How does Atwood use language devices including tenses to give us clues regarding as it is now and was before?

Atwood uses tenses in the handmaid’s tale to intrigue the readers into understanding the characters feelings and history. The use of the tenses; past and present in the opening chapters of the book suggest that the writer wants the readers to understand the history and feelings of the personae before they carry on reading the book, he really wants the speaker to feel and experience the history of the personae so that they will not just read the book but also enjoy the book whilst reading it.

Atwood uses fashion to portray the change in society, “I knew from pictures, later in miniskirts, then pants, then in one earring, spiky green streaked hair”. This quote suggests how society had changed over the years, the fashion had become more and more daring and women were also becoming more daring then at once everything changed and it stopped altogether. The quote ended mid-sentence leaving suspense for the reader and when reading on they will realise the suspense. This quote also portrays the pain and hurt of the personae, she remembers the past and how women used to be able to express themselves through clothes but now they’ve stopped even that. They’ve taken away the rights of women to wear what they desire which shows a sense of desperation.

Similar to this is the use of a country’s name: “old ones that still said us” this quote reminds us of how the US is known to be very powerful and it has a strong hold over many other countries but the use of old against US also shows that the US has also gone out of power and no one can change things anymore only the people that rule Gilead.

Lastly the speaker mentions the relationships between the men and women in the past which was fairly open then, men and women were allowed to date and it was seen as a normal thing, however as the novel proceeds we find out the case is different in the future.  Relationships between men and women in the future is seen as a taboo subject apart from the commanders and their wives, and the forced relationships between the handmaids and the commanders. In the following chapters of the book we read about the desperation of having a relationship.

All of the above statements lead to one conclusion which is that the use of all these statements is a form of foreshadowing, to get the reader to understand how much things have changed, the drastic changes and how this has affected the main character. The use of womens fashion, the relationships between men and women, the power of the US, all of these vanish in the following chapters of the book so it’s a foreshadowing technique of the writer( Atwood) to use tenses to portray society and how much its changed and the effects of the changes.

Zahra Choudhry

How does Wilde convey Jacks attitude towards Algernon?

Wilde uses many different techniques to convey Jacks attitude in the play.
One of these ways is through comedy, Jack and Algernon have a silly little argument over muffins and this shows there relationship that they are close friends and they are fighting like two little brothers would over cookies:Jack. [Rising.] Well, that is no reason why you should eat them all in that greedy way. [Takes muffins from Algernon.] this quotation shows us how close the relationship is between them two. when someone is eating food in your house you don't really tell them not to eat or to stop eating but Jack can

Scene 9 Analysis

Why does Blanche break the mirror?
Blanche breaks the mirror because she is not happy with her life she hates her life and now that the truth is out she wants to run away from everything. She knows and is reminded by everyone that she is not young anymore and that she has to come out of her imaginary world and face the real world now.

What are his motives in Raping her?
Stanley rapes Blanche for revenge, he takes out all his anger and he

Dramatic effects in the end of scenes.

Scene 1

I think that in this scene we are shown many dramatic effects. At first we can see the difference in backgrounds and shock as Blanche arrives in Elysian Fields and is shocked to think that her sister lives here. As she discovers more she is disgusted by Stella's lifestyle and how much she has changed. This could tell us that before Stella and Blanche lived very grand lives in good conditions.
Another dramatic effect is the love and affection shown when the two sisters meet. they are overwhelmed to see each other and cannot stop hugging and kissing each other. Blanche uses various nicknames and praises Stella a lot and Stella is just so overwhelmed to see Blanche here.
We also see violence and man power as stanley in the beggining of the scene throws meat at Stella and orders her to cook it while he is going bowling. This shows opression in the scene and the status of both men and women.

Scene 2
In this scene there is drama between Blance and Stanley. Stanley has his poker night with friends and he keeps it at home. The main themes and dramatic effects are Suspicion/ Tension. Blanche wears expensive clothes and jewelllery and she also has a trunk full of these clothes and expensive things, this gets Stanley frustrated and he starts looking in her trunk and questioning Blanche where she gets the money for all this, he starts to think that something is wrong and suspects Blanche.

