The Importance of Being Earnest Group Essay

Group Essay Thesis: In the play The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde uses dialogue to represent the individual styles of each relationship in order to convey the stereotypical relationships in the Victorian Era.

In my paragraph my main topic is Algernon and Cecily's relationship and how it is exaggerated and semi-fake. My first point is how Cecily fell in love with Algernon("Ernest") from hearing about him. In order to love someone you need to meet the person so you can get to know the real person. Plus by hearing about the person you may be told lies in order to make the person seem better and more suitable.

My second point is how Algernon Falls in love with Cecily mainly for her beauty and appearance. Beauty was important in the Victorian Era since a woman who isn't appealing to a man wouldn't be married off quite as easily as a woman who is very pretty. Also beauty can shield one's personality from people and by being "blind" a person might overlook and be oblivious to unpleasant personality traits.

My third and final point in my paragraph is how people, mainly women in this case, make up or fantasize of a relationship to make themselves feel wanted and needed. Like Cecily, women that live in the country don't have many eligible men to meet and flirt with, so they think of their ideal relationship. If they dream and imagine too much they may eventually convince themselves that their ideal made up relationship is reality.

The Importance of Being Earnest/Victorian Research

My research on the Victorian Era has helped me understand the play The Importance of Being Earnest. The research made it so I understood social classes, education, and marriage. Many young girls did not go to school and instead learned daily housework skills for bettering their life as a housewife in their future, however in the play Cecily is taught school subjects such as German. She's not taught skills around the house; most likely since she is of higher class and people of higher class were more often taught lessons than those of lower class because they would have servants if they married into a rich family. Also marriage in the Victorian Era was more of a business deal or arranged rather than out of true feelings. As Lady Bracknell states, "When you do become engaged to someone,I, or your father, should his health permit him, will inform you of the fact.....It is hardly a matter that she could be allowed to arrange herself."(p. 23) Gwendolen and Jack ("Ernest") want to be married since they love each other, but they cannot since Jack/Ernest does not have a promising background, instead his background is unknown and seems to have originated in the lower class according to Lady Bracknell.

The different social classes do not generally socialize with one another other than for business. For example, Lane works as a servent for Algernon and doesn't talk to him other than what is necessary like telling of someone's arrival or bring something which he was asked to retrieve. Most of the time Lane just gives an acknowledging answer such as, "Yes sir," and "Name of person arriving." The middle class has more association with those of higher class such as Miss Prism and Dr. Chasuble who socialize with the Worthings, but still have business with them. In the higher class background is very important. If you come from a long line of well-known, important people or from a wealthy family than you're of high class, but if you're in the high class and your background is uncertain, like Jack's (John and "Ernest"), than people may not think quite as highly of you. Because of Jack's unknown background he was not eligible to marry Gwendolen. To be of high class you must come from high decent. The research on the Victorian Era greatly improved my knowledge of The Importance of Being Earnest and made me aware of and understand multiple social situations, circumstances, and restrictions of that era that are within the play.

Animal Farm Poem: Revision of the Past

BANG

A gunshot dances

Across the October breeze

Bringing remembrance

of a battle unseen.

Dense fog surrounds

The unravelling dream

of animals charging

towards their enemy.

One pig up front

Scans the scene

Turns on his hooves

Exclaiming, "Long live humanity!"

Now aiding the enemy

He's marked a traitor

Receiving wounds in turn

For working with the instigator.

But the fog slowly rises

Revealing the truth

of the scene imagined

That persuaded

The brutes.

The pig in the front

Fought without harm

He never abandoned

The Animal Farm.

False words

Turned a nation

Against their own kin

Who knew a revision

Could cause such an end.

The past is the past

And should never be altered

Don't let a lie

Cause you to falter.

Poetry Out Loud Performances

The poem "Facing it" by Yusef Komunyakaa was recited by Brandan Emanual Wellington. Once the play button was pushed I was immediately drawn in by his confidence and voice. He added a haunting sorrow to the tone in his voice and it gives the listener goose bumps. Brandan's dramatization was remarkable. He was telling the audience the story and showing movements, actively involving the audience in the poem. Without a doubt, he clearly understood the meaning of the poem by his confident air and his voice. While Brandan recited the poem you saw the emotions expressed in his facial features and within his tone; it revealed the emotional meaning behind the poem. Part way through the poem I was ignorant to the fact that I was sitting at my house; I felt as if I were "in" the actions within the poem. By the end of the poem I longed to hear Brandan recite more peotry.

