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  • Essay / Ernest as a Modernist in The Importance of Being Serious

    Oscar Wilde differs from other modern playwrights, and this difference makes him distinctive as a modern writer. Not only the themes of his works, but also his life, show his modernity, and he benefited from the modern movement of the British theatrical world in the 19th century. In one of his most famous pieces, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” he addresses the theme of modernity. Oscar Wilde satirizes his era through the characters' constant reference to modern life. The characteristics of modern society boil down to complexity and the existence of Ernest and Bunbury reflects the response of individuals to such a society. Oscar Wilde's ultimate goal through this play is to suggest a solution for the new age. Wilde had used external masks to reveal a later truth. Oscar Wilde extends the meaning of being serious to that of modernist by indicating the importance of letting go of one's mask and finding one's true self. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay “The truth is rarely pure and never simple. » The play begins with Jack, Mrs. Bracknell and her daughter Gwendolen visiting Algernon's home living in London. Jack lives under the name "Ernest" in London and his real name "Jack" in his hometown. Gwendolen dreams of falling in love with a man named "Ernest" and truly falls in love with him. Algernon also acts as if his name is "Ernest", but Cecily, Jack's ward, falls in love with Algernon because of the name "Ernest". Thus, Jack, Gwendolen, Cecily and Algernon fall in love under the name "Ernest". At this time, Gwendolen's mother, Mrs. Bracknell, tries to find out if Jack is suitable for Gwendolen. She soon discovers that Jack is an orphan who was found in a train station warehouse. As a result, she does not accept the marriage between Jack and Gwendolen because Jack's background does not suit his aristocratic origin. However, in Act III, Bracknell discovers that Jack is Moncrieff's son. Moncrieff is Bracknell's poor sister. In other words, Jack is Algernon's brother and Bracknell's nephew. Additionally, Jack was revealed to be a true "Ernest" due to the fact that he was baptized under his father's name. Gwendolen was happy to marry the first name she dreamed of. All issues are resolved. This piece ends the curtain with Algernon and Cecily, Jack and Gwendolen kissing. What are modern literary works? Modern literary works have several characteristics. The first is “individualism,” as mentioned above. In modern literature, writers have focused on how individuals adapted to a rapidly changing society. In modern literature, individuals are emphasized more than society. Modern writers have presented society as a challenge to the integrity of their characters. One of the most famous writers, Ernest Hemingway, who wrote "The Old Man and the Sea", is known for his vivid characters who accepted their situation free of charge. The second is “experimentation”. Modern writers had refused to follow an ancient form of writing. At this time, we can see that there are many poems that broke the rule of traditional rhymes and mixed image writings. Authors James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, as well as poets TS Eliot and Ezra Pound, are well known for their experimental modernist works. The third is “absurdity”. Many writers died because of the First World War. At the same time, global capitalism was influencing society at all levels. Because of wars, many people have losttheir humanity. Modernist authors depicted this absurdity in their works. The fourth is “symbolism”. Modernist writers gave significant meanings to objects, people, places, and events. Their particular use of symbols was an innovation. By using such symbols, they let readers imagine the writings. “Ulysses” by James Joyce is the best example. The last is "formalism", according to many writersconsidering literature more as a craft than as creativity. The belief in literature as a craft led modernists to their desire for creativity and originality. Poet EE Cummings abandoned all structure and spread his words across the page. Ibsen and Strindberg were people who marked a watershed moment in dramatic history that ushered in the era of modern drama. Ibsen developed a realism in structure, moving away from the dominant framework of well-designed play structure. Strindberg contributed to the modernization of the dramatic form by borrowing flexibly from realism. However, Oscar Wilde was an exception in terms of modern playwrights, at least when the norm of modernity in theater revolves around the influence of Ibsen and Strindberg. It is firstly because he represented the spirit of aestheticism whose credo is “art for art’s sake”, a perspective opposed to that of Ibsen and Strindberg. While other writers only wrote about tragic plays, Wilde stuck to comedy in most of his plays, often showing a negative reaction to the general seriousness. Wilde's plays are classified differently from realism plays influenced by other writers in that Wilde made exaggerated use of the well-made play form. Furthermore, he tried to keep his thematic distance from Ibsen by showing his critical view on certain of Ibsen's works. Modernity is the main theme of Wilde's writings. Experiencing inevitable transformation as an individual and author at the hands of a rapidly changing society, Oscar Wilde's work is one of the most sensitive illustrations of modernization. In “The Importance of Being Ernest,” he had created characters who shared a clear recognition of life in the modern world. In doing so, he not only dealt with the characteristics of modern times, but indirectly presented potential solutions for the new era, based on his diagnosis of the problems that can be adopted even in the present time. In my opinion, Oscar Wilde is an extremely difficult person to categorize. His life fits neatly into the Victorian era, which took place between 1837 and 1901. However, many scholars classify him as a modern writer rather than a Victorian era writer, as the late Victorian era can be called "the first of the 'moderns'" in the world. English literature. I think this is because his experimental and aesthetic approach to art may have created the need for a new movement. In addition, his works follow the appearance of Ibsen in the theatrical world, which naturally places him in the category of modern playwrights. Moreover, Wilde consciously refused to place himself in Ibsen's orbit and instead persisted in the conventional form of a well-made play or an absurdity. His adherence to Victorian conventions of drama, however, does not mean that he failed to keep abreast of the movement toward modern times. He employed the traditional mode but expressed it in an exaggerated manner that contained subversive elements. Oscar Wilde's conventional plays were more like parodies in terms of form. In short, the modernity of Oscar Wilde's writings/.