Scene 3
Scene 3 is about insecurity and love and violence. Stanley's poker night i carrying on. whilst this Blanche is very worried about her appearance ans keeps complaining showing insecurity, she meets mitch for the first time and they are both attracted to each other showing love and whilst the party blanche plays the radio and Stanley doesnt like this, he asks her to stop, she doesnt listen and he gets up and throws the radio out the window.

Scene 4
this scene represents sexuality and love. Stanley and Stella are fine and back to normal the next day after the fight, and Blanche is upset about this. Stella has slept with Stanley after his violence, also Blanche is worried for Stella and she tries to get her out of stanley's house by trying to make arrangements and calling up people.

Stella and Eunice Discussion

(Stella running upstairs to Eunice)

(Loud Sobbing)

Eunice: Oh stella Darling, Stella Stella What on earths upset you like this, Its not that Stanley is it? i'll go downstairs right now..

Stella: No its not stanley its blanche.

Eunice: I knew that girl was trouble from day 1, now whats she done?

Stella: dont ask? ask what she hasnt done... Ohh Eunice.. ( Cries loudly )

Stella: She's shamed us , what will mama and papa think, they're probably looking down on us and thinking what happened to our daughters? One got married to a polack and gets beaten up every other day and the other just forgot all her values. Its my fault i always knew there was something wrong with her i should have stayed with her in belle reve maybe we wouldnt have lost it then. Maybe maybe maybe.

Eunice: good heavens girl, can you please tell me whats happening?

Stella: Hotel Flamingo

Eunice: Yess (cough) I've heard about that hotel.

Stella: Blanche stayed at that hotel for some time.

Eunice: Oh.

Eunice: Well you know people these days, always spreading rumours. you can...

Stella: (interupts eunice in a high pitch voice ) But is it a rumour?

Eunice: Ohh Stella darling you dont believe it now do you?

Stella: I dont know Eunice , i just dont know Blanche has always been a bit flighty and after a incident she did become more and more intrested in men, she couldnt think about anything but them.

Stanley: STELLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!? GET THAT SISTER OF YOURS OUT THE
TOILET BEFORE I KNOCK THE DOOR IN! IM SERIOUS.

Eunice: Go honey, you'd better go, quickly

Stella runs down

Blanche's Diary Entry

Dear Diary,
Time: 8.00

Today, for the first time I spoke about it. It being the taboo subject I never talk about. It being the subject that has ruined my life, my looks, my peace. It being Allan.

I told Mitch, I told him everything. I couldnt lie to him anymore because I love him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. Its a new beggining and new begginings have fresh starts. I didnt want to start my new life with lies and all that hate and disgust within me, but I told mitch and I now feel like a newborn baby. Ahh I am at peace now :) Now i have a future wedding to plan for ill be back later. toodles.

Time: 8.03

I've not told Mitch everything, I cant be a newborn baby he doesnt know about the flamingo and and ...and everything else. Shall I tell him? will he still love me? will he still marry me?
Dearest diary tell me, oh tell me what to do I dont understand. I'll decide after my bath, YES! thats what i'll do, long hot baths always help me think.

Writing task

Stanley: Oh Stella can we stop this huffy puffy business, you know i had a bit too much to drink last night.
Stella: Stanley you say the same every time.
Stanley: What do you mean?
Stella: are you going to carry on like this when the baby is born, huh? do you really want to bring the child up like that?
Stanley: enough of this emotional stuff, we'll see to that when the baby comes , for now lets talk about us
Stella: there is nothing to talk about Stanley?
Stanley: now stella, theres no need to take that tone with me, im trying to be patient here
Stanley : Ok im sorry for last night, i guess it was wrong.
Stella: its Ok stanley im used to it but it really scared Blanhce and you know how she is.
Stanley: ohh dont start with this again, i do know how she is and i have no regrets about last night, she deserved it. If she doesnt like it she can go , no ones asking her to stay are they?
Stella: see i knew you wouldnt understand
Stanley: this is useless im going to see mitch
Stella: bye

Scene 4 Questions

Scene 4

Why is Stella Sort of thrilled by Stanley’s Violence?

