A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between passion and responsibility. For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay show clearly the nature of the conflict, its  effects upon the character, and its significance to the work. Avoid plot summary.

Question: passion vs. responsibility

Natalie Jarecki, Charles Ragland, Ryan Mason, Rachel Roberts

Thesis: In the play The Importance of Being Earnest, the conflict between passion and responsibility is portrayed by the characters Jack and Algernon for whom love conquers over their feelings of duty.

Jack:

Town: in love with Gwendolyn; she is his passion and is the reason he gives up his responsibilities and goes to town as Earnest   pg. 254 line 67-69   pg 257 line 47    pg 258 line 220

Country: has a ward (Cecily) to take care of and is the responsible patriarch, he uses he real name which showing his true role in society and all the responsibilities that come with it  pg. 272 line 13

Resolution: He still recognizes his responsibilities and molds his passion around them, his passions become his responsibilities as he attains a finance and a brother  pg. 258 line 200

Algernon:

Town: his responsibilities are to his aunt Lady Bracknell and also to his prescribed role in society as a bachelor, he does not believe that marriage or proposing is romantic and doesn't understand Jack's want to do it   pg. 255 line 72

Country: he meets Cecily which challenges his role as a bachelor, he becomes a romantic and proposes to her

           pg. 284 line 488

            pg. 283 line 437

Resolution: He is gaining responsiblites through acknowleging his passions. His loses his role as a bachelor and his bachelor responsibilities, like entertaining Lady Bracknell and going to her parties

Michael Gioia

Andrew Sarbone

Andrew Jacobs

Anthony Roggio

Essay 1: Passion vs. Responsibility

I.          Jack

A.        Responsibility

1.         Take care of his ward Cecily

2.         Be a more or less conservative, country resident

3.         “When one is in the country one amuses other people.  It is excessively boring” (254)

4.         “When one is placed in the position of guardian, one has to adopt a very high moral tone on all subjects” (258)

B.        Passion

1.         “As a high moral tone can hardly be said to conduce very much to either one’s health or happiness, in order to get up town I have always pretended to have a younger brother of the name of Ernest” (258)

2.         Ernest able to act however he pleases in the town

3.         Romance with Gwendolyn

4.         Must lie to maintain balance of p/r: Algy: “The truth isn’t quite the sort of thing one tells to a nice sweet refined girl.” (268)

II.          Algernon

A.        Responsibility

1.         Be Aunt Augusta’s conversation piece

2.         Always being set up by Bracknell: “Whenever I do dine [with Aunt Augusta] I am always treated as a member of the family, and sent down with either no women at all, or two.” (259)

B.        Passion

1.         Goes “Bunburying”

a.         Escapes Bracknell through visiting fake friend in country (possible homosexual undertones)

b.         Circumvents Jack’s not letting him see Cecily by acting as Ernest

2.         Doesn’t have much responsibility to begin with, but when told he is not able to do something, he is passionate in rebelling against that

III.         Significance to the work

A.        Both characters’ passions and responsibilities culminate in climactic scenes

1.         Bunbury dying by explosion

2.         Jack confessing to Gwendolyn

B.        Wilde’s commentary – Maybe we would all be happier if we could stop separating our passions and responsibilities so completely as we currently do in Victorian society

Conway, Kaplan, Kolenda, Woolf

Passion vs. Responsibility –

THESIS:  In Oscar Wilde’s play, The Importance of Being Earnest, the main characters exhibit qualities of responsibility and passion; Jack displays his responsibility in the country and passion in the town while Algernon’s responsibility resides the town and his passion resides in the country. 

