3 Bring out the use of wit & paradoxical statements in The Importance of Being Earnest. (Oscar Wilde)
Answers
Answer:
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Explanation:
Answer: Oscar Wilde is an incredibly funny and witty writer. His humor in The Importance of Being Earnest relies on creating absurd situations and characters whose lack of insight causes them to respond to these situations in inappropriate ways.
Earnest is also a satire because it makes fun of its characters – most of whom are members of the aristocratic class. Think about how proud Lady Bracknell is, and how fond she is of scandal. When she arrives late at Algernon’s place, she explains that she was visiting Lady Harbury, who "looks quite twenty years younger" since "her poor husband’s death" (I.111). Wilde constantly exaggerates the upper class’s shallowness and frivolity to show the corrupt morals they provide as examples. When Lady Bracknell interrogates Jack, we learn that all she cares about is his money, his trendiness, and his family name.
Most of us recognize that death by illness isn’t a matter of conscious choice and would take pity on the dying Bunbury. Not Lady Bracknell. She’s more concerned with the propriety of her music arrangements. She’s frivolous, worrying about style over the life-and-death struggle of Bunbury. The entire play runs similarly – with characters responding to situations in ways that are inappropriate give the situation, either too serious or too flippant. Such exaggeration gives Earnest its distinctive brand of Wildean humor.
Keep an eye out, too, for Wilde’s patented epigrams – succinct, witty, paradoxical sayings. They are often general reflections on life, and can be lifted straight out of the text and used on your friends. For example: "All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his" (I.228). Wilde’s ability to craft these sayings is what made him famous, and his true source of inspiration for the play. In a letter to an actor-producer friend with the scenario (hoping to get an advance, as he was in dire straits for money) Wilde admitted as much – "The real charm of the play, if it is to have charm, must be in the dialogue".
- Wilde, through the skeptical Algernon, makes an immediate critique of marriage as "demoralising," and throughout the scene the best bon mots are reserved for mocking that most traditional romantic covenant. Wilde is the master of the epigram, a concise, typically witty or paradoxical saying. His skill lies not only in coining wholly new epigrams, but in subverting established ones. For instance "in married life, three is company and two is none" captures the monotony of monogamy by playing it against the commonplace "two is company, three's a crowd."
Definition and Context
Do you venture out for Black Friday shopping? Black Friday is considered one of the most lucrative shopping days of the year for many retail companies as people come out in droves to try to save some money. Spending money to save money is an example of a paradox. A paradox is a statement that appears to be contradictory, but contains an element of truth. Oscar Wilde's play ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' is full of them. Wilde uses paradox to make tongue-in-cheek commentaries on society. At the beginning of the story, the protagonist, Jack, is ready to propose to Gwendolen, but Gwendolen's cousin, Algernon has reservations. Jack has introduced himself to Gwendolen and her family as 'Ernest.' Algernon has found a cigarette case belonging to Jack that proves his dishonesty and wants an explanation. Let's look at some example of paradoxes in this story.
Marriage
Prior to Jack's arrival, Algernon and his servant, Lane, talk about marriage. Algernon is disappointed that Lane does not have a more reverent view of the institution and thinks, ''Really, if the lower orders don't set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them? They seem, as a class, to have absolutely no sense of moral responsibility.'' This is a paradox because the ruling class is comprised of people from the upper socioeconomic group that should be setting an example for the rest of society. Further, Lane's own position on marriage is devoid of moral responsibility.
When Jack enters and tells Algernon of his plans to propose to Gwendolen, Algernon says, ''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.'' This is a paradox because most people tend to view romance, love, and eventual marriage as part of the same continuum. In Algernon's view, a marriage proposal marks the end of romance.
Algernon is not very encouraging as he expresses disbelief that Gwendolen will marry Algernon. As his reason, Algernon states, ''Well, in the first place girls never marry the men they flirt with. Girls don't think it right.'' This is a paradox that further explores the disconnect between marriage and playful romance.
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