4/27/14

   Besides the fact that my British accent is extremely rough, I am enjoying reading "the Importance of Being Earnest" in class. It is entertaining to listen to everyone attempt a British accent.  I have to be honest, I did not think that this play would be as entertaining as it is. Everything is completely turned around in this play which makes it enjoyable. It is a lighthearted play that is interesting to read. I am looking forward to finishing the play so we can all find out how this big mess plays out. At this point, Jack is Ernest, Algy is Ernest, and Ernest is in a love triangle with Gwendolen and Cecily. Everything is backwards and nothing makes sense. Wilde chooses to portray his feelings on marriage, society, and religion through the use of comedy. The lively characters add to his humorous portrayal of these views.
   Wilde begins Act One by discussing the subject of marriage. Algy talkes about how marriage makes the quality of champagne go down. Marriage should be happy and should make everything better including champagne. People do not expect champagne to get worse after marriage. Algernon explains that marriage is not a good choice because it brings qualities down. Wilde presents contradictions throughout the play. In the first act, a comment is made that the lower class should be setting the example. In the real world, the higher class is the class that should be setting examples. Marriage is continuously bashed by making it out to be awful and boring.
   In the second act, the church is undermined and there is commentary on religion. The priest is able to change is sermon for joyous acassions or melancholy occasions. This is a comment on the quality of the message he is trying to get across. The church is able to change their message to fit any circumstance or situation. Both Jack and Algernon say that they will swing by the church to be baptized in a short twenty or so minutes.Baptisms are usually long and large ordeals for a family or person. This is when they accept Christ as their savior. Jack and Algernon are undermining the importance of this event by saying they will just swing by when they can, or they hope it only lasts about twenty minutes.  We are only a few pages into Act Two, so I am expecting many more comments on other social issues.
  The characters make this play. I enjoy Lane's character. It is funny to see how Lane agrees with Algernon no matter the situation. He takes the blame for all of the mistakes Algernon makes without a second thought. I do not like Algernon. I think he is a funny character to read, but I do not like is Pompous attitude. Cecily and Gwendolen both annoy me. BOTH of them want to marry a man named Ernest because they believe that Ernest is an interesting man! Cecily has made up a completely irrational life with Ernest(Algernon). We all laugh in class when either Gwendolen or Cecily speak about their Ernest because it sounds ridiculous! But hey, there are always ridiculous situations and people in a comedy.