Oscar Wilde Motifs

The main purpose of this theme is to stimulate laughter from the audience. Wilde is able to satirize the upper classes by placing this play in an upper class social setting. This “…requires the audience to accept the world presented on the stage as a real world, a possible world; and its human foibles, even if heightened and exaggerated in the play’s satirical exposure of them…” (Foster 19). Then he fills the characters language with sayings, which make them seem ridiculous. The characters constantly contradict the basic values in their speech. This works to Wilde’s advantage because he wants his play to be funny and not offensive. Raby states “… [i]n his political and aesthetic theory Wilde was both romantic and cynical. In his drama he was both sentimental and satirical” (Raby 26). He could manipulate the audience to think that the play was just a storyline but in reality it was mocking them. Which includes the theme of the irrational upper class; the question arises: what is the importance of being earnest.

Wilde uses the satirical devices travesty and irony in order to portray marriage negatively. Through his use of satire, one can infer that Wilde sees marriage as a hindrance and a task that society seems to be obsessed with. In Act 1, the proposal scene is shown. After Gwendolen and Jack admit that they have feelings for each other, Jack states that they should get married at once, but Gwendolen decides that Jack must properly propose first. The use of travesty is present here when the meaningful act of proposing to someone is constructed to be comical. Jack asks Gwendolen if he may propose to her. When most individuals wish to propose, they do not usually ask for permission first. Once Jack does propose, Gwendolen asks as though she is surprised and asks, “How long have you been about it!” (line 360). Through the way that Jack and Gwendolen conduct themselves, marriage can be perceived as trivial, when it is actually a significant act because a person is committing to a life with another individual. This shows that Wilde does not agree with marriage and it is not to be taken as seriously as society treats it today.

The Importance of Being Earnest, written by a fascinating Oscar Wilde reveals a story of social class and hierarchy during the roaring Victorian time period (1837-1901). Focusing his writing on the social classes, the play becomes comical when he exposes the flaws held by the upper class during this time. Wilde saw earnestness as being a key ideal in Victorian culture for much of British society struck Wilde as dry, stern, conservative, and so “earnestly” concerned with the maintenance of social norms and the status quo that it had become almost inhuman. This play depicts certain characters that conform so easily to the conventional social status and characteristics of the Victorian culture. Such characters include Algernon, Jack, Cecily, and Gwendolyn. These characters introduce many themes that focus on the Victorian lifestyle, primarily the issues of being “earnest” and one’s own morality.

Known for his unique writing style, prominence in the Decadence movement, art critiques, and imprisonment for homosexuality, Oscar Wilde is one of the most well known Irish authors of all time. Oscar Fingal O'flahertie Willis Wilde was born on October 16, 1854 in Dublin Ireland. His father, Sir William Wilde, was a successful aural surgeon, and his mother, Jane Francesca Elgee, was a revolutionary poet and a great supporter of the Irish nationalist movement. Her passion for literature had an obvious impact on Oscar Wilde, as well as on his brother Willie Wilde, who went on to become a journalist and poet. Wilde also had a younger sister, Isola, who died at the age of ten. During his childhood, Wilde was able to interact with well-known artists, doctors, and other influential intellectuals that his parents knew. These interactions probably had a lasting influence on Oscar Wilde’s beliefs and attitudes.

Vaccination safety and necessity has been debated for years. Vaccine supporters claim they are completely safe and necessary for everyone. People against vaccines question their safety and feel it should be a personal choice. While some vaccines are for personal safety, others are for the safety of society and should be given to the majority of people to avoid previously eradicated diseases from coming back and killing off thousands, even millions of people. Vaccinations are an asset to our healthcare and help to keep us safe from many deadly diseases, including polio, measles, tetanus and meningitis.

Biblically speaking, it is correct that religious freedom and a democratic system of government is not mentioned in the Bible. However, the principles of freedom were inspired by the Biblical values of free will, individual responsibility, moral conduct, and liberty. It is clear that the Founding Fathers believed in the value of Biblical principles guiding the nation and its laws.

Such as, Marriage, class discrimination, manners and sincerity. Those themes are presented with the Lady Bracknell’s help. Wilde has created, with Augusta Bracknell, a memorable instrument of his satiric wit, questioning all he sees in Victorian upper-class society. With her power and weakness shown, she, as an upper class lady, connects and presents the themes in the play.

