The Importance Of Being EarnestEssay Preview: The Importance Of Being EarnestReport this essayA Tale of Three ClassesA Marxist Criticism on “The Importance of Being Earnest”“Excuse me Geoffrey, could you get me some more water. Im terribly thirsty, and the weather out here isnt doing any good for my complexion.” declares the man as he sighs in exhaustion.
“Right away sir, anything else?” proclaims the servant.“No that will be all.” says the man as he waves off the servant.So is this the scene of yesteryears society or one of todays, well in actuality it can be either. In todays world the rich still rely on butlers and maids. It seems to be a practice that will always exist in this world, but the question largely is not on their jobs, but if they are deemed of a different class, and sadly to say yes. In todays world it seems that class is still a huge part of the world order, and moreover it seems that there will always be the rich and poor, the owner and the worker. This is even demonstrated by the literature of our time and that of other eras, such as the play “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde. In this play Wilde displays the class structure with a different and interesting twist. He makes a reflection on the society with his own sense of humor, but however it still leaves a very good opportunity to make a Marxist critique about the way the class structure influences the play. He leaves room for these critiques when he writes about the servants, the nobles, and the middle class. His view on society and class is very evident on the way the servants are portrayed.
“ÐI dont know that I am much interested in your family life, Lane”“ÐNo sir; its not a very interesting subject. I never think of it myself.”In this passage from the play it is very clear that Wilde likes to give his characters some life, but however it seemed that he was giving the servants a bit too much, but nevertheless it does establish very well the position of those servants. In the society Wilde is presenting it seems that the place of the servant was not only for manual labor, but also to provide conversation, and to compliment the employers personalities. In the story the idea of class was demonstrated by the interaction between Lane and Algernon even though Lane was witty he did know his place as a servant and throughout the play the servants were an excellent reminder that class structure did exist. Wildes idea of a witty servant has even spawned off into todays society with television sitcoms such as “The Fresh Prince of Bel- Air” and “The Nanny”. In these shows the class structure is inherent, but the gap between master and servant is smaller. That is one of the things that Wilde seemed to make apparent, one can have servants, but the gap between doesnt have to be that large. There can be class structure in the world, but the need for class discrimination doesnt need to be there, and another interesting critique can be made of the nobles of that time.
In the Victorian period, and todays nobles exist. These are people who are of noble birth right and is only passed on from generation to generation. It is a well respected position, but the difference between the nobles of todays day and the older ones is the power that they have. In todays time the nobles have little power only respect, but in the Victorian period the power was starting to diminish but it still existed. The characters in the play who were of noble birth did indeed know how to use that power.
Well when one makes a Marxist criticism it cant be solely based on the storys view of the servants, but however one needs to also look at the way the nobility are viewed. In Oscar Wildes play he seems to make almost a mockery of the nobility. When one sees the way the nobles are portrayed one will think this is a sarcasm on the nobles, but however if one examines it closer he/she may realize this is closer to the truth than previous accounts of the nobles. In the play Oscar Wilde does not hold back in fears he would offend anyone he wrote a play to entertain, but he also did an excellent job on reflecting how the nobles are. Firstly he displays the character of Algernon, who is, quite frankly, a languid in debt young man, but nevertheless he is still a noble. With this character Wilde shows the reader that all nobles arent perfect and can be more flawed than the average person, and portrayed
Also, in Wildes’ play, the people around the house are actually pretty good friends. Oscar Wilde actually gives a few good remarks, but he does this from a rather sad point of view
In order to read his play, you must accept it that there is a difference between a beautiful girl and a simple man. The beautiful woman is just a character which stands out from the rest, is there real life love at play, and when she asks a stranger what he thinks of her he may seem angry, but after talking to him, she is actually pretty.
He only speaks about his own private thoughts, how he grew up in a village and how he sees himself as a man. This in itself is one of his most telling lines. I think that Wilde is simply correct to talk about his own private thoughts and emotions. The fact this is not seen in a more open way than in other literature tells a story. However the play is clearly meant a social drama, one where the plot centers on the people on the street and the house is seen as a place where children can be cared for. What I would not agree with in this play is that he does use violence to bring the story to its fullest extent with an emphasis on his personal life.
The play’s writing is excellent, a big plus for the book. First of all the story is very close to the style most people are used to with novels, and the writers take the most from both literary works and play. I like this so I hope the play continues to grow and continue to be well received by many for having had some influence over other works. A book that many can love
Oscar Wilde is known for his writing, but I think he has the talent of writing something even if it was a novel that people who read only knew of. I do imagine this will be his next book.
In Oscar Wilde he does a series of simple everyday events to entertain, such as the painting and painting shop. While Oscar Wildes was only in film he has been in other mediums like this, that makes it something of an unknown, though I am sure in more traditional media he was doing this because it is only after his death that he actually realised that he really wanted to make a live drama for the real world and to have people outside of the world see a movie through an open lens. You see, one of these acts will make a reader think of how an ordinary person would react, and how that might be exploited for the entertainment of others.
In this short play the main themes of the plot are the love triangle of the country family and how the aristocracy play an emotional role in the story. The play has nothing to do with the politics or politics of England, but rather the romantic interest and love that seems to grow between the two characters and the way the family values the lives they create for others.
What makes Oscar Wilde an important figure for contemporary children is how thoroughly his story can be told by all the family in the country. The play is about that romance, and how it makes many children very different from most family life.
The plot has nothing to do with the politics of the country family, it is rather about what it takes to be a good family