Humor and Satire in The Importance of Being Earnest - Book Report/Review Example

of the of the Supervisor] Humors and Satire in The Importance of Being Earnest Introduction Playwrights of the early and late 19th century adopted, in their writings, non-realistic forms to express their satirical views about society. Perhaps the well-known of all these playwrights is Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), who gained popular and critical success with his satirical, witty and humorous plays about the Victorian upper classes, elite and nobles. Wilde's dramatic repute rests more or less completely on The Importance of Being Earnest (1905), which is one of the finest examples of light and humorous satire in modern drama (Donohue, Berggren, pp. 90-98). Wilde's aesthetic intention varies significantly from the realists with whom he was a contemporary; the satire expressed in the Importance of Being Ernest is at once more pervasive and less bitter than the sharp social criticism of Ibsen or Shaw. Donohue, Berggren (pp. 90-98) discusses that Wilde pokes fun at the outward concerns of an aristocratic, elite and noble Victorian society he was aware of, but because the dialogue is so witty, satirical and humorous at the same time that even though the characters are trivial, they never decrease their attractiveness. Thus, Wilde's wit and humor fuel his satire. This paper discusses humors and satire in The Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) in a concise and comprehensive way. Satire, Irony and Puns in The Importance Of Being Earnest: A Discussion Kaplan, Stowell (pp. 123-129) discusses that The Importance of Being Earnest is at all levels humorous, parodic and satirical; merrily discouraging both conventional theatrical forms and the pre-determined artificial certainties of Victorian life, its stated intent is made quite clear in the subtitle: "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People (Kaplan, Stowell, pp. 123-129)." The play is a deliberate caricature of melodramatic plot conventions and the structure of the well-made play: the outsider Jack is portrayed to be of noble birth and to have the "proper" name, Ernest. Thematically, subjects, themes and issues of seriousness to Victorian society and culture - marriage, class differences, religion, faith and creed and death - are presented in the play with deliberate triviality, while minor and trivial matters - whether to eat tea-cake, muffins, how to appear, how to dress, when to dish up cucumber sandwiches - are presented by the characters as matters of supreme gravity. Kaplan and Stowell (pp. 123-129) discusses that serving as Wilde's legendary wit, the Importance of Being Ernest is written on an endless series of paradoxes or inversions of the accepted norm of the Victorian society. "To lose one parent," (Donohue, Berggren, pp. 90-98). Lady Bracknell informs Jack, a suitor for her niece, "may be regarded as a misfortune - to lose both seems like carelessness. Who was your father He was evidently a man of some wealth. Was he born in what the Radical papers call the purple of commerce or did he rise from the ranks of the aristocracy" (Kaplan, Stowell, pp. 123-129). Wilde's intentional inversion of accepted formulas of the time- "Divorces are made in Heaven," "Illness of any kind is hardly a thing to be encouraged in others," "the home seems to me to be the proper sphere for a man" (Kaplan, Stowell, pp. 123-129) - maintains and continues the play's mood throughout, sarcastic Victorian obsessions with appearance, look, exterior and form while maintaining a lightness of mood in the play. Satire is defined to be the use of humor to ridicule faults and vices. The Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde is a social satire, using irony and paradoxes to insinuate the problems and faults found in the Victorian society. The Importance of Being Earnest is set in the late Victorian Era during a social reform. The class system was defined by the animosity between classes, the upper class treating the lower class with disdain and disgust. The upper class was rigidly controlled by savoir faire, knowing what to eat, wear and how to behave. The Importance of Being Earnest satirizes the class system, etiquette and disposition that were expected from Victorians. Wilde uses irony, humor and characters not only to call attention to the absurdity of the Victorian behavior but also to highlight the ironic humor in the characters shortcomings that reflect the Victorians who were watching it (Herr, pp. 67-74). The Importance of Being Earnest seems to be a criticism of society. The play is a light-hearted comedy but also a social satire utilizing this chance to criticize social issues. The use of irony reveals an inconsistency between the characters words and the truth, suggesting that society is hypocritical. The Importance of Being Earnest reflects the audience it was written for. From the entrance of "Mr. Earnest Worthing (Herr, pp. 67-74)," there are constant criticisms between Jack and Algy. Jack criticizes Algy for speaking, "you talk exactly as if you were a dentist." (Donohue, Berggren, pp. 90-98). This criticism presents an irony; Jack believes it is "very vulgar," (Donohue, Berggren, pp. 90-98) for Algy to present to be someone he is not. This is ironic as Jack is not self critical enough to be aware that by being "Earnest in town and Jack in the country," he himself is presenting a "false impression, (Herr, pp. 67-74)" and behaving like a hypocrite. The dramatic irony of this is that the laughter incurred from this irony is ironic in itself. The audience can identify the faults in Jack however this laughter suggests that they cannot see the reflection of themselves in this play. This satirizes the Victorian society and their faults. Jack is a representation of society and he implies that society is hypocritical (Brandt, pp. 476). Jack is presented to be a pretentious hypocrite, living by one set of rules for him but having another for Algy and Cecily, his ward. I see this use of irony and satire as a criticism of the Victorian society but more specifically the delusional self image held by the audience. Wilde uses this