Riddhi Bhatt: Thinking Activity: The Important of Being Earnest

Hello Beautiful People,

Today we discuss about 'The Importance of Being Earnest’. This blog is also part of my thinking activity assigned by Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad sir, Head of the English Department of Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Bhavangar University (MKBU). Also I thanked Prof. Dr. Nishant Pandya for teaching this beautiful concept.

First, we discuss about summary of The Impotance of Being Earnest & discuss female character is the most attractive to me among Lady Augusta Bracknell, Gwendolen Fairfax, Cecily Cardew and Miss Prism.

The Importance of Being Earnest

📌Introduction

The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre 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.

Some contemporary reviews praised the play's humour and the culmination of Wilde's artistic career, while others were cautious about its lack of social messages. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduringly popular play.

Main and interesting characters of this plays are here…

📌Characters

Jack Worthing (Ernest): a young gentleman from the country, in love with Gwendolen Fairfax.
Algernon Moncrieff: a young gentleman from London, the nephew of Lady Bracknell, in love with Cecily Cardew.
Gwendolen Fairfax: a young lady, loved by Jack Worthing.
Lady Bracknell: a society lady, Gwendolen's mother.
Cecily Cardew: a young lady, the ward of Jack Worthing.
Miss Prism: Cecily's governess.
The Reverend Canon Chasuble: the priest of Jack's parish.
Lane: Algernon's butler
Merriman: Jack's servant.

📌Summary

At the beginning of the play a wealthy Algernon (Algy) is waiting for his aunt, Lady Bracknell and her daughter Gwendolen to visit him in his flat in London. Before they arrive, Jack Worthing, Algy's friend arrives. Jack calls himself 'Earnest' and Algy is curious about it. Jack clarifies that his real name is Jack Worthing and has a daughter named Cecily.

He further states that he is going to propose Gwendolen. He loves being called Earnest. Algy too confesses that he visits his imaginary friend Bunbury whenever he needs a break from the hectic life of the town. He, too, employs deception when it is convenient.

When Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen arrive, Algy explains that he cannot attain the reception of lady Bracknell since he has to visit his friend Bunbury. Algy distracts Lady Bracknell in another room, at the same time, Jack proposes Gwendolen. But, she says she loves to marry a man whose name is Earnest because for her it sounds so aristocratic.

However, she accepts his proposal and later on wants to rechristen Earnest. But, Lady Bracknell is not happy with the proposal and interrogates Jack about his social status. When she finds him lacking same social status, she rejects the engagement. While leaving, she tells Jack to find some acceptable parents. When Gwendolen asks for his country's address, Algy secretly writes it down on his shirt cuff. He is curious about Cecily and decides to go "bunburying" in the country

In the country of Jack, Cecily is being taught by Miss Prism. She praises Jack for being responsible, but shuns his brother, Earnest for being wicked. When Canon, the local vicar, takes Miss Prism for romance, Algy appears pretending to be Earnest, Jack's wicked brother. Algy has a plan to stay for a week to know more about Cecily, but Jack returns early in mourning clothes claiming that his brother Ernest has died in Paris. He is shocked to find Algy there posing as Ernest. Jack’s plan to send Algy back to London fails. Algy in the same day proposes Cecily. From her diary, it is clear that Cecily, too, wants to marry someone named Earnest. Algy too needs to rechristen like that of Jack.

Gwendolen arrives in the country of Jack and meets Cecily. In the course of their talk, they both mention that they are engaged to Earnest Worthing. The situation becomes tense and a battle follows. Jack and Algernon arrive, and, in an attempt to solve out the Ernest problem, they alienate both women. The two men follow, explaining that they are going to be rechristened Ernest, and the women agree to stay engaged.

When Lady Bracknell hears the name Prism she immediately calls for Prism and reveals her as the governess who lost Lady Bracknell's nephew 28 years earlier on a walk with the baby carriage. She inquires about the boy. Miss Prism explains that in a moment of distraction she placed the baby in her handbag and left him in Victoria Station, confusing him with her three-volume novel, which was placed in the baby carriage.

After Jack asks for details, he quickly runs to his room and comes back with the handbag. Miss Prism identifies it, and Lady Bracknell reveals that Jack is Algernon's older brother, son of Ernest John Moncrieff, who died years ago in India. Jack now truly is earnest, and Algernon/Cecily, Jack/Gwendolen, and Chasuble/Prism fall into each other's arms as Jack realizes the importance of being earnest.

So now we discuss female character is the most attractive to me among Lady Augusta Bracknell, Gwendolen Fairfax, Cecily Cardew and Miss Prism. All female characters are amazing but especially I liked character of Lady Augusta Bracknell. I also give you reasons for why she being the most attractive among all.

📌Lady Augusta Bracknell

The most memorable character and one who has a tremendous impact on the audience is Lady Augusta Bracknell. Wilde's audience would have identified most with her titled position and bearing. Wilde humorously makes her the tool of the conflict, and much of the satire. For the play to end as a comedy, her objections and obstacles must be dealt with and overcome.

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(s), just that he do it, following the requirements for acceptability.

Lady Bracknell's authority and power are extended over every character in the play. Her decision about the suitability of both marriages provides the conflict of the story. She tells her daughter quite explicitly, "Pardon me, you are not engaged to anyone. When you do become engaged to someone, I or your father, should his health permit him, will inform you of the fact." Done, decided, finished. She interrogates both Jack and Cecily, bribes Gwendolen's maid, and looks down her nose at both Chasuble and Prism.

Her social commentary on class structure is Wilde's commentary about how the privileged class of England keeps its power. Lady Bracknell firmly believes the middle and lower classes should never be taught to think or question. It would breed anarchy and the possibility that the upper class might lose its privileged position.

Wilde has created, with Augusta Bracknell, a memorable instrument of his satiric wit, questioning all he sees in Victorian upper-class society.

An imposing dowager, Lady Bracknell is the embodiment of conventional upper-class Victorian respectability. She vehemently disapproves of the romance between her daughter and Jack Worthing, the protagonist of the play and a supposed orphan. Worthing knows nothing of his parentage except that he was found in a leather handbag at Victoria Station (“on the Brighton line”). Lady Bracknell refuses to permit her daughter “to marry into a cloak room, and form an alliance with a parcel.” A literal-minded, domineering woman, she insists that Jack “produce at least one parent, of either sex, before the season is quite over.” Several turns in the plot eventually reveal that Jack is the son of Lady Bracknell’s late sister and a perfectly acceptable suitor for Gwendolen.