Lane's instructions

To whom it may concern,

My name is Lane, the servant of Mr Algernon Moncrieff. I hope you found your way hear safely. I will be away for quite a long period of time, during this time I hope the standards that are in place in this household do not fall. I am aware that you have experience in the serving quarters but I felt that it would be a good idea and frankly quite necessary to tell you a few things about Mr Moncrieff and his... unique personality. Firstly, he has quite the appetite and tends to finish food at a remarkably fast rate, how he doesn’t suffer from indigestion is a miracle! It would be wise if you had a mental list of a few of his favourite foods. He is partial to the odd muffin and can eat a tray of cucumber sandwiches in one sitting.

                As you are the servant and he is the boss I hope you understand that what he says, goes, even if you feel you have been wronged. A mere servant doesn’t hold the authority or right to question the actions of someone of a higher class. Mr Moncrieff has a habit of telling the odd white lie. So if you find yourself in the situation were you have ‘forgotten’ to buy the cucumbers then, well you did ‘forget’ to buy the cucumber sandwiches. On the topic, I think it would be appropriate to bring up the topic of bumburying. You will most probably be oblivious to this concept but as I may be gone for quite some time, you may come across it. To put it simply bumburying refers to the young sir’s second life. From time to time Mr Moncrieff may feel that it is a necessity to pretend to be someone else. If this is the case then don’t be alarmed and let him do as he pleases.

                You may come across a few visitors during your time here. One of Mr Moncrieff’s closest friends is Mr Jack Worthing. He comes to visit Mr Moncrieff from time to time. They may bicker but they are very close, they share a brotherly relationship. Mr Moncrieff’s Aunt: Lady Bracknell also comes to visit. You will, I am sure of, have heard of her. She is quite well known in the area and is treated with the up most respect by everyone. You must NOT treat Lady Bracknell in any way that may make her feel affronted. If this is the case then it may cost you your job.

                Finally, if the situation calls for it, if you are asked to give your opinion on a subject keep it short. If this is to happen then you speak only when asked to. Mr Moncrieff doesn’t care about your personal life and wants to maintain the balance of servant and boss. He has quite the odd personality but you will soon learn to adjust, he is not your normal boss. He often acts childish but I believe this may be due to losing his parents at a young age. Treat him well and you will find your time in this household to be quite enjoyable.

All the best,

Lane

Resolution of 'The Importance of being Earnest'

In act III of the play many thing are resolved, this in turn effects relationships and social statuses within the play. Jack's true identity is finally revealed including his Christian name: Earnest. This development allows for relationships to develop between different characters. Jack and Algernon discover that they are long lost brothers. "You are the son of my poor sister, Mrs Moncrieff, and consequently Algernon's elder brother." This revelation allows Jack to discover that he is a blood relative of Lady Bracknell and also that they are of the same class. This allows for Jack to be more eligible husband to Gwendolen. This idea is represents the feeling that Wilde has for Victorian society. Jack is the key example of the point that Wilde is trying to convey. The nature of society is vain and the hold of not mixing social classes is unchangeable. In addition to this point Wilde can also express his feelings about hypocrisy in Victorian society. Lady Bracknell shows hypocrisy within the play. Before she met Lord Bracknell she was of a lower class and therefore she moved herself up the social class. However, once she is in the higher social class she is adamant in preventing lower classes form mixing with the higher class people. This once again allows Oscar Wilde to reveal his feelings he has for society. He is clearly suggesting that Victorian society is very hypocritical and is an unfair. 

The resolutions made at the end of the play are rounded off; ending the play with the title. It could be argued that the ending of the play was inevitable. The relationship between Jack and Algernon was always a playful one that brothers usually share. Therefore the idea that they both reunite as brothers at the end of the play could be something that was destined to happen. They both share common interests such as having two identities, they have both had there fair share of bumburying within the play. 

