Day 9

                                        English Literature - Day 9

                                           We are learning to analyse the playscript.

Today, we were looking at the actual play, which comprises three acts. And we noticed that the vocabulary is quite advanced in the play. We also saw many differences in the actual play and the adapted version in the film.

For example: In the adapted version, Jack and Algy were in the bar, but in the play it says that they were in Algy’s flat. We also read pages 2 and 3, where Karan played Lane, Megh played Algernon (Algy) and Saksith played Jack. To view the playscript, please click here.

Words definition:

Page 2

• Invariably -In every case/in every occasion/always
•   Demoralising - Cause someone to lose confidence/ hope
•   Languidly - Lacking energy
•  Lax – Not strict/ severe

Page 3

• Customary - Usual
• Shropshire- region and counties
• Extravagance - waste

Page 4

• Constituted - made or put together
•   Frantic - Insane / mad / desperate

Page 5

•    Absurd – Senseless
•  Fondest – affection

Page 7

•          Scandalous - shocking and upsetting
•          Absurd – Unreasonable/ Stupid

Page 8

•          Sententiously – Many points in one shot
•          Cynical – lack of respect

Page 9

•          Gravely – serious/ sad
•          Distressed – affected with/ stressed/ worried
•          Accustomed – Usual / Used to it

Page 11

•          Glibly – perform with ease, naturally
•          Metaphysical -  Abstract reason
•          Speculation - to consider a subject

Day 8

                              English Literature - Day 8

                                        We are learning to make a tension diagram.

Day 7

                                        English Literature - Day 7

                                     We are learning to describe relationships in the play.

We looked at how every character is related to each other, and we made a simple drawing, like this:

To put this drawing into simple words: Algernon (Algy) and Earnest (Jack) are best friends, as they have mutual friends and personalities. Earnest has come to the city, to propose to his will-be finance Gwendolen. On the other hand, Gwendolen's mother, Lady Bracknell wants to know about Mr. Worthing (as she must have thought it was inappropriate to just call him "Earnest"). 

Algy is now interested in Jack's niece, Cecily. He too lied to her that his name is "Earnest". And so, he starts flirting with her, and telling her how sweet she looks (most probably for her blonde hair!). When he proposes to her, then they come to know that none of them were Earnest. 

To satisfy both the ladies, they thought of christening their names to "Earnest". But, both of them forgave, and story ends by Jack realising that he was Algy's younger brother, and that he was named "Earnest Moncrieff, after all!

Miss Prism and Doctor Chasuble are additional characters in the play.

Day 5 and 6

                          English Literature - Day 5 and 6

We are learning to understand the man behind the play... (the writer of "The Importance of Being Earnest)

Introduction

Today, we looked at Oscar Wilde, who was a famous and renowned poet and writer in Ireland. He wrote many popular plays like the "An Ideal Husband" and "The Importance of Being Earnest". Also a novel called "The Picture of Dorian Gray". (But the film adaptation was just named "Dorian Gray".

A Brief Biography (short notes)

Oscar Wilde was born on 16th October 1854, in Dublin, Ireland. His father, William Wilde was a highly-praised doctor and his mother, Jane Francesca Elgee was a poet (this may have encouraged him to become one). He had a very high economic strata.

 His occupation was a writer, poet and playwright during the Victorian Era. Wilde was a gay, as he also had a relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas (who was very snobbish and arrogant). It was unacceptable to tolerate gay couple at that time. So Douglas's father didn't approve his son's relationship with a renowned writer. Oscar wasn't happy with that and so he took the matter to the court and sued Douglas' father. Then, he won the case by showing Wilde's text, which shows attraction towards boys. Wilde was imprisoned for 2 years, then he stayed in Paris, where he united with Douglas. He died on 30th November 1990.

Famous Quotes:

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
"I can resist everything except temptation."
"America had often been discovered before Columbus, but it had always been hushed up."
“BE YOURSELF, EVERYONE ELSE IS ALREADY TAKEN”
“It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.” 

Question: Is Lady Bracknell a "class snob?"

Homework - 27th Aug 2013

Quote 1: “To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?”

Quote 2: “The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did it would prove a serious threat to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square.”

Answer:

Yes and no. Yes, because I think Lady Bracknell is a class snob, as illustrated from this source. She thinks that the lower class people are very unfortunate and ill-fated and contrasts it with the French Revolution. It could mean that the people might behead the child in the handbag, as it was similar to what happened in the French Revolution. (Where the king was executed) She also talks about family decencies and its outcome/result (if they didn't care about the handbag!), as referring to the first quote.

No, because she thinks it’s the upper class’s fault that the child was left in the handbag. She had planned to take a serious action over it. So that means that she is not totally biased towards upper class people. She also thinks that education was still available for the baby in the handbag, as referred to the second quote.

Day 4

                                                English Literature - Day 4

We are learning how the Victorian class system is represented in the text.

Today, we looked at a “Frost report” which shows about the three class systems which are: Upper, middle and lower class. And also how they looked at each other in terms of behaviour  They also had massive differences in height. Like the Upper class were taller than the Middle-class, and the Middle-class were taller than the Lower class.

 This was illustrated in the triangle form.We also saw sources that showed us a lot of differences in the class system. Which are:

Lower-class system: The picture illustrates that they look like people from lower class, as the room in the background looks quite dark and they don't even have space to hang their clothes to dry. The house doesn't look like a big bungalow, instead it looks like a small 1-floored house. And the woman in the picture also shows that she is working, not sitting and feeling relaxed. Additionally, the little girl in the right side of the picture looks like as if she is not educated. Instead, she works in her house and helps her mom. They have got all their needs, but not their wants.

Middle-class system: The picture demonstrates that they come from Middle-class families, as they have bows and ribbons on their heads. They also carry parasols (as an alternative of umbrella), which usually were carried by ladies. They are also wearing dresses which are full-sleeved, as they don't really need to work. There are beautiful buildings in the background, which they could afford. They have got all their needs, and a few wants, as well.

Upper-class system: This picture shows that they are very wealthy, as they have got great sense of dressing and look extremely glamorous and elegant. The background of a scenery is a very innovative idea, which is still modern. The woman and the man have 4 children, which shows couples during that time planned for more children as they could afford one. They have got all their need and wants (how lucky were they!).


Video to the "Frost Report"

Day 3

  English Literature - Day 3

       We are learning to place a text in historical context

We saw many evidences of the Victorian society which were:

 Fashion – Usually, the upper class men wore 3 layers of clothing, like: a shirt, tie, another shirt and a coat on top of it. It is mainly because they wanted to give the impression of being very formal. Or it could also be because of weather in England. Ladies, who were rich, usually wore massively heavy ornaments and nets around their faces, which look ridiculous (in my opinion!).  The middle class women wore a dull and unexciting dress, which looked quite tight.

The class system – There was a massive difference between upper, middle and lower classes. The servants thought it wasn't polite to hear their master play music or talk. The natures of higher class were usually very cheerful and energetic, while the lower class sad or depressed (not always).

Technology –Train was the latest transportation during the Victorian Era. The chandelier was also available in casinos. There were no pens at that time; they used to write with feathers. There were also no inventions of engine in boats; instead they used to row the boat. (which was indeed a lot of hard work!) As an alternative of car, there were only bullock carts. Instruments like cello and piano were also a way in which people would love to listen to music.

Others – The thing that disappoints me (a little) during the Victorian Era is that they didn't really think that men were equivalent to women. It was illustrated when Cecily thought German was boring. The thing that was in mind was "Why they haven't showed men learning German?" 

There were many queries in mind which were there while watching the play, but slowly I have started understanding it. 

Video about the Victorian fashion