The meaning behind "Facing it" is not a pleasant, happy poem, as can be told by Brandan's voice that was, through out the recitation, sad and bone chilling. The poem simply told the truth behind war and the hardships of life; many sacrifices are made whether they are bad or good. The event most focused on was the Vietnam War. In fact, the author/speaker places us at the site of the Vietnam Memorial and describes the names scribed into the marble representing the many lost lives. At this time Brandan's voice had a ring of regret and longing to change what had happened. Many times throughout life you will regret the decisions you make, but you must live with them; that's the truth. You can't go back in time and change what has already been done; learn from what has happened.

Mockingbird Motif

After reading To Kill a Mockingbird the definition of motif was clear to me. I often mix up symbolism and motif however, the novel showed me that a motif enhances the meaning of things or themes within the story. The novel helped me understand motif since it explained the meaning of the motif within the themes and actions that portrayed the themes. The motif really helped me grasp the true meaning behind To Kill a Mockingbird. The part where I understood the motif the most was when Tom Robinson was caught while trying to escape the prison. Just like a mockingbird he was shot dead when he was in fact completely innocent; he was the victim. If the novel hadn't given examples to enhance the motif I wouldn't have been able to follow the story line and the meaning behind the novel.The motif is very simple: a mockingbird. It's thought to be a sin to kill a mockingbird since the bird is purely innocent and hasn't done anything harmful or wrong. You can relate that to life; it's wrong to blame someone who is innocent.

Without the motif the many themes within the pages of To Kill a Mockingbird would be pointless. All the themes follow the motif that it's wrong to blame something/someone who is not guilty. Throughout the book the motif is spread out and explained through different themes such as prejudice in all forms, standing in someone's shoes, and growing up. When you're being prejudice you're against a person, thing, or even a race and that theme was showed through Tom Robinson's case and through the Cunninghams even. People of lower class and race were blamed for things they did not do. As you grow up you realize things and as little kids Jem and Scout blamed Boo for doing things that he didn't do. After Scout realized Boo/Arthur had killed Bob Ewell she said that it wasn't Boo/Arthur because she didn't want Boo to go through court and be blamed. He had already been through many hard times and he was trying to protect Scout and Jem, not harm them. The motif is the base of the themes and shows that each theme/issue is not right and that blaming others/things for your problems could lead to unjust conclusions.

Symbolism (Extra Credit)

The character I portrayed was Mayella Ewell. The symbol I chose was a plain looking bird who is trapped in its cage. Mayella is of lower class so, like the bird who is plain, she is thought of to be an outcast from society. Also the cage represents how trapped she is. In her house she is the only one who tries to make progress, but her father, Bob Ewell, beats her, which makes her crave attention and freedom from her home and family. Once Tom Robinson shows kindness towards her and acts like he's releasing her, her urge for freedom becomes great and she acts rash. However, her actions caused her to feel a great amount of guilt, and that guilt turns into a new cage that will keep her trapped within her own feelings.

Life Lesson

Throughout my life I've heard many different tidbits of advice such as don't eat yellow snow. Although that piece of advice has stayed with me, that's not the advice that has really helped and impacted me. When I was younger and I was fighting with my sister or arguing with a friend my mom would always say, "remove yourself from the situation." Whenever she said that it usually meant she was getting impatient and needed us to take a chill pill. By stepping down and leaving the argument alone you can calm down and clearly think out the problem without anger and rage blocking out your sense of right and wrong. I don't know how many times this quote has been used by my mom, but all I can infer is that it's been over used for many years now. Even though it's over used I never get tired of hearing this quote since it reminds me to give myself time to before jumping to conclusions.

To many this lesson would seem pointless and inferior compared to other life lessons, but to me it holds important meaning. As a child I would always jump to conclusions and get angry, but bit by bit I learned to remove myself rather than dwell on and continually pester whoever happened to be the unlucky victim of my complaints. Today I do occasionally keep a subject rather than dropping it, but rarely do I ever get to the point in a fight where anger is seeping from me. Many times I've kept my temper and avoided unnecessary actions; it even helps when others are arguing and, all I tell them is "drop it" or "stop talking about it." As a child I didn't understand how walking away would help; I just thought it was another way of saying 'I surrender, you win.' It took me a few years to decipher the true meaning, but now I hold it close. When you keep at it you or others can get seriously injured, physically, mentally, or emotionally which really isn't necessary. The best way to solve differences is to calmly and patiently discuss with the other person in order to clarify what you disagree on, not jumping to conclusions and acting on a whim.