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde was an Irish playwright, novelist, poet and critic. He was regarded as one of the greatest playwrights of the Victorian era. He was born on 16 October 1854, in Dublin, Ireland, the second of three children born to writer Jane Francesca Agnes née Elgee (1821-1896) and surgeon Sir William Robert Wills Wilde (1815-1876). Wilde's mother was a prominent poet and nationalist; his father a successful ear and eye surgeon and noted philanthropist, knighted in 1864.

In 1884 Wilde married Constance Mary Lloyd (1858-1898) with whom he would have two sons; Cyril Vyvyan. The Wildes settled in Chelsea, London where Oscar continued to write and work for such magazines as the Pall Mall Gazette and became editor of Woman's World in 1887.

Wilde’s ‘scandalous’ past is well known. In 1891 Wilde met English poet Lord Alfred Douglas "Bosie". It was the beginning of a tumultuous relationship that caused many problems for Oscar and eventually led to his downfall. Alfred had a tempestuous relationship with his father which did not help matters. He disapproved of his son's lifestyle and when he learned of his openly living with Wilde, he set out to defame Wilde. For the opening performance of The Importance of Being Earnest in 1895 at St. James's Theatre in London the Marquess planned to publicly expose and humiliate Wilde. Oscar took legal steps to protect himself against the 'brute' but he ultimately won a case whereby Wilde was charged with "gross indecency" for homosexual acts. He was sentenced to two years of hard labour.

Wilde’s final play and arguably greatest play: ’The Importance of being Earnest’ was a play that could be directly identifiable with Wilde’s personal life. He was someone who was against the norms of society, being a gay man, hiding his true identity.

By late November 1900 Wilde had developed Meningitis and died.

Lady Bracknell’s speech to Lord Bracknell

A handbag dear, he was found in a handbag. Yes I know, it sounds absolutely ridiculous! He may be wealthy and have an estate but I have a reputation to uphold. He has neither family nor any connections to anyone. What would people think? Not only is he an orphan but he is also a guardian to a child who is of no blood relation to himself. It worries me to hear that she is both young and beautiful. Why this is a concern to me, I don’t know why. Gwendolen is of course the most beautiful person I have seen.

I know you’re feeling unwell dear but the idea of him marrying my precious Gwendolen is enough to make me want to retch! It is inconceivable to allow for Gwendolen to be at all connected to this man. I feel quite strongly about this and will try my upmost to prevent this marriage from going ahead. Society is something that has classes for a reason, if we allow Gwendolen to marry this man our standards will fall, what will people think of us? He is also very mysterious, he seems to be hiding something, his story sounds rather bizarre. I fear he may be one of those foes who pretend to be someone who he is not. In fact I believe Algernon mentioned it before...Bumburying, yes that is what it was called! The idea that someone could lie about their identity is positively frightening! High society should not mix with lower class people, the underhandedness of this behaviour, moving your way up society should be classed as a crime!

Speaking of Algernon, I believe he is being influenced by this so called Ernest! I believe he may have gotten the idea of bumburying from Ernest. I worry that his behaviour may tarnish our reputation if he carries on playing around. I will have to put him in order. When we arrived at his home, we didn’t receive any refreshments. I believe that he may have eaten the food before we had arrived; he seems to be looking slightly rounder than usual. I appreciate a healthy looking man; it shows that they are from a high society family.

I want my Gwendolen to be happy, so if that means that she marries that man, then so be it. I will have to discuss how the home will be run with him. The house is the home for a man and he will have to learn to accept that. Also, the marriage preparations will be carried out by myself, if it should be a classy affair. Now where is my book, I need to add him to my list of eligible men...

Annotate: showing K and U of language and literacy features as well as context. Cross reference with the rest of text to show wider K and U of play.

By looking thoroughly at the text presented in The Importance of Being Ernest, specifically at the language and literacy features, with addition to the context a wider understanding can be discovered. With hidden connotations a wider range of meanings can be examined and discussed within the play. By looking in particular at a conversation that took place between Gwendolen and Cecily and number things can be discovered.

