A whole new twist

I want to agree with Gator (The Unrealistic Earnest) in the fact that the play just didn’t do it for me as far as an interesting, fun reading. I think The Importance of Being Earnest was just too far fetched from reality and almost too much of a satire of society; to the point of being drastically unrealistic. It seems that every situation and conversation was very witty but over-dramatic. Author Oscar Wilde pounded the reader with his views on social status, gender roles, bachelorhood, love, and, as was pointed out in class, homosexuality. For example, on pages 25-28, Lady Bracknell asks Jack many questions regarding his social status and then criticizes him for his lack of important family and upbringing. Then on pages 62-66, the importance of social status is again questioned, this time about Jack’s niece Cecily Cardew, while implications of gender roles are touched as well. On page 63, Lady Bracknell states,

“ A hundred and thirty thousand pounds! And in the Funds! Miss Cardew seems to me a most attractive young lady, now that I look at her. Few girls of the present day have any really solid qualities, any of the qualities that last, and improve with time. We live, I regret to say, in an age of surfaces.”

This one quote alone summarizes the theme of the play; that high society is purely based on surface behavior. I just felt like the author could have made his point by at least having some non-flighty, realistic conversations and actions occur.
However, I did find it extremely interesting when the subplot of “bunburying” was highlighted in class. I honestly did not pick up at all about the possibility of a homosexual undertone, but I also didn’t know the background on the author and the fact that he was “outted” right after the play was published. Once this undertone was revealed to me, the play then took on a deeper, sneakier meaning that did provide some substance in each conversation. I think the best quote regarding bunburying is found on page 20, as Algernon states, “A man who marries without knowing Bunbury has a very tedious time of it.” Algernon is hinting that most men do experience homosexual love before they are married, which gives them a sense of being and allows them to deal with marriage. This is a whole new twist on the plot and sarcasm found throughout the play.