Earnest Contexts Flashcards
1
Q
The aesthetic movement
A
- Art for art’s sake
- Concept of beauty taking precedence over narrative
- Subverts the idea of Art as a moral entity
- The ‘dandy’ figure lives for art and pleasure (Jack + Algy).
2
Q
Social Class
A
- Wilde was a social outsider - Irish and closet homosexual.
- The play questions the authority of the ruling class.
- Examines the place of the lower classes - does this through the use of servants.
3
Q
Gender roles and marriage
A
- Portrays a patriarchal society where marriage is based on status and is formal.
- Sexuality is a taboo subject - sexual lust was replaced in the play by appetite for food according to Paglia.
- Roles of women are examined and questioned.
4
Q
Behaviour, morality, + religion
A
- Social inequality is highlighted.
- Aestheticism challenges rigid Victorian norms.
- Religion is shown to be a superficial concept (think of the christenings)