Stella is sort of thrilled by Stanley’s violence because she could have got used to it by now. The amount of time she has spent with Stanley could have led her to find it weird when he is not angry, this shows us that Stella has adapted to Stanley and his ways and this represents true love, she has sacrificed her normal life for Stanley’s anger filled life. We can see Stella is thrilled by Stanley’s violence because when she tells Blanche about her wedding day she also tells her that Stanley broke all the light bulbs with his hands and that she was sort of thrilled by this. This shows that she is not ashamed of telling Stanley’s bad points to others and also she could be taking Stanley’s anger in a positive way, she may just like it.

Statements which sum up Stanley and Stella’s relationship

Stella, it does gonna be all right after she [Blanche] goes and after you've had the baby. It's gonna be all right again between you and me the way it was. You remember that way that it was? Them nights we had together? God, honey, it's gonna be sweet when we can make noise in the night the way that we used to and get the colored lights going with nobody's sister behind the curtains to hear us!" (8.55)

This Quote to me sums up Stanley and Stella’s relationship easily. Stanley as we can see throughout the play , plays the role of the strong male character throughout the play, he sees himself as the head of the household and the most important , he thinks of stella as the homemaker, expecting her to stay at home and cooks his meals and just generally takes care of him. Despite anything he does he expects Stella to still respect him. This is typical of men , during the time the play was written , it links to the context. 

Coming back to the quote, we can see that the most important thing for Stanley and Stella’s relationship is sex; they both find it a very important part of their lives and relationship. From the statement we can also assume that Stanley finds Blanche to be a burden on them and they don’t like having her here because she is having an effect on their sex life.

What is Blanches plan for the future?

Blanche dreams of having a happily married life with Mitch and she dreams of living with him as his wife. Also she does this to remove her memories and for once she wants to settle down with a normal life leaving the past behind her and making a new beginning.

Blanche and Stella streetcar discussion?

I think the use of the word desire plays a big role in the streetcar named desire, it relates very well to Blanches character she gives into desire very quickly and she desires a lot of things. The name of the play which contains desire could be foreshadowing.

I
imagine that while Stella is in hospital after having the baby, she writes an entry in her diary about how she feels about returning home to Stanley and Blanche. Write this diary entry in which Stella expresses her hopes and fears for the future. 

You should give careful consideration to your language choices and style. Write in dramatic form and dialogue suitable for the characters.


Dear diary,


It's a boy, My beautiful baby boy. What a beauty! I'm going to name him..john, billy.. No Ill let Stanley decide.
I miss him you know i really do, I wonder how he must have been without me. With Blanche. Alone. Stanley was very angry at her the other day. Although it wasn't Blanche's fault, she can get a tiny bit annoying sometimes. Always worrying about her looks and powdering herself. what if he does something to her
No i Mustn't think like that, Stanley loves me and he wouldn't do anything to hurt me, and anyway he doesn't pay any notice to Blanche anyway.
But what if… STOP IT 
My baby, he looks a bit like Stanley, junior stanley, You know he smiled at me twice today.
I will always keep him by me, never ever let him be away from me. i will be the best mum ever and Stanley will be the best father ever. 
and Blanche
well.. she'll be the best aunty ever.

Scene between Mitch, Steve and Stanley.

Mitch: Hey Stanley, mate you could have told us you had guests we could have played somewhere else.
Stanley: I dont
Steve: We saw a bird all dressed up, caked with powder and smelling like a dozen roses upstairs, i think our mitch has fallen for her.
Mitch: Now stev..
Stanley: thats no guest , that is a scheming little liar othersiwise known as Stellas Sister.
Mitch: now Stanley thats not nice, why you calling the poor girl all those names whats she ever done to you?
Steve: see what I mean stanley , he's fallen for her.
Stanley: Mitch you listen up, you better think twice before even looking at her again, shes trouble I tell you.Since day one i smell something wrong with her. Shes up to something
Mitch: give the girl a break, honestly you polacks.

