Thinking Activity : The Importance of Being Earnest

 

       The Importance of Being Earnest 

   

                                                           -  Oscar Wilde

                                     ( Oscar Wilde :- 1854 - 1900 )

                                       The Importance of being Earnest is a Trivial comedy for serious people. Which is written by Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde was an Irish poet and play weight. After writing in different froms throughout the 1880s , he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s.

                                

                                   

                                        The Importance of being Earnest is a trivial comedy for serious people which is  first performed on 14 february , 1895 at the St. James's Theater in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae to escape burdensome social obligations.

                                  Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play's major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. The Importance of being Earnest has been adapted for the cinema on three occasions.

     

   -: Thinking Activiy on Importance of Being Earnest :-

             

  【 1 】 Can you find any autobiographical element in this novel if yes then illustrate.

   

                       The Importance of Being Earnest was an artistic breakthrough for Wilde, something between self-parody and a deceptively flippant commentary on the dramatic genre in which Wilde had already had so much success. Wilde’s genre of choice was the Victorian melodrama, or “sentimental comedy,” derived from the French variety of “well-made play” popularized by Scribe and Sardou.

                                  Oscar Wilde was the writer of victorian era. He satires Victorian rules most particularly in " The Importance of Being Earnest ". The play satire on the idea of earnestness. He creates episodes in which his characters live secret life or create false impression to express who they really are.

                                  Wilde kept  his homosexuality a secret. He married and had two sons. But in 1891, Wilde began an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, a young british poet and aristocrat 16 years his junior. Douglas' father, the Marquess of Queens berry, was outraged by the relationship and sought to expose Wilde.

                                 This autobiographical element is closely connected with the play. So, we can find that these autobiographical element is thoroughly connected with the play ' Importance of being Earnest.' This play written in Victoria era and it is connected with the rules of that Era. The characters of this play, Jack and Algernon change their identity. Wilde present here his own marriage life with the rules of Victorian age  and it is connected with the characters of this story.

  【  2 】    Did  Lady Bracknell representation of society?

                               

                                      

                                   Lady Bracknell is first and foremost a symbol of Victorian earnestness and the unhappiness it brings as a result. She is powerful, arrogant, ruthless to the extreme, conservative, and proper. In many ways, she represents Wilde's opinion of Victorian upper-class negativity, conservative and repressive values, and power.

                                   Her opinions and mannerisms betray a careful and calculated speaking pattern. She is able to go round for round with the other characters on witty epigrams and social repartee. Despite her current position, Lady Bracknell was not always a member of the upper class; she was a social climber bent on marrying into the aristocracy. As a former member of the lower class, she represents the righteousness of the formerly excluded. Because she is now Lady Bracknell, she has opinions on society, marriage, religion, money, illness, death, and respectability. She is another of Wilde's inventions to present his satire on these subjects.

                               As a ruthless social climber and spokesperson for the status quo, Lady Bracknell's behavior enforces social discrimination and excludes those who do not fit into her new class. Her daughter's unsuitable marriage is an excellent example of how she flexes her muscles. She sees marriage as an alliance for property and social security; love or passion is not part of the mix. She bends the rules to suit her pleasure because she can.

                                   Jack will be placed on her list of eligible suitors only if he can pass her unpredictable and difficult test. She gives him ruthlessly "correct," but immoral, advice on his parents. "I would strongly advise you, Mr. Worthing, to try and acquire some relations as soon as possible, and to make a definite effort to produce at any rate one parent, of either sex, before the season is quite over." It matters not how Jack finds parent,  just that he do it, following the requirements for acceptability.   

                                      Thus , we can say that Lady Bracknell is a representative of the Victorian society. Lady Bracknell's character is different from other characters. She believes in class, identity , society and marriage. Wild put Lady Bracknell's character to reflect the victorian society and also she reflect it by her nature.

    

     【 3 】  Accordingly to your reading what are the leading different find  in this two Victorian work " Importance of Being Earnest " and " Jude the Obscure "

(  Note :- This both literary works talks about marriage )

                               

                                                  Importance of being Earnest and Jude the Obscure both works written during the age of Victoria. Importance of Being Earnest is written by Oscar Wilde and Jude the Obscure is written by Thomas Hardy. This both works represents some similar themes like , marriage, class and society.

                                        Marriage is an important theme in these both works. But their characters have different idea about marriage. Even, Wilde explores the idea of marriage in three broad ways ; how it relates to love , how it is viewed among the upper class and how people choose their mates.

                                     The play Importance of Being Earnest focuses on two man , Algernon and Jack both the members of England's upper class and therefore under social pressure to behave themselves in public. In order to escape this pressure from time  to time , each has created  another identity in another community. Things becomes complicated when , Jack and Algenon falls in love ; Jack with Algernon's cousin , Gwendolen ; Algernon with Jack's ward, cecily. Gwendolen believes Jack is named Earnest and Cecily believes Algernon is named Earnest.

