The Impotance of Being Earnest Commentary

Va Thao
Ms.Peifer
10 IB English
19 May 2009

"Algernon. The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
Modern life would be very tedious is it were either, and
modern literature a complete impossibility!
Jack. That wouldn't be at all a bad thing.
Algernon. Literary citicism is not your forte, my
dear fellow. Don't try it. You should leave that to
people who haven't been at a University. They do it so
well in the daily papers. What you really are is a
Bunburyist. I was quite right in saying you were a
Bunburyist. You are one of the most advanced Bun-
buryists I know.
Jack. What on earth do you mean?
Algernon. You have invented a very useful younger
brother called Ernest, in order that you may be able to
come up to town as often as you like. I have invented
an invaluable permanent invalid called Bunbury,..." (Wilde 122-123)

Commentary

In the play, The Importance of Being Ernest, there were so many subjects upon lying. Wilde's purpose is to portray the issues of lies in this passage by using irony and perspective.

Irony was used to show the issue of lies in Wilde's play. An example of this is, "You should leave that to/ people who haven't been at a University. They do is so/ well in the daily papers..." (123). The satire of this is that people who have never been to college would not be able to do a good job on literary criticism. This shows the issues of lies upon those handful of writers out there lying about this and that in the papers just to make peoples' lives lively. Another example of this is, "You have invented a very useful brother called Ernest..."(123). This is ironic because the way that Algernon say this is not expressed and understood in the same way as the literal meaning of this. This exposes that people can lie to others and still sound nice. One last example of Wilde's use of irony is, "You are one of the most advanced Bun-/ buryists I know."(123). This is ironic upon how Algernon may say something that is complimenting Jack, but the intentions are to hurt Jack's feelings that he is a big liar. This shows the issues of lies through the sarcasm in Algernon's tones which are ironies.

Perspective is also used to portray the issues of lies in Wilde's play. An example of this is, "The truth is rarely pure and never simple."(123). This shows the opinion of Algernon on lies. Another example is, " I was quite right in saying you were a Bunburyist." (123). This also shows the opinion of Algernon about liars. This is significant because the character Algernon shows a lot of dislike towards liars and it seems as if Wilde is using Algernon as his voice on liars. One last example is, "You have invented a very useful younger/ brother called Ernest, in order to/ come up to town as often as you like."(123). This expresses the fact that Jack is lying about having a younger brother in order to go up to town anytime he feels like he wants to. This lie is shown as a an example on the issues of lies and Wilde tries to portray.

Wilde tries to portray the issues of lies in this passage through the use of irony and perspective. Adding to that, throughout Wilde's play; The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde formulates the theme of lies too.

Atsumori Commentary

Va Thao
Ms.Peifer
10 IB English
4 May 2009

"It was a pleasant sound, and all the pleasanter be-
cause one does not look for such music from men
of your condition. (50)
Unlooked for from men of our condition, you say!
Have you not read:
"Do not envy what is above you
Nor despise what is below you"?
Moreover the songs of woodmen and the flute- (55)
playing of herdsmen,
flute-playing even of reapers and songs of wood-
fellers
Through poets' verses are known to all the world.
Wonder not to hear among us. (60)
The sound of a bamboo flute.
You are right. Indeed it is as you have told me.
Songs of woodmen and flute-playing of herdsmen..." (Motokiyo 48-63)

Atsumori Commentary

In the play, Atsumori, Motokiyo's purpose is to show forgiveness and repentance, but in the passage on page 602 and lines 48 to 63, the purpose is to show an equal value in arts of different class men. Motokiyo achieved this through perspective and symbolism.

Motokiyo used the perspective of the two characters, Priest and Young Reaper, to accomplish his goal. An example of this is from what the priest said, "...all be the pleasanter be-/cause one does not look for such music from men of your condition." (Motokiyo 48-50). This expresses the perspective of the Priest. This reinforces the purpose of this passage because it shows that the Priest has doubt in the Reaper due to his class level. Another example from the mouth of the Young Reaper is, "'Do not envy what is above you/ Nor despise what is above you'?/ Moreover the songs of woodmen and the flute-/ playing of herdsmen," (Lines 53-55). This conveys the perspective of the Young Reaper. It also reinforces the purpose of this passage because the Reaper is basically showing tolerance and equality to both the lower and higher class men through telling the Priest to not hate what is higher or lower of him. It also even expresses that the work of any person are all considered equal due to how he includes the herdsmen and the woodmen as examples. One final example of Motokiyo's use of perspective to show equality is from the Young Reaper, "Flute-playing even of reapers and songs of wood-/ fellers/ Through poets' verses are known to all the world." (57-59). This shows the perspective of the Young Reaper again on how anyone of any class's work of art is equally known throughout the world. These are some examples that Motokiyo's use of perspective to express his purpose.

Another tool Motokiyo used to deliver his message of this passage is through the use of symbolism. An example o symbolism he used is, "cause one does not look for such music from men/ of your condition." (49-50). The "music" Motokiyo mentions here in the play would be understood as the melody played by the Reapers, but Motokiyo use it to symbolize any other work of art, either being poems, portraits, etc. This supports the purpose by not only saying that the equality is in music, but also in any other artwork. Another example is, "Moreover the songs of woodmen and the flute-/ playing of herdsmen,/ Flute-playing even of reapers and songs of wood-/ fellers" (55-58). The use of all these status are to express the variety of classes in society and their equality of the same work of art which is symbolised as "flute-playing". These are the examples of symbolism from Motokiyo's play, Atsumori.

As of conclusion, Motokiyo used perspective and symbolism to achieve his purpose in the play Atsumori. His purpose is to express the equality in artworks of different class men. This purpose only serves its terms under the passage on page 602, lines 48-63.

*NOTE: My computer cannot Underline the title of the play, Atsumori.