I.                     Jack  (Ernest)

a.      Responsibility

                                                              i.      Country

1.      Jack is Cecily’s guardian (ward)

a.      He has to set a proper example

b.      He determines who and when Cecily can marry

2.      He has a reputation of being trustworthy, honest, and upstanding

3.      He has to be serious and respectful to Ms. Prism, Mr. Chausible, and his servants

                                                            ii.      Quotable Quotes

1.      P. 258 – When one is placed in the position of guardian, one has to adopt a very high moral tone on all subjects.  It’s one’s duty to do so.  And as a high moral tone can hardly be said to conduce very much to either one’s health or one’s happiness, in order to get up to town I have always pretended to have a  younger brother of the name of Ernest, who lives in the Albany, and gets into the most dreadful scrapes. 

b.      Passion

                                                              i.      Town

1.      Earnest

2.      Can spend time with Gwendolen

3.      Goes to parties and social events

a.      Doesn’t have to pay at the Savoy

b.      Irresponsible

                                                                                                                                      i.      Direct contrast to his responsibility as a guardian to Cecily

II.                   Algernon (Bunbury)

a.      Responsibility

                                                              i.      Town

1.      Lady Bracknell (his aunt) expects him to behave in a dignified manner

a.      Family has a high standing

b.      Has to be responsible and respectful b/c society and family

c.      Plays the piano for his aunt’s events

d.      His aunt has “control” over him

b.      Passion

                                                              i.      Country

1.      Cecily is his passion.

a.      Escape from social obligations

2.      Algernon cares for an ill old man – Bunbury

a.      P. 258 - I have invented an invaluable permanent invalid called Bunbury, in order that I may be able to go down into the country whenever I choose.  Bunbury is perfectly invaluable. If it wasn’t for Bunbury’s extraordinary bad health, for instance, I wouldn’t be able to dine with you at Willis’s tonight, for I have been really engaged to Aunt Augusta for more than a week.

Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose a novel or a play that contrasts two such places. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work.

Group 3: Contrasting Places

Jared Gasman

Amy Schnidman

Anup Patel

Amanda Brezing

Town vs Country: The two protagonists in this novel use contrasting places in order to escape from responsibility into the world of passion.

Algernon in the Town: Is responsibility shown by his weekly dinners with his aunt Lady Bracknell. For example, his duty of having cucumbers at every brunch p.260-261.  In town, he also refuses the responsibility of marriage and prefers the life of the bachelor as he criticizes marriage p.259, 255, 254.

Algernon (Bunbury) in the Country: Bunbury is Algernon’s escape of his high social class and obligations to his aunt by becoming Bunbury the invalid p.258. When he has a prior engagement in the high society he uses the scapegoat, Bunbury to escape.

Algernon (Ernest) in the Country: Conforms to love and devotion when he meets Cecily in the country and accepts the responsibility of proposing p283. Contrasting to his description of Bunbary in the town, he uses Bunbury to show is benevolent nature as he takes care of his sick friend p280. Overall, when Algernon is in the town he rebels against tradition and talks in sarcastic tones (p.253 and 255) versus when he is in the country he embraces conformity as he swoons over Cecily p. 275.

Jack (Ernest) in the Town: Ernest is passionate in the town as he escapes his responsibility of Cecily. He follows is passion and proposes to Gwendolen and continues to “flirt” and try to win her aunt’s approval in a non-traditional fashion p254. He disregards social convention when trying to marry Gwendolen contrasting to the country where he keeps a strict eye on Cecily. Ernest also stays at hotel Savior and refuses to pay his tab, which is unlike his noble character in the country.

 Jack in the Country: Jack shows his responsible side in the country as he takes care of Cecily. He makes sure her education is taught by Miss Prism and Cecily comments on how serious her Uncle Jack is. He even refuses giving Cecily’s hand in marriage as he follows her father’s words exactly. On page 301, the scene where they are negotiating marriages, Jack switches from the passionate lover trying to win over Gwendolen, but then takes the responsible stance over Cecily.

Thesis:  Marriage, being a central concept in this work, has its opposing views represented by two contrasted places, namely the town and the country.

