Classics

We have many classics in all of our different societies, which will live on forever. I have been taken out two different classics from the book short cuts 2 that I will analyze. I will also talk about the authors way of writing the text and also about the authors lives and how they had it at that specific time. I chose Oscar Wildes The Importance Of Being Earnest and Charles Dickenss Great Expectations.

Oscar Wilde & The Importance Of Being Earnest

Oscar Wilde was born in Ireland year 1854 and died in Paris year 1900. Wilde is most famous for his works: The importance of being Earnest The Picture Of Dorian Gray (his only novel) and Salome.1 I would say that most of Wildes works were text about how it was living during the Victorian era as Wilde did. So I feel that he wanted to express how he felt about the society when he wrote his text and play. I would say that he was negative to some things in the Victorian England, for example that gay relationships was not allowed at that time, And the fact that Wilde hid for the public that he had a gay relationship with the son of a well known aristocrat which got Wilde to prison for two years.2 I also dont think that Wilde didnt want to belong to the Victorian England just because, in London He was famous for his outrageous way of dressing and his outspokenness. I think that it shows wanted to not be dressed as a Victorian man he just wanted to stand out and be different compared to other people. Thats why I think he wrote his texts and play just to show all the downsides with the Victorian society and how it was living there. The Victorian Era, an age of industrial progress, social reforms and great optimism. But also a time of poverty, social injustice and moral strictness.3 In The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde writes about the social injustice with the class system they had in the society. The class system consisted of three different classes, the working class, the middle class and the upper class, and the text is focusing on how the upper class behaved and socialized with each other. The texts main characters are, Jack Worthing and Lady Bracknell. Jack is proposing to his girlfriend Gwendollen who is the daughter to a very wealthy
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family. In the middle of the proposal Gwendollens mother Lady Bracknell comes in to the room, and sees Jack on his knees. Mr. Worthing! Rise, sir, from this semi recumbent posture., She says when sees what was happening. She tells Gwendollen to go out of the room and says she needs to talk to Mr. Worthing. So she takes a notebook and starts to interview him, to see that he is the perfect man for her daughter. The text is told from a third person perspective, the language of the text has some words that is a little bit outdated (ex. tampers, affectionate) but I think the rest is modern. The text is also taking place somewhere in the Victorian England during the era. I think that the message of the text is, It is how you was born that matters Just because when Lady Bracknell hears about that Jack was found on the streets and carried in a handbag that was found in a cloakroom she says, You can hardly imagine that I and Lord Bracknell would dream of allowing our only daughter-a girl brought up with the utmost care-to marry into a cloakroom and form an alliance with a parcel. Good morning, Mr. Worthing.4

Daniel Defoe & Robinson Cruesoe

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