The first thing that can be established about Gwendolen’s character by looking at the conversation is that she says things in certain ways for dramatic effect. The arrangement of her sentences ‘Outside the family circle, papa, I am glad to say, is entirely unknown, I think that is quite is as it should be’ is unusual and presents the complexity of her character. By leaving the most important part of her sentence ‘unknown’ right to the end suggests that she likes to keep people interested and entertained. With this being said, the ordering of sentences could be interpreted in a different way. The fact that she is speaking in a long winded manner may suggest that she is the type of person who likes to be the centre of attention, presenting an arrogant perception of who she is. This does not just appear to happen once but again, only a few sentences later: ‘Cecily, mamma, whose views on education are remarkably strict’. This suggests that she is accustomed to talking in this way; the tendency to speak in this fashion may have come from the influence of her mother. Lady Bracknell also speaks in this way: ‘I never saw a woman so altered; she looks quite twenty years younger’, dramatic effect is clearly something that runs in the Bracknell family.

Inversion is another concept seen throughout the novel. Specifically looking at this conversation, gender and its reversals is the point of discussion. During the Victorian era it was common practice for the woman to stay at home and look after the children, while the husband and bread winner of the family would work to earn money to establish a stable home for his family. Contrary to this point, Gwendolen feels that the home is where a man should be ‘The home seems to me to be the proper sphere for the man’. Once again this portrays the complexity of her character. It is odd to suggest that a man that is not at home is acting ‘womanly’ during the Victorian era however with the use of inversion Gwendolen contradicts this: ‘Neglect his domestic duties he becomes painfully effeminate’. Being someone that stays at home is something that Gwendolen finds attractive ‘it makes men painfully attractive’, her opinion is stating that she likes men who appreciate woman and care about the home. The inclusion of inversion may have been specifically written by Oscar Wilde to present parallels with his personal life. It is well known that Wilde was someone who did not take his family duties seriously. He was someone who did not spend time at home and often neglected his children and his role as a father. By stating that it is a good thing for a man to be at home could be a way of Wilde self reflecting on his own poor behaviour.

Vanity is another thing that is closely linked to Gwendolen’s character, through her opinions and the things that she states, this can clearly be established. Appearances are something that Gwendolen is concerned about ‘do you mind me looking at you through my glasses?’ presenting a superficial aspect of her personality. At the same time a pun on the word ‘short-sighted’ presents a polysemic interpretation; on one hand it shows her vanity but at the same time it shows her narrow-mindedness and incapability to see the bigger picture. This may be Wilde’s perception on society; the upper class being unable to see things that don’t concern them. Gwendolen holds the same views as her mother and tries to aim to be the type of person her mother is ‘it is part of her system’. She values the same opinions as her mother and to an extent idolises her as someone she wants to grow to be. Although the conversation is between Gwendolen and Cecily a larger portion of the conversation is of Gwendolen speaking; in fact Cecily only replies in a few sentences, a significant difference to that if Gwendolen. This once again allows the reader to establish what type of character Gwendolen is. She is someone that likes to talk a lot and has many opinions. This may due to her social class, being brought up in a higher class has allowed her to be able to voice her opinions without being shot down. Unlike the lower classes who are taught not to question or state an opinion: ‘I don’t know that I am much interested in your family life, Lane’. By saying this during Act 1 Algernon is clearly drawing a line between the two classes and establishing a hierarchy between them; the higher class being able to state their opinions and feeling whereas the lower class having to stay quite.

Boundaries about who you are in society and the type of person you are can be established through the use of shapes. Gwendolen refers to a ‘family circle’ as well as a ‘proper sphere for the man’. She believes that there are boundaries that need to be with held; boundaries within a family as well the boundaries for a man. The idea of having boundaries is very important in Victorian society, there are boundaries put in place between different social classes as well boundaries out forward about the roles of men and woman. Oscar Wilde has clearly used the idea of shapes as an analogy to show boundaries put in place within Victorian society.

Many different things can be established by looking at the text, inferring not only different aspects of a characters personality but also the feelings that Oscar Wilde has can be portrayed through these characters. The opinions of characters, the personality and the ordering and use of words can all be used as evidence to present understanding and further knowledge of both the characters, the play and Oscar Wilde.          