A Streetcar Named Desire

Why does Blanche replace the bottle and wash the glass after having a drink?

Blanche seems to replace the bottle and wash the glass after having a drink to wash away her sins and to wash away her worries and fears. Also she replaces the bottle because she wishes she could replace her life and start again. Put it back in its place.

Pick out the pet names which Blanche has for Stella and explain why Blanche uses them?

Blanche uses nicknames for Stella such as: Stella for star, oh my baby, Precious lamb, honey,

Baby, these all suggest that Blanche is the older sister; also that she really loves Stella as she uses all these lovely nicknames for her. This could suggest Stella is a much loved child and that their relationship is very close as sisters. Blanche also mentions that her dad died; maybe this could mean that Blanche could have acted as a mother/father figure for Stella. However it could also mean that Blanche wants something from Stella her turning up mysteriously, sucking up to her could have a motive behind.

What evidence is there that Blanche is concerned about her looks? What does this tell you about her character?

Blanche keeps mentioning that she doesn’t look nice to Stella, she says that she looks dirty, needs to powder herself. She also keeps complimenting Stella, possible wanting her to compliment her back. The reason for this could be that she is insecure or that she is jealous of her sister Stella. She also loves clothes, she has many and they are all of good quality meaning that she cares about her appearance and the quality of her appearance.

What is Blanche’s attitude towards the place where Stella lives?

She doesn’t like it; she looks her nose down on it.  She is shocked to see that it only has 2 rooms.

This could suggest that she and Stella before were of very high class and that they were not used to living in these conditions, so now when Blanches sees the home that Stella lives in she is shocked.

Writing Task

Stella: Blanche what did I tell you about drinking that whiskey you know its Stans.

Blanche: Oh Honey really? Honestly you think I would drink this whiskey. It’s the cheapest whiskey around, only the lower class drink this. Honestly my taste buds would refuse to drink this thing. I was just checking out your cabinets Sweety. AHHH! Ok you got me. Well it was meant to be a surprise, I was going to dish up a scrumptious dinner for the 3 of us. After all this grub you must be craving my Cottage pie honey aren’t you? See how much I know you, how much I understand, How much I love you? Now where is that cheese?

rst task:

Research into setting on context of the play.

Create a context post for the play based on your reading of the opening and your research into the play and its author.

• Where and when is the play set? - find an image of the city/state/country
• What is a streetcar? - find an image from the place and period
• What is the music from the period? - find an example from youtube or wherever and embed
• What is the social context of the characters - find images of the types of people your can image in the play (not the actors from the film please), look at the jobs they do and the background.
• Find a map of the location - add this.

Finally, explain the choices you have made and how you are justifying them.

The play is set in new Orleans Louisiana in the 1940's.A streetcar is a tram which is a form of public transport.

Dearest Frederick,
I am writing to you in a dear, in a time of eager need, unfortunately our beloved grandmother Ethel is severely ill and she needs one of us with her urgently. As I am the elder brother I believe that I should migrate to Bristol to stay with Gran.

The time has come Frederick for you to face the real world. I know that you are free at these times and now I want you to stand on your own two feet and step out of your dream. I will no longer be able to send you money to pay for your education fees and leisure. You are now at the mature age of 20 and old enough to work and provide for yourself.

I will have to leave instantly so I want you to come and take my job for me. Sir Algernon is fine with it. He stated that it will be a pleasure "having a younger Lane with him". Sir Algernon is of great importance to me and I hope that you will understand that.

Sir Algernon has always treated me very well and with immense respect. He is a very polite and kind gentleman with a ever expanding sense of humour, at times you cannot understand him but the first piece of advice I will give you is to always laugh at sir Algernon’s jokes. He likes it.

He has a rather unpleasant friend, Mr Jack who is often around. The pair are like brothers and often tease and play with each other, it’s a normal habit. Although I must warn you Ernest is a very cunning and suspicious character. I suspect him of leading a double life. The other day I found a cigarette case of his which he left behind and it had another name on it. I must warn you to stay away from him. I don’t understand why Sir Algernon puts up with him.