The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, drips with this beautiful description that may infact be ironic. Pared with this delicate depiction throughout the book are abundant witty epigrams. And the whole story, when read closely, truly mocks society’s heavy value that it puts on the physical appearance. Oscar Wilde uses epigrams in his writing in order to create a lighter, more entertaining mood that will keep his readers interested while he conveys an underlying message that is much deeper and darker: society’s importance on looks will eventually be its demise.

Oscar Wilde’s play, The Importance of Being Earnest; A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is best described as such, a trivial comedy for serious people. Wilde’s play is structured through the influences of social drama and farce. This play was written in 1895 during the Victorian era where an expected behavior governed all areas of life including sexuality and frivolity. Oscar Wilde’s own sexuality is historically well-known as he was married to a woman, but partook in sexual relations with men (“Oscar Wilde”). This play was birthed during the midst of pressures that Wilde experienced in balancing his marital life and precariously trying to maintain his homosexual proclivities. Wilde’s response to the English aristocracy, in all its arrogance,

The book Call of the Wild was not bad. However I don’t think I would have bought it on my own. On the contrary, Call of the Wild was a great school book. Jack London, the author of the book was very good at bring life to the characters within the book. It did not matter how big or small the characters were; each had their own personality that you could connect with. It made the slow pace of the book worth sticking with as each of them grew on me while I continued to read on. During the course of Bucks life as a sled dog he would “toil” and stated by him. Toiling is to work, hard work that some people would happily give up because it is too hard for them; pride is also a good word to describe it. . I think that is a necessary part of life. Jack London does a fine job explaining how we all most toil with something. Finally throughout the book Darwinism is shown. Either with Curley, Sptiz, or multiple examples from start to end. Both dogs were not able to overcome their own predicament, and their fate followed swiftly.

Oscar Wilde was bound for success from the very beginning. His father, by the time he was 28 years old, had not only graduated as a physician, but had also completed voyages to Madiera, North Africa, Teneriffe, and the Middle East, studied at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, written two books, and had been appointed medical advisor for the Irish Census of 1841 (Biography). Among these many successes, his father also opened up his own practice, and founded St. Mark’s Ophthalmic Hospital, and built it entirely at his own expense. On the contrary, Oscar’s mother wrote poems for the weekly Irish newspaper, and was also a profound lyricist.

The genre of comedy, throughout the history of dramatic art has always served to not only entertain audiences, but to make them aware of their own individual flaws, or flaws that exist in society. (Weitz, E.) Comedy has no precise definition, and its boundaries are broad. One function of comedy however has remained the same - to hold up a mirror to the society of the time but through pleasure, inviting audiences to reflect and also providing amusement. Set in the late nineteenth century, the play An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde (1895) epitomises comedy, as both a literary and dramatic genre. Wilde was masterful in his ability to combine aspects of evolved comedic traditions and dramatic conventions to critique Victorian society. Drawing on characteristics of Greek and Roman tragicomedy, the choices in the play’s plot involves elements of tragedy as well as scenes that serve as comic relief and give the audience a sense of finality through a happy resolution. (Bureman, L) Focussing on the upper class stratum, Wilde employs a comedy of manners Molière style, of the Restoration Period in the seventeenth century in the play by combining forms of comedy with aspects of realist drama. The portrayal of archetypal figures such as Lady Chiltern and Lord Goring satirize rigid moral value of the time and expose their hypocrisies, through dialogue involving irony, wit and humour. Elements of farce and disguises characterized by ‘commedia dell’arte’, a form of comedy first developed in

Wilde brought color to the grey of Victorian England with both his words and appearance. As a spokesman for aestheticism, he tried at various literary activities: he published a book of poems, lectured in the U.S and Canada about the new "English Renaissance in Art", and then he went back to London where he worked as a journalist, Wilde was also became one of the best man personalities of his time.

Act III offers happy resolution to the problems of identity and marriage that drive much of the humor in the previous acts. Wilde continues to mock the social customs and attitudes of the aristocratic class. He relentlessly attacks their values, views on marriage and respectability, sexual attitudes, and concern for stability in the social structure.

Throughout his life Oscar Wilde had many strong influences exerted upon him. During his early childhood his mother influenced him and into college some of his professors and certain philosophers left a substantial impression upon him. Into adulthood these influences leaked out in his writing. These influences gave him ample ideas for writing The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde's study of the Hellenistic ideals of Epicurus, his coddled lifestyle as a child and his devotion to the movement of Aesthetics and Moral Ambiguity have produced one of the most astounding works of horror fiction.