Power, Class, Money

Question 1

Jack on Class and Victorian Morality

Answer 1

Class and Victorian Morality
-Issue – impossibility of adhering to rigid and duty-laden Victorian conventions – expressed through Bunburying.
-Represents importance of manners and good taste in upper class.
-Social propriety – frequently corrects Algy’s dandyism that could easily tip into decadence. ‘For heaven’s sake don’t try to be cynical’ and ‘your hardly serious enough’.
-Manners evident when irritated my Lady Bracknell’s ridiculous interview ‘Jack looks perfectly furious but restrains himself’.
-Despite restraints – still devises escape – made up brother.
-Wilde suggest Victorian Morality and restraints kill joy and spontaneity.

Question 2

Algy on Class and Victorian Morality

Answer 2

Class and Victorian Morality
-‘If one plays good music, people don’t listen, and if one plays bad music people don’t talk.’ Suggest the triviality of Victorian society.
-Algy’s view forms of amusement – but also a satirical reflection of his classes’ trivial views.
-Extravagant habits ‘three portmanteaus, a dressing-case, two hat-boxes, and a large luncheon-basket.’ – ‘can’t stay for more than a week’.
-Can’t afford his life style – ‘tears them up’ (his bills).
-Constant eating and quarrels over food – represent the hedonism of his class and are an image of displaced sexual gratification.
-Bunbury, unconventional relationship with Lane – rebelliousness to social conventions.

Question 3

Lady Bracknell - Class

Answer 3

Class
-Exaggerated reaction to the challenges form young people – suggest she feels aristocratic power is under imminent threat.
-‘French Revolution’ ‘Acts of violence in Grosvenor Square – voice and mock aristocratic fear of uprising of the lower classes.
-‘In England… education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes.’ – satirizes how education system does not foster independent of revolutionary thought.
-Demonstrates how aristocracy keeps power: bullying, arbitrary judgments, ruthlessness and arrogance – ends justify means.

Question 4

Algy: Really, if the lower orders don’t set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them?

Answer 4

Subversion and wit. -Direct reversal of usual assumptions about the transmission of morality.
-In Victorian era the upper class viewed themselves as the upholders of morality, so the statement is ironic.
-Wilde is revealing the superficial nature of upper class morality.
-Rhetorical question used ironically - to point out to the audience that the lower order don’t simply live for the upper class.

Question 5

Lady Bracknell: To be born, or at any rate bred, in a handbag, whether it had handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life that reminds one of the worst excesses of the French Revolution.

Answer 5

-French revolution 1789-99, lead to democracy, saying a wealthy man who was born in a hand bag reminds her of social mobility.
-Lady Bracknell’s and the upper classes’ obsession with heritage and class.
-“French revolution” satirizes upper class selfishness, does not want poor to have equal rights.
-She is a formidable woman.
-Vicorianidea of inner worth as hereditary.
-Blames Jack for the only shotcoming which is not his fault - perfectly happy with him smking, having no politics, and knowing nothing - absurd.
-hyperbole - impossible to be bred in a handbad - ridicules vicotrian obessesion with class.