Now Ernest is not the only visitor who comes to see Sir Algernon, His Aunty and cousin Gwendolen also come regularly. Lady Bracknell , his aunt Likes cucumber sandwiches and it’s become a tradition of mine to make cucumber sandwiches for her whenever she comes therefore from now this is your duty. She likes the bread from a particular baker. I will attatch a copy of the ingrediants, where they are bought and the recipe of the sandwiches. Lady Bracknell is a high status women. She hardly talks to me or even notices that I am present. I hope that is the way it will remain. Please do not attract attention towards yourself. I’d appreciate if she didn’t realise I was absent.

Gwendolen: Sir Algernon’s cousin also comes often with her mother. She is a pretty young women who Ernest has his eye on. They are both such devils always flirting and messing around under Lady Bracknells nose. I would also steer well away from her as women tend to be like their mothers.

Now Frederick I think I have told you enough, you are to take good care of Sir Algernon and to keep his respect I want you to look after his guests with explicit kindness. You must always talk politely, do not argue and only speak when spoken to and try and minimise the conversation always.

I am expecting you to arrive soon as I will be leaving in 2 days.

Lane.

Resolution of The importance of being Ernest

The play, the importance of being Ernest evolves through out the play and many changes happen including:

• Character statuses change
• relationships change
• satirical purpose of the play also changes.

In the beginning of the play the characters are not fully aware of there relationships with each other and humour is created when Algernon and Jack both have false characters who they make believe that they are real ( Bunbury for Algernon and Ernest for Jack). The two are very good friends and are always teasing and playing around with each other. Towards the end of the play we find out the true identity's of them and also we find out that they are long lost brothers and Lady Bracknells sisters sons. Jack is then automatically of a higher class and he is instantly accepted into the aristocracy. Before he wanted to marry Gwendolen but  his mother did not allow it but now because he has become of a higher status and is part of the aristocracy he is automatically allowed to marry her now.

The play is also very hypocritical about statutes and this is very satirical, This theme mainly evolves around lady Bracknell.

Biography Of Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde was born on the 16 October 1854 and died 30 November 1900. He was an irish Poet and writer. He became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s before he was imprisoned and given the death sentence.


He was an intelligent man who attended university and studied Roman Catholicism and aestheticism, he knew many languages including German, English and French.


 After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles. As a spokesman for aestheticism which he studied, he tried his hand at various literary activities: he published a book of poems, lectured in the United States of America and Canada on the new "English Renaissance in Art", and then returned to London where he worked prolifically as a journalist. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress, and glittering conversation, Wilde had become one of the most well-known personalities of his day.


In his lifetime he wrote nine plays, one novel, and numerous poems, short stories, and essays.

On May 29, 1884, Oscar married Constance Lloyd , daughter of wealthy Queen's Counsel Horace Lloyd. They had two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan. To support his family, Oscar accepted a job as the editor of Woman's World magazine, where he worked from 1887-1889.

In 1888, he published The Happy Prince and Other Tales, fairy-stories written for his two sons. His first and only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was published in 1891 and received quite a negative response. This had much to do with the novel's homoerotic overtones, which caused something of a sensation amongst Victorian critics. In 1891, Wilde began an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, nicknamed 'Bosie', who became both the love of his life and his downfall. Wilde's marriage ended in 1893.  

In April 1895, Oscar sued Bosie's father for libel as the Marquis of Queensberry had accused him of homosexuality. Oscar's case was unsuccessful and he was himself arrested and tried for gross indecency. He was sentenced to two years of hard labor for the crime of sodomy. During his time in prison he wrote De Profundis, a dramatic monologue and autobiography, which was addressed to Bosie.

Upon his release in 1897, he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol, revealing his concern for inhumane prison conditions. He spent the rest of his life wandering Europe, staying with friends and living in cheap hotels. He died of cerebral meningitis on November 30, 1900, penniless, in a cheap Paris hotel.

 

Lady Bracknells Speech to lord Bracknell.

