Hello folks ! How are you all doing ? Today i'm really exited to convince you to read a play I discovered lately : The Importance of Being Ernest by the famous Oscar Wilde. It's a play written in 1895.
I think that it's important to rediscover the classics of Litterature for us young readers! Especially, Oscar Wilde's ones, the plots are never boring ! Let's start with the 10 reasons why you should read The importance of Being Earnest !
The importance of beaing Ernest portrays very well the victorian society and its codes. The way they talk to each others is very well mannered and even hypocritical sometimes. Real figures, like " The New Women "(a feminist movement) can be discerned in the personality of Gwendolen ("sugar is not fashionable anymore"). We can see Lady Bracknell as an allegory of social pressure at this epoch, especially with her need to control marriage and manage relationships. She upholds values first then sincerity and emotions.
This play will put you in a good mood ! It's a comedy after all. For that, there is satyre. Which means that it was meant to make fun of people, here the Victorian upper class, and point out the ridicule of their values and morals. This ridiculous aspect is clear in the scene where Algernon is obsessed with the cucumber sandwitches ! Which shows his interest for silly details.
Indeed, we can learn about Oscar Wilde Life through his work : We can see a part of his life by the Ernest in town / Jack in country dynamic and the duplicity of his own life.
The writing of The importance of being Ernest is full of literary process. Like "puns " (=play on words) , amusing expressions like " Bunbury", "Wits" (=the ability to use words in a clever but humoristic way), dramatic irony ...
Even in 2022, superficiality is still a thing, both in real life and on social media. We're often forced to wear a shallow mask and show our apathetic ou acceptable versions to fit in. It's sometimes oppressing that we can't be viewed as simple human beings. In this play, Oscar Wilde wanted to make fun of hypocritical and superficial Victorian rules and in some way to stand on our sides.
Some characters are exaggerated wich is really funny. As we were talking about superficiality, Gwendolen is a masteress at work ! Especially in the garden with Cecily. How to forget about Lady Bracknell, the archetype of the conservative aristocratic lady, she's seems nightmarish when she arrived in the last act.
The funnier part for me is when Algernon say that his brother Ernest is dead and Jack pops of nowhere and tells that he is Ernest ! Such a misunderstanding !
It will surely interest you if you're into art or enjoy discovering historical aesthetics like victorian beauty and settings !
Emotional but unexpected ! The ending was confusing at first but amazingly well-made , because there was a foreshadowing (Spoiler alert) concerning the hand-bag where Jack was found, which was strangely highlighted in this line." Yes, Lady Bracknell, I was found in a Hand-bag, a somewhat large, black leather hand-bag with handles to it, an ordinary hand-bag in fact."
On top of all the last sentence pronounced by Jack was very clever " I've now realised for the first time of my life the importance of being Ernest" Its incredible this moment when the title of the play is said, it sounds like a revelation.
It's amazing to see that the play continues to live after a century ! It was very popular when played the first performed, the 14 february 1895, and still get performed today . The importance of Being Ernest has also inspired many contemporary authors ! As an example, "Epically Ernest" by Molly Horan is a romantic LGBTQ+ comedy-of-errors inspired by Oscar Wilde's original play. Free to you to read it instead !
So that's how I finish this list ! Don't forget to leave me a comment, I'm always glad to read your messages. BYE ! :)