal satire and unconventional (Baselga 15). All the way through his play, The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde satirizes education, women, and morality.

    Read More

  • The Double Life in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Importance of Being Earnest appears to be a conventional 19th century farce. False identities, prohibited engagements, domineering mothers, lost children are typical of almost every farce. However, this is only on the surface in Wilde's play. His parody works at two levels- on the one hand he ridicules the manners of the high society and on the other he satirises the human condition in general. The characters in The Importance of Being Earnest assume false identities in order to achieve their goals but do not interfere with the others' lives. The double life led by Algernon, Jack, and Cecily (through her diary) is simply another means by which they liberate themselves from the repressive norms of society. They have the freedom to create themselves and use their double identities to give themselves the opportunity to show opposite sides of their characters. They mock every custom of the society and challenge its values. This creates not only the comic effect of the play but also makes the audience think of the serious things of life.

    Read More

  • Picture of Dorian Gray: Influence, Corruption and Conscience

    3042 Words  | 7 Pages

    Woodcock, George.  The Paradox of Oscar Wilde.  London-New York: T.V. Boardman and Co., Ltd., 1950.

    Read More

  • The Misunderstood Legacy of Oscar Wilde

    1652 Words  | 4 Pages

    Surrounded by scandal caused by his own deception, Oscar Wilde left this world with a legacy of often misunderstood wit, a brilliant collection of writing, and sordid tales of an extramarital homosexual affair. The playwright progressed from a fashionable, flippant fop immersed in London society to a man broken by the public discovery of his relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas. In his prime, Oscar Wilde was a social butterfly, admired and accepted by an artistic circle until his illicit affair became public; throughout his plays, he mocked the same London society with which he himself was quite involved. Within these plays, Oscar Wilde frequently created a character to represent himself, usually a witty, slightly devious dandy who could be a direct voice for the playwright. In An Ideal Husband, the characteristically clever Lord Goring cloaked wisdom in triviality, much like Wilde himself; in The Importance of Being Earnest, the deceitful but good-hearted Algernon embodied many of the qualities of his creator. In each of these plays, struggles within Wilde’s life often surfaced within the plot and dialogue. At the time they were written, the frenzied affair between Douglas and Wilde was at an apex, and the issues surrounding the situation--marital problems, conflicts with the government, and deception--permeated the works. The concept of deception woven throughout Oscar Wilde’s plays An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest both reflected and drew inspiration from the artifice within his own life.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Being Earnest Marriage Theme Analysis

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Victorian era, marriage was almost a chore. Most people get married out of need rather than want. In the Play, this is evident when Lady Bracknell objects to Gwendolen and Ernest’s engagement on the basis of his lack of legitimate background. On the other hand, Jack objects to the marriage of Cecily and Algernon’s just to spite Algernon. Both Algernon and Jack assume the identity of "Ernest" yet ironically, they both plan on starting their married life with a lie.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Being Earnest Analysis

    1184 Words  | 3 Pages

    Oscar Wilde’s treatment of high society and manners are explored in the play “The Importance of Being Earnest”. Here, members of the upper class display a great deal of pride and pretense, feeling that they are inherently entitled to their wealth and higher social position. An example is Lady Bracknell, who is preoccupied with maintaining the status quo that she quickly squashes any signs of rebellion. Characters from higher societies/classes are mainly concerned about their reputation and respectability. Thus, expectations of the upper class for both men and women include being upstanding, rich and come from a wealthy family. Wilde’s criticism on high society and manners are explored through the characteristics of Lady Bracknell; the dialogue between Gwendolen and Cecily; and the characteristics of Jack in the country.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Importance of Being Earnest

    544 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the play, Jack and Algernon thought that they were less than brothers, just friends. But in the end it is known that they are in fact brothers and they were oblivious to the fact. This further explains that without even knowing the truth about one another, they will always be there for each other.

    Read More

  • Satire In Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnest

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wilde’s didactic satire delves deep into the problems of society, highlighting to the audience all the flaws of human beings and their social obligations while keeping it light-hearted and enjoyable for audiences. The author’s mockery and satire of society, as seen in his play, is most likely stemmed from his lack of acceptance and frustration at the society he believes to be ‘proper’. Readers today laugh at the situations portrayed because they are satirical and humourous, but they also question the motives behind the character “Earnest” because they see that “earnest”, meaning seriousness or sincerity, is the one thing the characters most certainly do not portray. However, towards the end of the play, when all has come out, Jack states that “I’ve now realized for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest” (Wilde 2000, p.358), which may in fact be the most blatantly satirical line of the play, and a great summation of the lies the play relied on. This explores Wilde’s use of double entendre as Jack lives a double life, alongside the use of an elaborate p...

    Read More

More about roosevelt

Open Document