I.              Town

a.             Ernest- really Jack Worthing, comes to the town to escape responsibility on the pretense of visiting his brother, also Ernest.

i.              Visits to see Gwendolyn, who he hopes to marry, but cannot because of his lower societal tier due to his questionable birth

b.             Algernon- lives in the town, as a “confirmed bachelor”, has responsibilities to Lady Bracknell, and cousin Gwendolyn. Algernon also uses the town for fun and hedonism

c.             Neither is very responsible in the town; use the town for hedonism and an escape, whether they live there or not.

d.             Town represents modern upper-class society and silly restrictions on love and marriage

II.            Country

a.             Bunbury/Ernest

i.              His excuse to go to the country is to “visit Bunbury”, but he acts as Ernest

ii.             As Ernest, he can escape his responsibility to Lady Bracknell and as a “confirmed bachelor” to woo and court Cecily

b.             Jack

i.              Deals with his responsibilities to Cecily

ii.             Conventional

c.             Both get married in the country, where there aren’t as many restrictions.

d.             The country represents escape from the societal restrictions present in the town

From Steve Kolbert, Adriana Colin, Allison Hess, Joe Palank

Pavlik Linden

Angie Crudele

Christina Rabadan

Claudia Cuccia

Reed Handley

Marcus Brodzki

“The Importance of Being Earnest”

Question 2: Town vs. Country

In his play, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” Oscar Wilde uses the contrast between the town and the country to represent the opposing forces of passion and conventionalism that are central to the meaning of the work.

How the places differ/ what each place represents:

-         town

o       passion

o       hedonist pleasure

§         pg. 254: Jack says, “When one is in town one amuses oneself.”

o       fashion/ vanity

o       bachelor life

§         pg. 255: Algernon says, “It accounts for the extraordinary number of bachelors that one sees all over the place,” referring to the city.

o       ignorance

o       lower society

-         country

o       responsibility

o       marriage

o       education

§         education in Cecily’s studies but also in the aristocratic view: pg. 265: Lady Bracknell says, “Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit…The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square.” Education is fine for the upper classes, but knowledge is a danger for the lower classes in the town.

o       religion

o       convention/ boredom

§         pg. 254: “When one is in the country one amuses other people. It is excessively boring.”

§         pg.289: Gwendolyn says, “Personally I cannot understand how anybody manages to exist in the country, if anybody who anybody who is anybody does. The country always bores me to death.”

§         pg. 289: in the country, Gwendolyn is disappointed with the fashion and says, “No, thank you. Sugar is not fashionable any more

o       aristocratic society

How it contributes to the meaning of the work:

-         the contrast of the settings represents the contrast of the personalities and ideals of the main characters, Algernon and Jack, themselves

-         the differing interpretations by each character of the town and country highlights their contrast

o       pg. 254: Jack says he comes to town to propose to Gendowlyn. Algernon replies, “I thought you had come up for pleasure? … I call that business.”

-         Algernon

o       lives in town

o       passion and vanity is the norm for him

o       his escape is actually a return to convention and conservatism

o       he flees from the bachelor life of the town to his marriage to Cecily in the country

o       now responsible for actions

-         Jack

o       lives in large country house – aristocratic society

o       used to conservative, responsible life

o       he flees the country to a more passionate and hedonistic lifestyle in the town where he meets Gwendolyn

o       pg. 272: Miss Prism, talking about Jack, says, “I know no one who has a higher sense of duty and responsibility.”

-         Miss Prism

o       town – irresponsible and leaves bag with baby Jack inside

o       country – responsible - teacher

By Characters:

1.      Algernon –

a.       Town

i.         Socialite

ii.       Gambler

iii.      Mrs. Lady Bracknell

b.      Country

i.         Romance

ii.       Marriage

2.      Thesis – Town vs. Country

a.       Town – apollonian

i.         Lies

b.      Country – Dionysian

i.         Truth

3.      Jack –

a.       Country

i.         Cecily – ward

b.      Town

i.         Gwendolyn

ii.       Debts – lack of payments

iii.       

p. 258 – “When one is placed in the position of guardian, one has to adopt a very high moral tone on all subjects” line 200-208, jack explains to Algernon why he’s called Ernest.

p. 259 – “I dined there on Monday, and once a week is quite enough to dine with one’s own relations”  Algernon backing out of his dinner with Aunt Augusta

p. 259 – “If Gwendolen accepts me, I am going to kill my brother, indeed I think I’ll kill him in any case.”  Jack is accepting the responsibility to kill off Ernest for Gwendolen’s sake

Ross Elliot, Phil Zegelbone Brooke Rosenkrantz

Contrasting Places

I.                    Introduction

a.       Contrasting cities parallels the contrasting personalities of the characters

b.      They are two opposites

                                                               i.      City = Dionysian, hedonistic, soure of pleasure, carnal pleasures

                                                             ii.      Country = appolonain, conservative proper

II.                 City (Algy’s norm, Jack’s get-away)

a.       Pg 254 Jack says “I have come up to town expressly to propose to her”  Algy says, I thought you had come up for pleasure”

b.      Pg 257 “My name is Ernest in town and Jack in the country”

III.               Country (Jack’s norm, Algy’s get away)

a.       Pg 254 “When one is in town one amuses oneself.  When one is in the country one amuses other people.  It is excessively boring.”