Word Analysis of Act 1 and Act 2

Humour is presented throughout the play: 'The importance of being Earnest'. By analysing the language used behind the humour expressed, a deeper meaning can be found about the characters and Victorian society through a range of qoutes.


By looking at Act 1 humour is seen through Algernon speaking to Lane, through the use of dramatic irony. The humour used in this context is especially humorous to the audience as they they know the inner meaning behind what is said. 'Good heavens! Lane! Why are there no cucumber sandwiches?! I ordered them '. Earlier in Act 1 Algernon is seen eating all the sandwiches greedily, without letting John have any. For the sake of keeping up appearances Algernon lies in front of Lady Bracknell and allows her to assume that there were no sandwiches available, and that it was out of his hands. The audience knows full well that Algernon is lying in dramatic fashion which is meant to be humorous. The fact that Algernon blames Lane for something that is clearly his own fault, reflexes the way society treated the lower class during the Victorian era. Although Lane knows that Algernon was the reason why there are no cucumber sandwiches she plays along with his lies because she has know choice but to do as she is told as she is of a lower class and his servant. It also reflexes the views that Algernon has on the lower class; he doesn't care about the way he is perceived by them as they are of know concern to him. However the way he is viewed by those of a higher class are more important; by keeping up appearances and to avoid embarrasment Algernon lies to his Aunt. This is a clear indication that appearances are something that are always kept in Victorian society.


The interview that takes place between John and Lady Bracknell is another scene that is packed full of humour, 'I am quite ready to enter your name, should your answers be what a really affectionate mother requires.' The prospect of finding a suitable husband for her daughter is something that Lady Bracknell takes very seriously. The fact that Lady Bracknell is taking this very seriously is humorous because it is so ironic because the questions asked are based on superficial and meaningless concepts. 'Do you smoke' for example is a question asked by Lady Bracknell, an irrelevant question to most people but to Lady Bracknell this is something she needs to know. This suggests that she is someone who is interested more on the appearances that is seen from the public instead of being based on character, ' the unfashionable side. I thought there was something'. This presents the vain side of Victorian society. Although the play presents vanity, something which is usually not something that people are proud of, the audience are not suppose to take this seriously but find it funny because it has been specifically chosen for humorous effect.      


During Act 2 the revelation that John's 'brother' has died is something that should be addressed as a serious incident however, the conversation that takes place during this news are ironically humorous. From the viewers point of view this information is something that will induce laughter as it affects the scene that will follow, another effective use of dramatic irony. The audience is well aware that before this scene occurred Algernon has revealed himself as Ernest, the idea that John has now ‘killed’ of his brother from his life will consequently make the situation more complicated. The lie that was started by John has slowly begun to fall apart and the conversation between John, Chasuble and Miss Prism is the key part of the play in which this lie will begin to unfold. The way in which John decided to present the way his brother died was by following the idea given by his good friend Algernon ‘A severe chill, it seems’ was the words spoken by John which were offered as a good idea from Algernon. The fact that the scene before was between Algernon and Cecily, with him pretending to be Ernest is ironic because John is using the idea concocted by Algernon to help him get rid of Ernest but Algernon has brought the character of Ernest to life by pretending to be him.

Act 2 is full of humorous conversations but the scene that occurs between Algernon and John after it is revealed that Ernest is in fact alive is one that stands out. The conversation is full of banter that is so hypocritical of each other’s behaviour that it is something that is presented in a funny light. ‘What a fearful liar you are, Jack I have not been called back to town at all’, the idea that Algernon is accusing Jack of being a liar is funny because the reason why Algernon is in the situation that he is in is because he lied his way to get there. Although they’ve put themselves in an awkward situation they are still able to talk to each other as friends, who can comfortably tease one another. ‘Your duty as a gentleman calls you back’ is said by Jack in reference to Algernon’s behaviour and his attempted ‘bumburying’. The behaviour of both them is worthy of being described as childlike but the idea that they are both mocking one another for their childish ways comes across as humorous.

