The victorian era: The beginning of modernity and modern education where new ide as and thinking are

explored. Role model queen Victoria: Abided by strict moral code, valued modesty, manners and practicality -Industrial revolution -Moral/political/religious concerns that used to bend people into conformity -Audience: middle class who benefited from social mobility -How did the close proximity of the working class affect the Victorian self and society? The truth is rarely pure and never simple . Algernon Play is staged in a comedy because comedy is the most divorced form from life an d yet, allows one to laugh and mock others as well as oneself in a subtle manner . The idea is for literature, which is a display of life/a mimesis of life to be mocked in the form of a comedy. Comedy of manners: -Satirising the manners and affectations of a social state Lady bracknell emphasis on manners and social state:

-Human beings depicted as vain, irrational, venal, neurotic creatures Perfectly heartless repeated by Jack to Algernon Use of farce in tiobe: -Physical humour -Disguise and mistaken identity -Verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication -Broadly stylized performance (Echoing actions like jack and Algernon) Use of Satire: -Ridiculous shame/individuals /society -Aim is to effect change and improvement -Acts as a social criticism Quote: I have always been of opinion that a man who desires to get married shoul d know either everything or nothing -Mocking rigidity of society and the social class hypocrisy (nothing vs everythi ng) A man who DESIRES to get married<--emphasizes the gender class here. That it is Jack who desires and not Gwendolen. Shift in Social values. Horation satire: criticize social vices (voice of lady bracknell and Algernon) Lady bracknell as the society that is rigid in holding its views and Algernon wh o tries to criticize it and it thinkings. -Aimed at Human Folly (use of paradox to target hypocrisy in human) Juvenalian satire: -Scorn/outrage -Addresses social evils Quote: OH it is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read a nd what one shouldn t. More than half of modern culture depends on what one should n t read (Algernon) Above quote juvenalian satire on addressing social evils such as the critique on the censorship nature of society. Paradox w the first and second sentence. Aest

heticism and art being a free expression <--closed to Oscar Wilde heart Imbalanc e in society shown in this hypocrisy. Show that the society is quick to judge an d judges people based on the right way to think and behave. I do not approve of anything that tampers with (lady bracknell) -Does not believe in change. Lady Bracknell represents the voice on society and how it values innocence and ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound -Hupocrisy as Bracknell is an educate woman. Hence it is practically unsound and reflects the stance of society on modern education as well as the conservative people that refuse to integrate and accept the industrial revolution. Themes to consider: 1) The double life/bunburying: Is it good or bad? 2) Perception vs reality 3) Is identity fluid/constant/constructed? 4) What is celebrated as virtue? What is right and what is wrong? 5) Are the characters moral? How does immorality manifest itself ? (why does eve ryone lie?) 6) How are the moral standards defined? Can morality be socially defined? What does Algernon represent of Wilde and the Dandy himself? /IN terms of morals = Algernon lie to make life more interesting and has a non-committal attitude t o lying What is moral?