IV.              They marry their opposites showing their need for a happy medium – They need a mixture of town and city, a mixture of apollonian and Dionysian

a.       Jack and Algy both attracted to their oppostites proving that life naturally tends to a balance

b.      The marriage union symbolizes the union of the two personalities

                                                               i.      Algy from town marries Cecily from

                                                             ii.      Jack from country marries Gwendolyn from town

c.       Pg 259 Jack says, “If Gwendolyn accepts me I am going to kill my brother”

"The true test of comedy is that it shall awaken thoughtful laughter" writes George Meredith. Choose a novel, play, or long poem in which a scene or character awakens "thoughtful laughter" in the reader. Write an essay in which you show why this laughter is "thoughtful" and how it contributes to the meaning of the work.

I.         Marriage: Algernon constantly makes fun of marriage

a.      Considers marriage an obligation

                                                              i.      p. 254 – “I thought you had come up for pleasure?… I call that business.”

b.      Believes the excitement of the relationship ends after the proposal is accepted.

                                                              i.      p. 255 – “I really don’t see anything romantic in proposing.  It is very romantic to be in love.  But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal.  Why, one may be accepted.  One usually is, I believe.  Then the excitement is all over.  The very essence of romance is uncertainty.  If ever I get married, I’ll certainly try to forget the fact.

c.      Even encourages divorce

                                                              i.      p. 255 – “Divorces are made in Heaven”

d.      Pokes fun of courting rituals

                                                              i.      p. 255 – “Girls never marry the men they flirt with… It accounts for the extraordinary amount of bachelors one sees all over the place.”

e.      Thesis: Marriage isn’t what it used to be – a sacred ritual

f.        Antithesis: Marriage is now business

g.      Makes fun of monogamous relationship

                                                              i.      Algernon, p. 259 – “You don’t seem to realize, that in married life, three is company and two is not.

II.       Employment: Men should never be idle

a.      Lady Bracknell considers smoking a good occupation

                                                              i.      p. 265 – “A man should always have an occupation of some kind.  There are far too many idle men in London as it is.”

b.      Income – ironic that smoking is a good occupation, but Lady Bracknell takes no notice of his lack of any real working occupation.

                                                              i.      p. 265 – “What is your income?” … “Between 7 and 8 thousand per year… In investments chiefly.” … “That is satisfactory.”

                                                            ii.      “It is awfully hard work doing nothing.  However, I don’t mind hard work where there is no definite object of any kind.”

1.      Making fun of the way so much of England’s aristocracy is wealthy due to inheritances, rather than hard work.

III.      Parenting

a.      Wilde makes the point of mocking the role of a girl’s mother and the traditional way parents bring up their children

                                                              i.      p. 266 – “Pardon me, you are not engaged to anyone.  When you do become engaged to someone, I, or your father…will inform you of the fact.”

                                                            ii.      p. 268 – Jack: “I have lost both my parents.” … Lady Bracknell: “Both? … That seems like carelessness.”

                                                          iii.      p. 267 – “To be born, or at any rate bred, in a handbag, whether it had handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life that reminds one of the worst excesses of the French Revolution.”

                                                           iv.      Also, when Miss Prism couldn’t stop talking about how she had missed the handbag.

IV.   Social standing

a.      Education

                                                              i.      “I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance.  Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone.  The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound.  Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever.  If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square.”

1.      Wilde saying that if you are ignorant, even if you’re being educated, you are still not learning the correct things.

b.      p. 299 - “The chin a little higher, dear.  Style largely depends on the way the chin is worn.  They’re worn very high just at present.”