These quotes clearly identify the way that Oscar Wilde presents humour and how it is related to the characters within the play as well the Victorian society, in which the play was written.

An in-depth analysis of Act 1 Scene 1:

(A conversation between Lady Bracknell and Jack after Jack’s proposal to Gwendolen)

Before the conversation has started the reader already knows that there is a clear difference in status between Lady Bracknell and Jack, Lady Bracknell being of a much higher status. Compared to the conversation between Jack and Algernon earlier, on the topic of marrying Gwendolen, the undertone of that conversation was less serious. However, the manner of this conversation has a more official, more formal feel to it. This can be established through the topic at hand; Gwendolen being Lady Bracknell’s daughter means that the subject is a very important one. The reader is aware of the topic through the use of the lexis: “not down on my list of eligible young men”. Lady Bracknell clearly takes the idea of finding a suitable partner for her daughter to be an important one. Although there is turn taking going on, it is more of a question- answer session between Lady Bracknell and Jack. In this case, Jack being the one having to answer a number of questions being fired at him. This suggests that the rhythm of the conversation is moving quite rapidly.

The majority of the time that Lady Bracknell finishes a line of speech, she ends it with a question directed to Jack, which he is to answer, without being disrespectful. This once again reflects both the status and the roles within the conversation. The way in which Lady Bracknell is delivering questions to Jack suggests that she is of a much higher status. The conversation between Jack and Algernon earlier showed that Algernon was of a higher status, relative to the conversation, whereas usually they are of equal statuses. However in this conversation there is a clear difference between statuses regardless of the topic of discussion. The fact that it is of a delicate and very important subject just emphasises the difference in status.

 Throughout the conversation, Lady Bracknell comes across as quite judgemental on certain topics such as the way in which a man should present himself and the age at which is right for a gentleman to get married. This might be inferred as her being quite opinionated, this might be justified because she comes from a well respected background. She also seems to be well connected as she knows a lot of people; she is well respected by the general public. The idea that she might not know someone might mean that they are inferior to her:”Lady Bloxham? I don’t know her” and “nowadays that is no guarantee of respectability of character.” She clearly sees herself as someone who has the right to judge people and it comes off slightly egotistical.  

The order in which Lady Bracknell directs her questions shows a lot about her character. It is common to ask the most important matters in your opinion first. In the case of Lady Bracknell however, her first few questions are related to money and personal details about Jack. She is someone who cares deeply about her reputation and does not want it to be tarnished. One of the last questions she asks: “Now to minor matters. Are your parents still living?” establishes a lot about her character. Usually to someone, a question related to family and death is an important matter, to Lady Bracknell it seems to be an insignificant detail. This shows that she is a cold, stern and heartless person. Her response to when Jack tells her that they have both passed away reiterate how judgemental she is: “to lose both looks like carelessness”. Although the conversation has taken a serious turn, she seems to be unabashed in her retort.

This relatively short conversation has presented a lot about Lady Bracknell’s character. It has once again shown the differences in status and at the same time has also shown that the topic at hand is a very important factor on the outcome of the conversation.     

Analysis of Act 1 Scene 1

Through reading the first Act of scene 1 a topic can be established through the conversation between Algernon and Jack; in this case the topic is on "Bunburying". This is further seen through the lexis: 'What you really are is a Bunburyist". Algernon seems to be interrogating Jack about his private life, this is emphasised through stress that Algernon uses through certain words: "I suspected that" the stress in this sentence is on the word 'suspected'. This clearly shows that Algernon is suspicious about Jack's behaviour and on what Jack's hidden agenda is.
Algernon is clearly the dominant speaker and he is of a higher status relative to the conversation. He is the one putting questions forward to Jack in an interrogating manner. Whereas Jack is conversing through short direct sentences, Algernon on the other hand uses longer, in depth vocabulary in a way to corner Jack into a confession on his true identity. Although Algernon is the dominant speaker there is clear turn taking in the conversation which suggests that in relative status they are both of the same status and are mutual friends.
There also seems to be a rhyme throughout the conversation. The way in which Algernon is putting questions and statements forward to Jack and the manner in which he is speaking, in this case of an informal, light hearted way suggests that the rhyme is quite fast. The use of coinage in this context, also allows the conversation to take a less serious turn. The word Bunburying is polysemic, in the case of the conversation it means to have a double life, hiding ones true identity. However the word Bunburying has a deeper meaning, in reality it means to hide your homosexuality which can be directly meaningful to Oscar Wilde himself.