Dearest Eugene,

Today I was faced with quite a dilemma. Some unworthy man called Ernest ,friend of our charming Algernon decided he was worthy of our beautiful Gwendolen. He had the guts to ask if he could have her hand. Honestly these lower class people don't understand their limits. They need to be set boundaries on even how much they are allowed to dream!

Gwendolen must be worth 10 of him. She is such a beautiful girl at a Young ripe age, with an amazing unspoiled nature. He would not be able to look after her properly, Although he claims he loves her profoundly he does not have any relations! How ridiculous is that? He was found in a leather bag! I must say when I heard these words from his mouth I found is extremely hard to control my laughter!  Found in a leather bag! What a joke!

I understand that i might seem like a cruel person, but in these days you have to be careful. The society is not like it was 5 years ago. We are higher class people we have to worry about every little thing. What will everyone say when they find out about Gwendolen marrying a Man Found in a Bag! we will become a laughing stock! all the women will mock me.

What shocks me most is the daughter I raised to be sensible and understanding has now for the first time gone against me. She is also persistent in wedding Ernest. She says she will not marry anyone else. She will never forgive me etc. But this is her inner child speaking. Soon she will come to her senses.

Gwendolen’s Diary

Dear Diary,

Today I am very pleased as charming Ernest has finally proposed to me, although it did take him rather long to do it, but me being the nice, kind and caring person I am didn’t object to that I waited for him. Its not like I never had any other options. Why, I had dozens; Tall, handsome, rich But none of them were called Ernest. Ah! even writing the blessed name sends shivers down my spine.

I clearly remember the exacts words he stated. “Gwendolen, I must get christened at once—I mean we must get married at once. There is no time to be lost.” The silly man. He loves me so dearly he forgot to propose, but I put him in his place. I asked him to propose before I said yes.


Everything was going rather well, before mama had to place her foot in it. She decided darling Earnest was not right for me and that she would take the decisions for me. Why doesnt she understand that not always does a person named Ernest come round the corner asking to marry you. Oh Ernest the name is so unbelieveably Beautiful. Its like the sweet sound of birds chirping in the early morning. How beautiful would that name sound with My own ineffable name: Gwendolen. Gwendolen Ernest, Ernest and Gwendolen.... Mr and Mrs Ernest! HowDelightful!


Of course my own Ernest will find a way to get past mama’s ridiculous ways and marry me. We are destined to be together. Mr and Mrs Ernest...


Gwendolen x x x 

How does Wilde create humour at the expense of his characters Gwendolyn and Cecily?

How does Wilde create humour at the expense of his characters Gwendolyn and Cecily?

In my opinion Wilde uses humour in the play evolving around Cecily and Gwendolyn to represent the status of women in the Victorian society. Women were generally seen as properties of men and they had to obey them, men were the superior role. I think Wilde uses humour to show that women (Gwendolyn and Cecily) were typical women of the Victorian society as they believed anything and fell into the traps of Earnest.

In the beginning of act 2 Algernon praises Cecily and she replies to him

“Cecily: I think your frankness does you great credit, Ernest. If you will allow me, I will copy your remarks into my diary. [Goes over to table and begins writing in diary]”. This shows the mere stupidity of Cecily as she has only met Algernon a few hours ago and she is already concerned about what he says. It shows that she was desperate for remarks about herself or that she was very vain and loved hearing praises about her; this creates humour by the bluntness of Cecily.

Again in the same point Wilde uses a rhetorical question to represent Humour in the form of Cecily. . If you will allow me, I will copy your remarks into my diary. [Goes over to table and begins writing in diary]”. This implies humour as Cecily did not even wait for a reply but she went and wrote in her diary which is shown to us in stage directions.

Similarly Wilde uses Gwendolyn to create humour by the usage of euphemism “‘I hate crowds’” Gwendolyn is clearly contradicting herself here and is being a hypocrite, as she lives in town where it’s always crowded. This shows that she was nervous and obviously annoyed at Cecily. Wilde uses this in his play to mock women and amuses his audience as they already know that Gwendolyn lives in town which is far more crowded than the country. It also creates humour as Gwendolyn could have come up with something harsher then that but came out with something sounding so silly. It’s as if they were kids fighting over whose better.