                                                              i.      Wilde making fun of the ridiculously superficial nature of society, and very fickle, easily changing styles (refers to b, c, d)

c.      In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.

d.      p. 299 – “There are distinct social possibilities in Miss Pardue’s profile.

Caitie Alegre, Masha B, Megan Hamilton, Roberto Palma, Pat Quinn, Zach Schulman

Thoughtful Laughter

            Thoughtful laughter is the essence of satire. 

“Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own.” (Jonathan Swift, 1704)

            George Meredith is correct when he says “...” because thoughtful laughter provokes the reader to question societal follies and ridicules the standards of society in order to invoke change.

            Marriage

The following quotes are funny to today’s society and satirize Victorian British society:

-         p.254 (Marriage is political)

-         p.253 (Marriage is demoralizing – Algy)

-         p.255 (Divorces are made in heaven – Algy)

-         p.301 (35 is an attractive age to marry)

-         p.264-265 (Lady Bracknell must approve daughter’s husband)

-         Lady Bracknell does not approve of Jack because of his social standing (handbag). Social standing is of utmost importance to upper class.

Social Standing

-         p.262 (Marrying Ernest – the name suggests that marrying an honest man signifies escaping deceit of upper class)

-         p.267 (Finding origin of Jack changes everything in Lady Bracknell’s eyes)

-         p.304 (families of high position)

-         p.265 (education’s effect on upper class – upper class is dumb and ignorant)

The numerous funny statements made by a variety of characters examine different aspects that are in need of reform in society.

Scott Schonfeld

Caitlin Campbell

Christina Chu

Dana Kitzes

Joseph Katz

Danielle Plafsky

“Passion v. Responsibility”

PASSION/RESPONSIBILITY QUOTES:  “….jack has a high sense of responsibility” (272)

(283) “I have dared to love you passionately…”

INTRO:

-often see battle between intrinsic wants and superego in literature: Jekyll and Hyde. 

The Importance of Being Earnest deals with the natural inclination towards pleasure and the desire to be honest.  Jack and Algernon and Dr. Chasuble are presented with the moral dilemma of choosing between “passion and responsibility”, and ultimately reconcile their conflict by combining passion and responsibility.  The theme throughout the Importance of Being Earnest is “finding oneself” through life’s conflicts.

BODY:

Jack: 

-         uses “Ernest” to gain pleasure in town.  Meets Gwendolyn whose only desire is to marry a man named “Ernest”  (p.262).  Initially, Jack tries to convince Gwendolyn to accept Jack in an underhanded manner, “Well, really, Gwendolen, I must say that I think there are lots of other much nicer names.  I think Jack, for instance, a charming name.” (p.263)  After being spurned in his marriage proposal by Lady Bracknell, Jack ultimately wins the heart of Gwendolen when he reveals his secret over his name at the country house.  “I’ve now realized for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest” (p. 307)

Algernon: -

- a witty, London bachelor who up to meeting Cecily, treats life as a perpetual bore:

Witty banter quotes:  “relations are simply a tedious pack of people, who haven’t got the remotest knowledge of how to live, nor the smallest instinct about when to die” (268)

“Nothing will induce me….” (259)

meets Cecily when he goes on one of his Bunburrying outings in the country.  Acts as Ernest, and, interestingly, Cecily, too, wants a man named Ernest. 

“you must not laugh at me darling but it has only been a dream of mine to marry a man named Ernest” (p.284)

Like friend then brother, Jack, Algernon resolves conflict when he reveals his true identity, becoming Earnest. 

Dr. Chasuble—

Chasuble’s passion has always been to marry the ever beautiful Miss Laetitia Prism, but his duty is to the Catholic Church to which he must remain celebate.  Ultimately, Chasuble finds a happy medium when he resigns his position as priest to become Prism’s husband.  Laetita embraces him enthusiastically, “Frederick, at last” (307)

Thesis: 

By using comedy to provide a platform to satirize society, works such as The Importance of Being Earnest first elucidate discrimination and then serve to remedy.

I.