Algernon: Farewell Ernest. Until we meet again. (Ushers John towards the door)
John: Why the sudden rush to get rid of me? What are you hiding? (John slowly walks back into the room)
Algernon: I’m expecting Aunt Augusta to arrive soon. And before you ask, no, my dear cousin is not coming with her!
John: Oh dear look at the time I best be going. Give your Aunt my best regards.
Algernon: As insincere as you are John, I shall pass along the message.
John: How grateful I am that you understand me so well! Well good day.

(John exits)

Algernon: Finally that fellow left. Lane! Bring me the cigarette case.
Lane: Here you are sir. Would you like me to send this to Mr Worthing?
Algernon: Why ever would you do such a thing? Hand it over. (Brings out his hand) I’ve always liked the look of this case. (Looks at Lane) Don’t judge me Lane, I am merely curious. You may leave.
Lane: Yes sir.

(Lane exits)

(Algernon open the case and begins to read the inscription)

Algernon: “From little Cecily with her fondest love to her dear Uncle John” What a peculiar inscription .This fellows name has always been Earnest Worthing. Who is this John and who is this Cecily? Hmmm I suspect that a bit of Bunburying at play! This shall be interesting. (Pockets the cigarette case and leaves the room)

A short analysis of ‘The importance of Being Earnest’

The title ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ already gives the reader something to think about; with an ambiguous title the reader is already questioning the motive of the play. Whether the definition of Earnest is to be sincere or whether it is possibly someone’s name. The title alone is intriguing but with the added sub title: ‘A trivial comedy for serious people’ the reader can make assumptions on what the play will entail. Clearly this play is a light-hearted one that should be enjoyed by everyone including ‘serious people’.  

As mentioned before the pluralistic title will probably lead the reader to check the cast list to find out whether there is a character who goes by the name Earnest. Although no ‘Earnest’ is on the character list, the characters that are written clearly show that there is a status divide within the play. With some characters given Christian names such as ‘John Worthing’ and ‘Algernon Moncrieff’ where as others are merely known by their last names: ‘Lane’ and ‘Merriman’ there is clearly a distinct difference in how these characters will interact in the play. Also some characters are given titles along with their names, such as: ‘Lady Bracknell’ and ‘Hon Gwendolen Fairfax’ these names suggest that they are of a high status within the play. The cast list allows the reader to make a judgement on the characters before they have been introduced.

Through the opening dialogue from Act 1 Scene 1 Oscar Wilde explores status through the use of dialogue. The way in which higher and lower class interact can be clearly seen. Algernon Moncrieff is clearly of a higher status then that of Lane. He is the one who is in control of this conversation as he is the one putting questions forward as well as demands: “have you got cucumber sandwiches cut for Lady Bracknell?” he is also using discourse throughout the conversation compared to Lane who only ever answers Algernon’s questions in short, precise answers without using discourse. In fact the only point at which Lane does develop on a question, in this case marriage, Algernon is quick to tell him that he is not interested in his personal affairs. It can be seen that Algernon does not want to break down the barriers between the different social classes. In my opinion this has more to do with keeping up a reputation then of not caring. Algernon’s monologue after Lane has been dismissed suggests that he does care about his opinion as he is questioning it afterwards: “Lane’s views on marriage are somewhat lax.”  Algernon seems to be putting up a front in order to protect his higher status and also to some degree his pride. Oscar Wilde has already left the readers questioning the title, the characters and the idea of social status within the opening page of dialogue.

My First Post!

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