The Importance of Being Earnest- Oscar Wilde

Hi, there! I'm sorry I haven't posted here in a while, but summer has been amazing! I will warn that I certainly will not be able to post for the next three weeks. My writing always becomes more sporadic over the summer, and until school starts up again, this will only get worse.

Speaking of school, today I would like to discuss the last book that my class read for the school year. Rather, the last play my class read. To finish off our eighth-grade year, my class read Oscar Wilde's satirical play, The Importance of Being Earnest. Even given the time period it was set in (late 19th century), I did not find the dialogue or stage directions specifically hard to comprehend. That being said, we spent days unpacking single paragraphs filled with themes and figurative language. Someone could read the play all the way through and understand what is happening the entire time, but it took time and knowledge to really understand the themes and meanings behind it.

I found it especially interesting to unpack the meaning behind the play, knowing that Oscar Wilde was an active member and supporter of the Aesthetic Movement. The Aesthetic Movement was "a prominent late 19th-century European arts and literary movement centered on the doctrine that art exists solely for its beauty and needs to serve no moral, political, or educational purpose." This makes me wonder something: Would Oscar Wilde be disappointed to see his work being taught in classrooms for educational and moral purposes? When my class explored this fabulous piece of literature, we did find clear themes such as "deceit different than love" and "hypocrisy results in pain". He clearly mocks 1800s social norms, so you would think that he wants to send a message that society should change, but I question whether this is true every time I remember his stance in the Aesthetic Movement.

Alas, I still haven't even discussed the premise or idea of the production. Here we go! Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff are dear friends, but Algernon only knows Jack as Mr. Ernest Worthing. Early on, Jack reveals that while his real name is Jack, when he is in the city, he changes his name so he doesn't have to face consequences later on. When he wants to go have fun in the city, Jack tells his ward that he needs to nurture his brother Ernest's health. While on a trip in the city, Jack/Ernest meets a lovely young woman named Gwendolen Fairfax (Algernon's cousin). They fall madly in love. Meanwhile, Algernon continues to hear about Jack's ward back in the country. Her name is Ms. Cecily Cardew. He visits the countryside pretending to be Jack's fake brother, Ernest, while Jack is in the city. Algernon falls madly in love with Cecily and finds out that Cecily has planned to fall in love with Jack's mysterious brother, Ernest, for a long time. When Jack arrives back at his home in the country, Algernon/Ernest is still there! Gwendolen soon visits the countryside, as well, to have a romantic time with Jack (who she knows as Ernest). Then, there are two Ernests, two people dating Ernest, two liars, and so much more drama.

This play is supposed to be confusing and ridiculous. It is a satirical production. As the story progresses beyond this point, the plot only grows into a more tangled and confusing situation. Additionally, I am a person who will always appreciate a good play on words. Some of you may have already noticed, but the character that Algernon and Jack both ended up playing at some point was "Ernest". The name Ernest is pronounced exactly the same as the characteristic "earnest". The title reflects the conflict on whether it is important to be earnest (acting sincere and with a genuine purpose) or to be Ernest (a figure who is loved, but not truthful). Oscar Wilde was so creative to deeply investigate this internal struggle. It is important now more than ever to weigh whether you want to be honest or popular. AI, filters, and digital editing can all create fabricated lies online. Is it more important to go viral with a post made by AI or to be truly yourself? Oscar Wilde showed his opinion on the matter at the end of the play, but I suppose you'd have to read/watch it to know.

Thank you for reading! I would recommend learning more about this piece of beautiful literature, but I wouldn't say that you should read it. See if your local theater ever plays it or if you can gather a group to read it aloud. Scripts are meant to be spoken and acted out, rather than read. That's what I would say, but I'm sure that the play would also be worth reading. I'm going to change my 'catch-phrase' a little today to say: WATCH A PLAY! Thank you! See you in three weeks!