            Thoughtful Laughter

                        Cucumber Sandwich

                                    Shows hypocrisy of Victorian Society

                                    Algernon states the sandwiches are for his aunt

                                                Keeps them from Jack

                                                Tells his aunt “he couldn’t get any”

                        Letter

                                    Jack receives a letter his brother died of a severe chill.

                                                He doesn’t really have a brother

                                                But then Algernon shows up “Bunberrying” as Jacks Bro.

                        Marriage

Provides a non-threatening way to expose societies ills by making people laugh and think about the wrongdoing.

Hypocritical  - Jack tells Algernon he can’t marry Cecily before he even knows her

            Jack is marrying Gwendolyn, the first girl he met.

                        Education and Social Standard

                                    “Ignorance is like a delicate ……” pg. 265

                                                People go to school for “name sake” produces nothing else

                        Courtship

                                    Satirizes courtship – no one makes their own decision

                                                Lady Gwendolyn and Jack

                                                            Lady Bracknell  - Gets involved

                                                Cecily and Algernon

                                                            “O but we were engaged 8 months ago”

The Importance of Being Earnest

HUMOR ESSAY OUTLINE

I.                    Intro

Many literary works are capable of eliciting laughs from a reader, but as George Meredith state, the “true test” of comedy is its ability to invoke “thoughtful laughter.”  Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” undoubtedly accomplishes this feat.  His humorous satire not only mocks marriage as a convention, social standing, family relations and parenting, and morality and values, but furthermore leads the reader to postulate on these comical customs and notions. 

II.                 Marriage as a Convention

a.       Page 253

                                                               i.      “Lane: … I have often observed that in married households the champagne is rarely of a first-rate brand.

Algernon: Good heavens!  Is marriage so demoralizing as that?

Lane: …I have only been married once.  That was in consequence of a misunderstanding between myself and a young person”

                                                             ii.      Speaks of marriage as demoralizing

                                                            iii.      Lane refers to his marriage as a misunderstanding

                                                           iv.      Not considered to be an enjoyable practice, but everyone still conforms to the convention

b.      Page 254

                                                               i.      “Jack:  I am in love with Gwendolen.  I have come to town expressly to propose to her.

Algernon: I thought you had come up for pleasure?...I call that business.”

                                                             ii.      marriage is not considered pleasurable…it’s a business

c.       Page 255

                                                               i.      “Algernon:  I really don’t see anything romantic in proposing.  It is very romantic to be in love.  But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal.  Why, one may be accepted.  One usually is, I believe.  Then the excitement is all around.  The very essence of romance is uncertainty.  If ever I get married, I’ll certainly try to forget the fact.”

                                                             ii.      Algernon says that if he ever gets married, he’s going to try to forget that he did

d.      Page 299

                                                               i.      “Lady Bracknell: As a matter of form, Mr Worthing, I had better ask you if Miss Cardew has any little fortune:

Jack:  Oh! About a hundred and thirty thousand pounds in the Funds.  That is all.  Good-bye, Lady Bracknell.  So please to have seen you.

Lady Bracknell: A moment, Mr Worthing.  A hundred and thirty thousand pounds!  And in the Funds!  Miss Cardew seems to me a most attractive young lady, now that I look at her.”

                                                             ii.      illustrates the importance wealth plays in marriage

                                                            iii.      Lady Bracknell immediately agrees to the marriage, in addition to recognizing Miss Cardew’s beauty, upon hearing the fortune she has

III.               Social Standing      

a.       “You have a town house, I hope?  A girl with a simple, unspoiled nature, like Gwendolen, could hardly be expected to reside in the country.”  (p. 265, Lady Bracknell)

b.      “The unfashionable side.  I thought there was something.  However, that could easily be altered.”  (p. 266, Lady Bracknell)

c.       “As for the particular locality in which the hand-bag was found, a cloak-room at a railway station might serve to conceal a social indiscretion—has probably, indeed, been used for that purpose before now—but it could hardly be regarded as an assured basis for a recognized position in good society.”  (p. 267, Lady Bracknell)

d.      “I need hardly tell you that in families of high position strange coincidences are not supposed to occur.  They are hardly considered the thing.”  (p. 304, Lady Bracknell)

e.       “That sounds not unsatisfactory.  Three addresses always inspire confidence, even in tradesmen.” (p. 298, Lady Bracknell) ~ society’s evaluation of people by the number of houses or property they own 

IV.              Dishonesty

a.       P. 268 “the truth isn’t quite the sort of thing one tells to a nice, sweet, refined girl.”

