"One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures." -George W. Bush

Wilde's world and Our world

First of all, taking into consideration that Wilde's major focus is on the SOCIETY and HUMAN TRAITS in general,  it's pretty obvious that this play is closely related to our times as well as it was for its own period.

Wilde reacts, riducules and comments in any of his works on human beings and their characters. In The Importance of Being Earnest, by the way his most sparkling , witty and light-hearted comedy, his targets are arictocratic manners and high society.

One more thing, any book concerning humans will be ALWAYS related to temporary world. No matter how old it is. It simply deals with our innate traits, the most primitive, essential characteristics of each of us. Pure psychology.


In the play Lady Bracknell's only concern, in the issue of marrying her daughter off, is how respectable and affluent  a potentional suitor is. Even more she cares about his origin.Through Lady Bracknell ridiculous attitudes and manners Wilde satirizes the hypocrisy and silliness of the British aristocracy and their customs. He exposes what silliness, pointless views and manners they pocess - this could be compared to ridiculing today's political field, which has partially substituted that time aristocracy.

Lady Bracknell most values her ignorance ( a delicate exotic fruit" ). When she gives a dinner party, she prefers her husband to eat downstairs with the servants. Lady Bracknell may be as well characterized as a cunning, narrow-minded, authoritarian and possibly most quotable character. By the way, does it ring you a bell?


There is a bunch of other moments and examples about which I could write endlessly. 


Here's a brief describtion of the entire play ( taken fro mthe back of my book)


 "To avoid family duties, Algernon Moncrief, a bachelor-about-town, has invented Bunbury, a sick relative who frequently calls him away. His friend Jack Worthing has invented a wicked brother called Ernest to disquise his own misdemeanours. When Algernon poses as Ernest, confusion takes hold and it takes the discovery of an old black handbag beofre Jack and ALgernon can discover the truth behind the deceit."  


LAST THING :)


In The Importance of Being Earnest, there are few themes that ought to be stressed, though: THE NATURE OF MARRIAGE, THE CONSTRAINS OF MORALITY AND HYPOCRISY VS. INVENTIVENESS, and last but not least THE IMPORNACE OF NOT BEING EARNEST.  

Wilde's portraits of society and constantly biting remarks bring to my mind one of  today's popular director-artists, Tim Burton. Especially his Corpse Bride. Again, someone is poking fun at the society and human attitudes. Naturally, the movie is full of sarcasm and definitely worth watching.

My point is that the world changes every single year - basically we are shaping it quite literally, BUT speaking about our species - homo sapiens sapiens, we quite suck :D It takes us a LOOOOOOOOT of time to change ourselves - in terms of society. Since the time when Victorian Era ended many years passed and still many of us are living copies of Wilde's characters. How sad is that?

Now tell me, how close these topics are to our current lifestyle??? We have definitely grown out of the never-ending obssesion of being important  and showing off how well-off we are, what a reputation we have and what a  high social status we occupy. Wilde even talkes about these little lies we make up in order to save our face and how in the end it does not pay off. What a blessed generation we are, thanks God! Not really self-centered :D

For me it's enough to now and then hang out with my friends at Stodolni. This needs no furhter comments.

"A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal."

Time to learn something more about my play and its characters.

John Worthing
Algernon Moncrieff
Rev. Canon Chasuble
Merriman, Butler
Lane, Manservant
Lady Bracknell
Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax
Cecily Cardew
Miss Prim, Governess


As it is Wilde's style, he always attributes certain "general human (rediculous) traits" to each of his characters in order toaccentuate their existance and presence among humans. Eventhough, Wilde lived in Victorian Age, you may still notice them as I wrote before.


Hypocricy, cynicism, self-importance, prejudice and many others are specific for these characters.
John Worthing, a nice, well-off  gentleman pretending to be someone else in his city life and another one in the countryside - city name Earnest, country side - John.

Algernon Moncrieff, John's odl friend. Without a sinlge penny leaving off his rich aunt's "reputation", lady Bracknell. Sometimes it seems that Wilde  personified himself into this specific character. No offense.

Lady Bracknell, a genuine lady, in terms of Widle's perception, who adores opulence, high-class life style. And regardless all would never ever let  Gwendolen Fairfax, whose guardian she is, marry someone of an obscure origine.

Cecily Cardew, is and 18-year-old young lady, whose guardien happended to be  John Worthing. She is portrayed as an always in cloud with head girl, who dreams about her glorious knight riding on a white stalion.


Nevertheless, the wheel of fortune is utterly unpredictable. Well and this is where all the fun begins. John has deeply fallen in love with  Gwendolen Fairfax and intends to propose, but nothing is as easy as it may seem at the first glance.  With such a bungle of lies the tension will hardly remain low :)

Here for your better understanding of characters and how they are related to each other:

Honesly, this play has ONLY 66 pages altogether and you basically read it cover to cover, at least I did  :D
But for those who fear books, nothing personal :D. lucky you, there was made a movie and I have to say it's perfect and makes it a way easier to comprehend the entire play and what's going on, espacially if you are a visual type.
Sneak peek :)

Meet The Importance of Being Earnest

For my last ever assignment, at least for my high school life, I have chosen one of my favourite authors' play - The Importance of Being Earnest ,written by well-know Oscar Wilde.


This play was written in 1895 and belongs to the one of Wilde's most famous and successful  plays. Generally, the entire plot is taking place in Victorian London ( 1837-1901), and as it is typical and classical for Wilde's work - it is entirely composed of a wide variety of gentle parody, sarcasm and sharp irony of all sorts. Nevertheless, this time Wilde ridicules the social conventions, in particular. 

On the whole, Wilde may be characterized as a complete anarchist, who steps up and emphasizes all of the silly and  ridiculous aspects of his time society and human traits with no exception. Moreover, all for which Wilde criticized people has not changed  much or in a better case improved since that time. Unfortunately, it seems that we are doomed to endlessly repeat  mistakes and wrongdoings of our ancestors.

Here, few of Wilde's quotes from this particular play. Just so you have some idea what I mean.

·         "Oh! it is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't. More than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read"

·         "The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!"

·         "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."