Yet again we are shown Humour through Cecily who as a woman has to go to lengths to pursue a romantic life. It shows that she is desperate and it highlights the inequality of the sexes at the time. She goes to the extent of creating a fictional character that she writes letters to and even replies back her, without even meeting him. “You need hardly remind me of that, Ernest. I remember only too well that I was forced to write your letters for you. I wrote always three times a week, and sometimes oftener.” This shows that the girl was desperate and this represents humour in the status of women. She was so desperate that she imagined him and wrote letters to him and wrote letters back to herself from him. She has nothing better to do then to write letters to herself. It shows that women had a lot of spare time on their hands and that they were very insecure.
Wilde uses dramatic irony to create humour when Gwendolyn says, ‘Disloyalty would be as impossible to him (Jack) as deception’. This creates humour as the audience of course knows that Jack is deceiving the other characters with the story about his brother and so find this funny. It also shows humour as she doesn’t know what she is saying is completely the opposite. She seems to be so sure and this creates humour as the audience knows she is wrong and laugh at her for believing jack. This represents the foolishness of women in the Victorian era. They believed anything.

To conclude Wilde uses the characters Gwendolyn and Cecily to represent humour by the difference in the genders. He represents women as foolish, gullible people who let they fall into traps easily. The purpose of this could have been to please the men in the audience and to warn women. He uses it carefully to side with both genders. Overall the use of humour at the expense of the two female characters is no doubt funny and very ironic.

Gwendolyn and Cecily Scene Analyses.

Gwendolyn: Outside the family circle, papa, I am glad to say, is entirely unknown. I think it is quite as it should be. The home seems to me to be the proper sphere for the man. And certainly once a man begins to neglect his domestic duties he becomes painfully effeminate, does he not? And I don't like that. It makes men so very attractive. Cecily, mamma, whose views on education are remarkably strict, has brought me up to be extremely short-sighted; it is part of her system; so do you mind my looking at you through my glasses?

Cecily: Oh! Not at all, Gwendolyn. I am very fond of being looked at.

Wilde uses the device of topic to represent Gwendolyn’s status in the play. She tells Cecily about both of her parents very thoroughly describing them in riddles. She almost seems to be mocking them “the home seems to me the proper sphere for the man”. She is very opinionated and is saying that her dad should stay at home and possibly do all the things that a woman does at home. Wilde could be showing us that this was a change during the time as men had more status then women but Gwendolyn was a woman out of the norm during the time the play was composed. This could also have been done to represent her status showing that because she is of higher class she can criticize her parents and that she will not be punished for it. All of this shows us that she has quite a rude personality and nature because she is meeting Cecily for the first time and all she can do is ridicule her parents.

He also uses the device of structure to show Gwendolyns attitude. She talks alot and probably thinks that Cecily likes listening to her. She doesn’t let her talk in the middle or give her a chance to speak until she asks her a question. This represents that she is stuck up and spoilt she is used to hearing her own voice all the time that she thinks others will like it too.

Wilde also uses turn taking combined with structure again to represent the difference in the two characters Gwendolyn and Cecily. Gwendolyn waffles on quite a bit, not making much sense and talking in riddles where as Cecily gives a short, sharp and witty reply. This implies that in comparison Cecily is a more confident, sharp girl then Gwendolyn. To me it seems that Gwendolyn is lonely and and that is why she talks more because she wants to feel like someone is listening. Although Gwendolyn is the dominant speaker Cecily has a stronger impact on the audience. The structure shows this again, through the punctuation device Gwendolyn uses many full stops, commas and question marks, where as Cecily uses an exclamation mark to emphasise and 2 full stops to let Gwendolyn soak it all in.

