In this blog I will discuss about the analysis " Note on Love and Marriage: Perspectives from Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest " by Michael Vance.

The author of this analysis describes the play as " a cleverly woven satire". Her also defines Oscar Wilde as " a self-described antinomian." In fact Oscar Wilde had his own point of view, he was totally out of the ordinary; his extravagance and his spontaneity made this play an authentic chef d'oeuvre.  In the article, Michael Vane notes that Oscar Wilde was able to criticize some important matters with such irony. He states "Wilde exercised great skill and little restraint in crafting a satire that poked fun at many of society's most sacred and untouchable institutions."   


   Throughout the analysis, Michael Vane's attention revolves about the marriage's subject. He describes how Oscar Wilde represents the matrimony's picture with lots of humor and derision. Basically the author explains that in the play, marriage cannot be associated to romance and happiness. He highlights the character's superficiality and particularly Gwendolen and Cecily. As a matter of fact, the two ladies cannot envisage the idea to be married to someone who is not called by the name Ernest. It is just unthinkable for them; " Cecily:  You must laugh at me, darling, but it had always been a girlish dream of mine to love someone whose name was Ernest. There is something in that name that seens to inspire absolute confidence. I pity any poor married woman whose Husband is not  called Ernest." (Wilde,37). " Gwendolen: my ideal has always been to love someone of the name of Ernest. There is something in that name that inspire absolute confidence. The moment Algernon first mentioned to me that he had a friend called Ernest, I knew I was destined to love you."(Wilde,15)
Further Michael Vane outlines their method of choosing their spouses and their precipitancy. Obviously it's surprising to propose to someone that we just met. Finally, the author underlined in his analysis the bunch of humor  and extravagance that Oscar transmitted through" The Importance of Being Ernest".


   In his article Michael Vane develops the most important point of the play, I agree with the author when he is describing the character's behavior. Throughout the play, Oscar Wilde highlights the ignorance of the upper classes, they are such confined into their absurd world that they can't have a good knowledge, in fact they are quite simpleton.  When I read the play I was really amazed by their fanciful attitudes. Oscar Wilde used lots of irony in this play and that's definitively made " The Importance of Being Ernest" interesting, comic and exciting. 




Work cited
Vance, Michael. "Notes on Love and Marriage: Perspectives from Oscar Wilde's  The Importance of Being Ernest an Analysis." http://kamus3.homestead.com. May 2000[web]July 2012