The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde

I have written a brief literary analysis of The Importance of Being Earnest from the famous Irish writer, and one of my personal favorites, Oscar Wilde. My analysis will give a short summary of the work itself and how studying Wilde's play will enhance my experience on my trip. I would recommend either reading the play or watching the movie of it with actor Colin Firth. It is rich with witty situations, laugh-worthy humor, and a simple yet tangled plot.

The Importance of Being Earnest is a whimsical and humorous play written by Oscar Wilde the celebrated Irish writer. Through Wilde’s brilliant playwright, he takes his readers through the world of Jack, the main character who does not know his parents or birth right and daredevil Algernon—two raucous-thriving friends that begin living a double life of a fictional brother “Earnest” to win the affections of their fiancés who claim to only love a man by the name of Earnest. As a profound writer Wilde succeeds in word play and hidden symbolism, even in his lighter works. Wilde plays on the double meaning of the word Earnest and the importance of living in integrity. He demonstrates this as Jack and Algy find themselves in tight and sticky situations trying to uphold their identity as another person than who they truly are. After a series of misguided events and when the true identities are revealed, Jack and Algy go through a period of being shunned and rejected by their fiancés where they must win back their affections from being Christened by the church, picking fresh lavender, and performing quality music. As the play comes to an end, when the men finally come forward clean and honest, they gain the love back from their women and Jack comes to find that his true actual name is Earnest when his roots are manifest by his aunt. The story is resolved when Earnest (Jack), now a married man with a known identity, finally realizes, “the importance of being earnest.”

I believe that any work from Oscar Wilde could improve my experience in the UK. As a pronounced writer, Wilde has touched the lives of many with his work. The way Wilde writes is like soft lyrics to my ears as I cherish many of his quotes that stick to my mind like glue. He has a way of capturing his audience in a stylish and elegant fashion which draws a reader in to his plot and allows them to explore his hidden meanings and treasures. Wilde has so much depth in his works that has allowed him to leave his mark in history and how excited I am to be visiting his homeland in Ireland where I can feel an even greater connection to him beyond reading his works. Wilde has inspired me beyond measure, and having the opportunity to become even more familiar with his works will give me an even vivid perspective of Ireland and allow me to experience it at an entirely new level.