Wilde also shows us the hypocrisies represented through the device of inversion in the Victorian era, this is shown through the roles of men and women: “the home seems to me the proper sphere for a man” Gwendloyn here is saying that she thinks that all men should be the ones that stay at home. This is a inversion because it is assumed that women should stay at home and men should be out working, this was particularly strong in the Victorian era when the play was written, as Women had very low status and were shown to have nothing without men , but in the importance of being earnest this is the opposite as Gwendolyn has the courage to say that she thinks her dad and men should be the ones to stay at home. Could this mean that she is not happy with the work her dad does, does he not earn enough for them or is it simply that she thinks women are better then men. This all shows that women still had courage in the Victorian era and Gwendolyn is a perfect example of this.

The devices quoted above show Humour as women were supposed to be very humble and kind and sweet towards their husbands, fathers and just generally towards males but here its another case Gwendolyn shows that she did not care about status and that she was not below men but more superior to them.

Quote Anayses.

( Act 1 )

1) Algernon- I really don’t see anything romantic in proposing. It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal. Why, one may be accepted. One usually is, I believe. Then the excitement is all over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If ever I get married, I’ll certainly try to forget the fact.

In this quote Stated by Algernon we can blatantly see that the quote is his opinion. He states his opinion like a fact which creates humour in the quote. He is talking as if he is very experienced. This could suggest that Algernon is experienced in Marriage proposals or that he leads a secret life. The lexis device used: Proposing, Marriage, Romance, and Love – all talk about relationships. The quote shows his respect for proposals and marriage. He does not seem very serious about marriage and proposals. His use of punctuation also shows his confusion. There are 8 sentences in a short paragraph. There is only one complex sentence. This implies that every time a full stop occurs he stops to think about what he has just said and this shows he is confused in what he says.

2) Lady Bracknell. A country house! How many bedrooms? Well, that point can be cleared up afterwards. You have a town house, I hope? A girl with a simple, unspoiled nature, like Gwendolyn, could hardly be expected to reside in the country.


This quote is very ironic in many ways. First we can clearly see that Lady Bracknell is very excited and happy at the thought of Jack having a country house this shows she is a very money hungry person. Secondly she refers to her daughter as being a simple and unspoiled girl when clearly she is not simple and unspoiled. She asks two questions but doesn’t wait for a reply.  This shows she is very eager to get replies and get the marriage fixed but she only wants to hear the answers from herself.  This shows her superiority in status and That she likes to show people she is of a high status. The manner in which she speaks sound very weird for a upper class woman, very fast and like she is hungry for money and houses and wealth.


Act 2


1)Cecily. I wish Uncle Jack would allow that unfortunate young man, his brother, to come down here sometimes. We might have a good influence over him, Miss Prism. I am sure you certainly would. You know German, and geology, and things of that kind influence a man very much. [Cecily begins to write in her diary.]




Cecily starts of with stating her desires. At first she is being very hypocritical calling jack Unfortunate when she has never even met him. She then goes on to say that she might have a good influence on him. This shows that she thinks that she is a very good person and that she can change people- that she has respect for herself. She then trails of talking about why miss prism might have a good influence on him and says she does German. This has nothing to do with changing one so it shows that whilst thinking about Jack, Cecily has trailed off into her own world. Most probably thinking about Jack. She is secretly engaged to him in her own mind. Then she starts to write in her diary- this could be because she doesn’t want Miss Prism to ask questions and she wants to change the subject or pretend she is busy or she could just be writing about what she has said about Jack to show him when he finally comes.


2) Admirably! Admirably! [Takes out watch.] And now, dear Mr. Worthing, I will not intrude any longer into a house of sorrow. I would merely beg you not to be too much bowed down by grief. What seem to us bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.


This quote starts of with repetition – It shows that Chausable is Emphasizing his sorrow to Jack and showing him he cares. In this quote there is a mixture of irony, and sarcasm combined with a metaphor. This shows that jack has created such an image of his pretend brother that he has made everyone hate him. Therefore Chausable knows that Jack is not very upset about his brothers death as he uses the metaphor what seems to us bitter trials are often blessings in disguise. He is saying that what ever happens to us is for the better so appreciate what has happened. This shows the audience Dr. Chausable’s personality he seems very cruel and has no feelings.