Does Wilde Treat Victorian Values Were Perpetuated Through Courtship And Marriage
English IV-College Prep, Chandler
2nd Semester (‘08)
The Importance of Being Earnest Essay Exam
PURPOSE OF AN ESSAY EXAM: The purposes of this type of exam complement the purposes of this course: 1. to prepare you for college English and 2. to prepare you to write in all college classes. This essay will require that you synthesize the major concepts in the play we have studied and further develop your writing skills. This type of essay is very common in college. You will frequently be asked to write an exam essay in a 1 to 2 hour test period. Sometimes you will be able to prepare in advance, sometimes not. Believe me, it is better to learn here with me than to learn in college when the semester essay exam can count up to 40% of your total course grade. …show more content…
GENERAL DIRECTIONS: You are to choose one of the four essay topics which follow to develop into an out-of-class essay response. I expect you to write a 600-word critical analysis on one of the topics covered in The Importance of Being Earnest.
SCORING AND GRADING INFORMATION:
* * * In order to earn an "A" on this essay your thesis statement must reflect an arguable position which you then develop and support. For example if you were instructed to write an essay in which you show how fate is treated in the literature, you could write either a thesis statement that basically reflects fact:
1. In Beowulf fate is a topic of considerable importance. (broad & factual)
OR you could write a thesis which states an arguable position related to the nature of fate in early British literature:
2. In Beowulf the protagonist is in control of his fate. (focused & arguable)
I would consider an essay written on the second thesis statement for an "A". An essay written on a thesis which basically reflects fact, like the first example, would not receive a grade higher than a "B+"
MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS:
This is an essay which will be word-processed. • Margins are 1” on all sides and the essay is double spaced. • Create a correct header and correct heading. • Create a title • 3rd person, present tense • Avoid “you” • The details need to state, explain, support the topic (quotations)
Writing guidelines:
1. Write a clear thesis statement. You might consider whether or not the literature develops a universal view of the topic and what that view is.
2. Identify the play and author.
3. Develop points to support your thesis.
4. Be sure each point states specifically what the topic of the essay is in regards to the literature.
5. Explain how each main point is reflected in the literature and provide evidence from the literature to support your analysis.
6. Be sure that you develop each main point by establishing a direct relationship between the idea of the critical analysis and the literature.
7.
Consider chronological organization for your essay.
Courtship and Marriage
Topic #1: Oscar Wilde felt Victorian values were perpetuated through courtship and marriage, both of which had their own rules and rituals. Marriage was a careful selection process. It is presented as a legal contract between consenting families of similar fortunes; background, love, and happiness have little to do with it. How does Wilde treat the Victorian marriage values?
Duty and Respectability
Topic #2: The aristocratic Victorians valued duty and respectability above all else. Earnestness—a determined and serious desire to do the correct thing—was at the top of the code of conduct. Appearance was everything, and style was much more important than substance. So, while a person could lead a secret life, carry on affairs within marriage or have children outside of wedlock, society would look the other way as long as the appearance of propriety was maintained. For this reason, Wilde questions whether the more important or serious issues of the day are overlooked in favor of trivial concerns about appearance. How does Wilde show his attitudes toward the Victorian ideals of duty and respectability?
The Absence of
Compassion
Topic #3: Two areas in which the Victorians showed little sympathy or compassion were illness and death. Lady Bracknell is very Victorian in this manner. How does Wilde seem to take to task a social class that thinks only of itself, showing little compassion or sympathy for the trials of those less fortunate?
Religion
Topic #4: Another serious subject—religion—is also a topic of satire. While concerns of the next world would be an appropriate topic for people of this world, it seems to be shoved aside in the Victorian era. Discuss how Wilde’s satire, which is gentle and humorous, chides a society for its self-importance.
Victorian Society
Topic #5: Contrast and compare the 4 women characters in this play. What does each represent of Victorian society. Do you think these are realistic stereotypes, why or why not? Employ at least one epigram in each paragraph to help explain the comparisons or contrasts.