                                  While , Thomas Hardy's work Jude the Obscure consist of critique of institutions of marriage, which Hardy saw as flawed and unjust. The Noble's plot is designed to wring the possible tragedy out of an unhappy marriage , as Jude is first guilted into marrying, Arabella , by her feigned pregnancy , and Sue marries Philloston mostly to make Jude jealous. Both protagonist immediately regret their decision can affect their entire lives.

                                        In this way , in both Victorian work , we can find same theme about marriage but by their author's perspective it is quite different and their idea is different about the mariage.

     

         【 4 】 This play talk about class or marriage or dual identity according to your reading , Can you  identify the main themes of play discriminate with some sapportive arguments.

                                    

                            The Victorian society in which Wilde lived was concerned with wealth, family status, and moral character, especially when it came to marriage.

                               Lady Bracknell's interrogation of Jack's  proposal to marry Gwendolen demonstrates the three “Cs”—cash, class, and character. First she asks him about his finances and then his family relations, a measure of his class. That Jack has none—no family relations, or family name, reflects poorly on his character. Upon finding that Jack has no “relations” she exclaims, “To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune…to lose both seems like carelessness."

                          Because, the name of "Earnest" comes to symbolise different things for different people. For Gwendolen and Cecily, it ' inspires absolute confidence' but also symbolise the ideal husband or lover. For Jack ,' Earnest' is an alter ego, an identity through which he can court Gwendolen .

According to the theme of identity, Gwendolen doesn't accept Jack's proposal because he is earnestly in love with her,but she believes him to be named 'Earnest' , a name she find melodious . Cecily in a similar manner commits to Algernon not because he is earnest but because she believes him to be 'Earnest'. So, the theme of identity play a vital role in this play.

The second important theme is the marriage. By this story Oscar Wilde explain the Victorian marriage institutions.and lady Bracknell was a Victorian woman. She want to her daughter married with wealthy  and upper class man and that's why she ask Jack about their family. At that time identity also plays a vital role.

          【 5 】  Can you make compare and contrast between two characters Jack and Dr.Jekyll ( Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde )

                               The character of Mr. Jack is the character of " The Importance of Being Earnest " which is written by Oscar Wilde and the charater of JekyII is is the character of " Strange case of Dr. JekyII and Mr. Hyde which is written by Thomas Hardy. They both character has double identity that is similar things between them. Even they are different from their nature and behaviour.

              

                                    

●  Character of Jack in the novel "  Importance of Being Earnest "

        ( by  Oscar Wilde )          

                                                              

         

 ●  Character of Dr. Jeky II in the novel " Strange case of Dr. Jecky II and Mr. Hyde  ( by Thomas Hardy )

            Dr. Jeky II :-

             

                                   Dr. Jekyll is the character of "strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr .Hyde". He is well respected and intelligent scientist. He is a wealthy man. He believes that man has two identify "good " and " evil". Dr. Jekyll is a physician who, feels that he is battling between the good and evil within himself, thus leading to struggle with his alter ego, Hyde. Jekyll has a friendly personality, but as Hyde, he becomes mysterious  and violent. So, Dr. Jekyll's second identity as Mr. Hyde made him evil person in the society.

              John Worthing :- 

                             John worthing is the protagonist of the " importance of being earnest". He is a responsible and respectable young man, he has a responsibility of Cecily. Jack Worthing also leads a double life like Dr. Jekyll in the strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr .Hyde.  In Hertfordshire, Jack is known as Jack and in London, he is known as Earnest. Jack is in love with his friend Algernon's cousin Gwendolen. but her aunt lady Bracknell want to know about family of Earnest. When she found that Earnest is orphan man. She  doesn't like this marriage. But Gwendolen like the name"Earnest".so,we can see the double identity of Jack in this story.

The double identity is the similar theme between Jack and Dr.  Jekyll but Jack's second identity as Earnest made him good man to marriage. And Jekyll's second identity as Hyde made him evil person because as Hyde he is a murderer.

      

      【 6 】 See these three videos and after that give you point of view.

      This videos are talking about the homosexuality,and which is not crime. The judgement section 377 was given by five judges bench comprising the then chief justic of India, Dipak Mishra, R.F. Nariman,D.Y. chandrachud, A.M. khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra. section 377 of the Indian penal code is introduced in1861 during the British rule of India. The section 377 tells that homosexual relationship is the criminal act. And it remains in force relating to sex with minors, non- consensual sexual act, and bestiality.

                   As same as the "importance of being earnest" present the idea of homosexualality. The writer of the story Oscar Wilde kept his homosexuality a secret . He married and had two sons. But in 1891, Wilde began an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, a young British poet and aristocrat 16 years his junior. Douglas's father, the Marquess of Queens berry, was outraged by relationship and sought  to expose Wilde. So, this play closely connected with that three videos.