At the end of the lesson, students should be able to identify the different voices in The Importance of Being Earnest.
📷A voice in literature is the form through which narrators or writers tell their stories. It is important when a writer places himself or herself into words and provides a sense that the character in the story is a real person, conveying a specific message the writer intends to convey. In other words, voice in literature is an author's individual writing style or point of view.
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In The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde writes for laughs through timing, interpretation, and pure absurdity. Here are some of Oscar's writing styles or voices that amuse the readers in this comedy of manners:
1. Playing of Interpretation
In The Importance of Being Ernest, Oscar Wilde explores ways a statement could be interpreted aside from the obvious intention and uses one of the unintended interpretations and incorrect responses for humorous effect. An example of this comes in the first lines when Algernon asks his manservant Lane this question:
''Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne? I ask only for information.''
The obvious response is that they are merely stealing the wine, but Lane responds drily:
''I attribute it to the superior quality of the wine, sir.''
Their interactions go this way, with Lane invariably choosing to respond with the wrong interpretation, as when Algernon refers to him as a ''perfect pessimist'':
''I do my best to give satisfaction, sir.''
''Perfect pessimist'' is a negative appraisal, but Wilde has his character look straight past ''pessimist'' and focus on ''perfect.''
Likewise, when Jack warns Algernon that ''Bunburying'' will get him into a ''serious scrape someday,'' Algy says, ''I love scrapes. They're the only things that are never serious.'' Rather than interpret scrape as a figurative social tight spot, he takes the literal meaning of a minor abrasion.
2. Playfully Absurd
Oscar Wilde provides the reader with absurd situations, comical ideas to poke fun at the upper class in Victorian life. Algernon invents the term Bunburying, a ruse used by both Jack Worthing and Algernon. The two men have found a way to circumvent the strict responsibilities of Victorian life in which appearances are everything. Both have a person who constantly needs their help, which enables them to escape and go elsewhere. Wilde creates this escape hatch for both characters to regain some semblance of privacy and liberty to be a little bit naughty without anyone really finding out.
For Jack, it's leaving the countryside to go to London to see his mythical brother Ernest, whom he says is the black sheep of the family and constantly in trouble. Jack goes so he can't carouse or hit the bars, and so he can go out without worry of tarnishing his own reputation. He can hang it all on his shameful brother Ernest, who does not even exist. Algernon's own case, which gives Bunburying its name, is a fictional friend by the name of Bunbury who is incessantly stricken by illness requiring Algernon's devotion and care. By going to his aid, Algernon is the noble and dedicated friend, so admirable, when what he wants is to leave the city and get out to the country. ''Bunburying'' works well for both of them, but it can't succeed forever.
3. Comedy of Timing
Sometimes the humor rests in the timing of events or circumstances. In a case of dramatic irony, the audience or reader knows what not all the players know. For example, Algernon teases Ernest about the cigarette case from ''little Cecily'' to ''Uncle Jack.'' The scene goes on for some time and forces Ernest to admit he is Jack and that Ernest is merely his false identity to escape the countryside for carousing in London.
With this cigarette business fresh in the reader's mind, Lady Bracknell sits Jack down for questioning, and her first on the list is ''Do you smoke?''
His whole ruse of the nonexistent Ernest is exposed in that moment, but not for Lady Bracknell. This timely comment treats the reader to a humorous bit of dramatic irony.
Source: https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-importance-of-being-earnest-writing-style.html
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