2nd Semester (‘08)
The Importance of Being Earnest Essay Exam
PURPOSE OF AN ESSAY EXAM: The purposes of this type of exam complement the purposes of this course: 1. to prepare you for college English and 2. to prepare you to write in all college classes. This essay will require that you synthesize the major concepts in the play we have studied and further develop your writing skills. This type of essay is very common in college. You will frequently be asked to write an exam essay in a 1 to 2 hour test period. Sometimes you will be able to prepare in advance, sometimes not. Believe me, it is better to learn here with me than to learn in college when the semester essay exam can count up to 40% of your total course grade. …show more content…
GENERAL DIRECTIONS: You are to choose one of the four essay topics which follow to develop into an out-of-class essay response. I expect you to write a 600-word critical analysis on one of the topics covered in The Importance of Being Earnest.
SCORING AND GRADING INFORMATION:
* * * In order to earn an "A" on this essay your thesis statement must reflect an arguable position which you then develop and support. For example if you were instructed to write an essay in which you show how fate is treated in the literature, you could write either a thesis statement that basically reflects fact:
1. In Beowulf fate is a topic of considerable importance. (broad & factual)
OR you could write a thesis which states an arguable position related to the nature of fate in early British literature:
2. In Beowulf the protagonist is in control of his fate. (focused & arguable)
I would consider an essay written on the second thesis statement for an "A". An essay written on a thesis which basically reflects fact, like the first example, would not receive a grade higher than a "B+"
MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS:
This is an essay which will be word-processed. • Margins are 1” on all sides and the essay is double spaced. • Create a correct header and correct heading. • Create a title • 3rd person, present tense • Avoid “you” • The details need to state, explain, support the topic (quotations)
Writing guidelines:
1. Write a clear thesis statement. You might consider whether or not the literature develops a universal view of the topic and what that view is.
2. Identify the play and author.
3. Develop points to support your thesis.
4. Be sure each point states specifically what the topic of the essay is in regards to the literature.
5. Explain how each main point is reflected in the literature and provide evidence from the literature to support your analysis.
6. Be sure that you develop each main point by establishing a direct relationship between the idea of the critical analysis and the literature.
7.
Consider chronological organization for your essay.
Courtship and Marriage
Topic #1: Oscar Wilde felt Victorian values were perpetuated through courtship and marriage, both of which had their own rules and rituals. Marriage was a careful selection process. It is presented as a legal contract between consenting families of similar fortunes; background, love, and happiness have little to do with it. How does Wilde treat the Victorian marriage values?
Duty and Respectability
Topic #2: The aristocratic Victorians valued duty and respectability above all else. Earnestness—a determined and serious desire to do the correct thing—was at the top of the code of conduct. Appearance was everything, and style was much more important than substance. So, while a person could lead a secret life, carry on affairs within marriage or have children outside of wedlock, society would look the other way as long as the appearance of propriety was maintained. For this reason, Wilde questions whether the more important or serious issues of the day are overlooked in favor of trivial concerns about appearance. How does Wilde show his attitudes toward the Victorian ideals of duty and respectability?
The Absence of
Compassion
Topic #3: Two areas in which the Victorians showed little sympathy or compassion were illness and death. Lady Bracknell is very Victorian in this manner. How does Wilde seem to take to task a social class that thinks only of itself, showing little compassion or sympathy for the trials of those less fortunate?
Religion
Topic #4: Another serious subject—religion—is also a topic of satire. While concerns of the next world would be an appropriate topic for people of this world, it seems to be shoved aside in the Victorian era. Discuss how Wilde’s satire, which is gentle and humorous, chides a society for its self-importance.
Victorian Society
Topic #5: Contrast and compare the 4 women characters in this play. What does each represent of Victorian society. Do you think these are realistic stereotypes, why or why not? Employ at least one epigram in each paragraph to help explain the comparisons or contrasts.