                                                               i.      Jack told Gwendolyn that his name is Earnest although his real name is \Jack.

                                                             ii.      She says that she an only marry a man by the name of Earnest.

b.      p. 269 “My poor brother Ernest is carried off suddenly in Paris, by a severe chill.”

                                                               i.      Jack doesn’t have a brother name Ernest and he did not die.

                                                             ii.      Algernon went under a false impress of the name of Ernest, Jack’s brother.

c.       p. 307 “Now I’ve realized for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest.”

                                                               i.      In reality Ernest learned not to be honest.

                                                             ii.      He went through all of his life being dishonest when in the end it turned out to be the truth

d.      p. 258 “the truth is rarely pure and never simple.”

V.                 Parenting

a.       p. 266 “I have lost both my parents.” “Both? That seems like carelessness.”

                                                               i.      Because Jack does not have his parents living, he is not “suited” to marry. Why should his having parents or not affect this?

b.      p. 267 “To be born, or at any rate bred, in a hand-bag, whether it had handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life that reminds one of the worst excesses of the French Revolution.”

c.       p. 267  “ 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.”

                                                               i.      Only once Mr. Worthing can “produce” a parent, of which is impossible, will he be able to marry.

d.      p. 270 “Whatever influence I ever had on mamma, I lost at the age of three. But although she may prevent us from becoming man and wife, and I may marry someone else, and marry often, nothing that she can possibly do can alter my eternal devotion to you.”

                                                               i.      Parents think they have complete control over their children when in fact many children do not let their parents have the power.

Kim Shampain, Brandon Bal... 

Parenting - Lady Bracknell

            Disapproves marriage of Jack and Gwendolyn

                        This is what Wilde mocks

                                    Unnecessary social processes

                                    Stupid traditions

                                    Ridiculous niceties

-         Miss Prism

Lost Earnest as a baby – when found he became part of the upper class and stupidness

Because of society, he was no longer “earnest”

At the end, he finds that naturally people are “earnest”

Social Status

·        Smoking as a profession – pg 265; people from the upper class are completely idle and solely live off of their inheritance; the best thing they can do is smoke; Wilde mocks this

·        Augusta’s attitude about Cecily changers once she finds out about the money

·        “Sugar is not fashionable” “no cake in good houses”– best insult she can produce, pg. 289

·        pg 261 – Aunt Augusta expresses her wish that Bunbury would just die so that she could have a dinner party without Algy having to leave– shows how self centered Augusta is; Wilde’s way of expressing how self centered all members of the upper class are

·        (pg 284) Ceciliy – “I don’t think I could break it off now that I have actually met you.  Besides, of course, there is the question of your name” – Shows that she is only in love with his name, not the actual person; Wilde mocking the pettiness of the upper class

Marriage

·        The girls aren’t really happy because they think too much about the name Earnest and not about the actual man, even at the end of the story

·        Pg 306 – “Earnest! Earnest, my own Earnest!  I felt from the first that you could have no other name!”; Gwendolyn is merely in love with the name, not with the actual man; no real love

·        Algy makes a few tongue-in-cheek remarks about marriage which can be viewed as Wilde’s own opinion

o       When Jack says that he is in town for pleasure (to propose to Gwendolyn), Algy says he would not consider that pleasure: “I thought you had come up here for pleasure?...I call that business.” Page 254

Appearance vs. Reality

• Again, the example of Gwendolyn being attracted to the name Ernest; only attracted to appearance, not the real person he is
• Cecily is attracted to the “bad boy” image of Ernest (Algy); sees herself as engaged to him before she even meets him; attracted to his image, not to the person he actually is
  • Quote for this: “Well, ever since dear Uncle Jack first confessed to use that he had a younger brother who was very wicked and bad, you of course have formed the chief topic of conversation between myself and Miss Prism.” (p 283)