technique consistently through out the play to highlight the short comings of the Victorians and their etiquette. This consistent use of quick wit and clever humor presents a social satire delving into the vices of Victorian society (Brandt, pp. 476). Wilde in his own life came from a home that prided itself on its class and stature. Wilde was received as a great success and married in 1884. However Wilde presented a "false impression," of himself. In 1891 Wilde fell extravagantly in love with Lord Alfred Douglas, and four years later was imprisoned for acts of gross indecency. Prior to this imprisonment Wilde wrote The Importance of Being Earnest and in this play highlighted the incongruence in the lives lead in the Victorian society, in order to meet the unwritten rules and expectations of the upper class. The characters behavior towards each other and their staff present a comical situation. Wilde uses this to mock the social standards and power structures within a Victorian household. The first scene set in Algernon's flat between Lane and Algernon is highly satirical. Algernon's behavior towards Lane and his distaste for Lane's opinions suggests he is an elitist. Believing that the rich are better that the poor. Algernon shows no compassion for Lane's feelings, stating openly that "I don't know that I am much interested in your family life Lane." (Donohue, Berggren, pp. 90-98). This interaction presents a satirical view of the Victorian class system. Wilde's presentation of the unfair behavior, discrimination and double standards excepted from the upper class represents a criticism of the Victorian society and the unspoken rules of etiquette (Brandt, pp. 476). Wilde uses the light -hearted comedy to draw attention to the elitist and irrational ideals that are upheld by the class system. Wilde's intelligent presentation of the characters and humor satirizes his opinions so they are inoffensive and entertaining. Wilde's life in many ways is presented in The Importance of Being Earnest, and I believe that within this play Wilde uses satire and humor to draw attention to the inconsistency of society. Wilde indirectly passes a commentary on the flaws of society that affected him badly. The Importance of Being Earnest is almost a definition of satire drawing attention to the vices of society, but also the discrimination and hypocritical behavior of those who were part of it. I would define The Importance of Being Earnest as a social satire (Brandt, pp. 476). The play exaggerates the negative aspects of the Victorian society and plays it up in a comical manner. Wilde's clever use of wit and irony is used to indirectly make criticism of Victorian social expectations and behavior. This book presents many examples of social satire and irony through using ways of humor, by puns, satire. Throughout the play marriage is not portrayed seriously and is satirized. This is seen in Algernon's opinion or judgment in Act one. Jack tells Algy that he has come to town to ask Gwendolen to marry him. In response to this, Algernon says, "I thought you had come up for pleasure I call that business (Wilde, pp. 34-41)." As he continues he 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. Why, one may be accepted. One usually is, I believe. Then the excitement is all over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If I ever get married, I'll certainly try to forget the fact." (Wilde, pp. 34-41). This is ironic because in the end, Algernon proposes to Cecily, contradicting himself entirely. Irony also lies in the fact that Cecily and Gwendolen are only marrying for the name Earnest, not love. Throughout the play is a double meaning behind the name earnest, which can be a name, or mean a word describing seriousness. Both Jack and Algernon thought they were lying about their names being earnest, when in fact in the end, they hadn't been lying at all. They both picked Earnest so they could pretend to be someone else, somewhere else. Both of them could be serious where they actually resided, and switch to be someone completely different. They both give a false name which is ironic because they always seem to be contradicting themselves, "My dear Algy, you talk exactly as if you were a dentist. It is very vulgar to talk like a dentist when one isn't a dentist. It produces a false impression" (Wilde, pp. 34-41). Irony shows up again in the end of the play when Jack and Algernon find out that they are brothers. Conclusion In short, throughout the play both the characters. i.e. Algernon and Jack act as if they have a brother named Earnest, thinking that all of it is made up. In the end they find out that they are brothers when in actual fact they didn't want one. Jack says "he was perfectly well aware from the first that I have no brother, that I never had a brother, and that I don't intent to have a brother, not even of any kind" (Wilde, pp. 34-41). This is ironic because, we see that Jack claimed to have a brother this whole time, but when he knows that Algy is actually his brother he claims to never have had one. It is because of this comic relief and ironic use of language throughout the book that makes it so much better to read. To conclude, The Importance of Being Earnest brings out many different ideas through social satire and irony. It makes fun of marriage, love and the prevalent social norms of the day. Works Cited Donohue, J. and Berggren, R. (eds.), Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Earnest': The First Production. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe, 1995, pp. 90-98. Kaplan, J. and Stowell, S., Theatre and Fashion: Oscar Wilde to the Sufrfagettes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994, pp. 123-129. Herr, Christopher J. "Satire in Modern and Contemporary Theater." A Companion to Satire: Ancient and Modern. Quintero, Ruben (ed). Blackwell Publishing, 2007, pp. 67-74. Brandt, George W. (ed.), Modern Theories of Drama: A Selection of Writings on Drama and Theatre 1850-1990. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 476. Wilde, Oscar, The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays, ed. Richard Allen Cave. London: Penguin, 2000, pp. 34-41. Read More