Tuesday, 1 November 2011

What are the similarities between Cecily and Algernon?


What are the similarities between Cecily and Algernon? Compare and contrast their use of inversions and the role which imagination plays in their lives. 

There seem to be many underlying similarities between Algernon and Cecily in the play ‘The importance of being Earnest’. They are both outspoken and imaginative individuals who enjoy having a laugh once in a while. They are both of similar status and so come across more alike than different.  Oscar Wilde enjoys including his humorous and witty side within Algernon and Cecily’s characters, and this can been witnessed throughout the play. In the following essay I will be comparing the similarities between Algernon and Cecily.

Algernon is very laid back and down to earth about life in general. He doesn’t take anything seriously and enjoys the pleasures of being a bachelor, for example he says ‘the only way to behave to a woman is to make love to her, if she is pretty, and to someone else, if she is plain’. He doesn’t believe in committing to one person and takes pleasure in variety. Similarly Cecily is also a much laid back and realistic young girl who enjoys dwelling on the beauty of imagination and thinking less about the more unentertaining side of life; education. ‘But I don’t like German...I know perfectly well that I look plain after my German lesson.’ She is very young and would not want her youth to be worn out by studying. She has perfect intention to do far more interesting things with her life as with Algernon who always conjures up better and more inventive ideas; they rather not spend their time doing useless and uncreative things that would bring boredom to one’s life/lifestyle. 

Algernon and Cecily are both incredibly imaginative. Algernon has himself an invalid friend who goes by the name ‘Bunbury’, whom he uses to get out of tedious social occasions. This aspect of his personality makes him amusing and somewhat sarcastic. ‘I have invented an invaluable permanent invalid called Bunbury, in order that I may be able to go down into the country whenever I choose’. Bunbury is a work of fiction and imagination working hand in hand. Similarly Cecily also has a wicked imagination; her fascination with ‘Uncle Jack’s brother’ had moved her, so much so that she fabricated an elaborative romance between herself and Earnest. This romance consisted of a ring, love letters (written by her) and an engagement that had also been broken off sometime during the all invented love story. 

The play by Oscar Wilde contains many inversions that portray accepted Victorian practices with regard to gender roles. For example Lady Bracknell seizes the role of the father in interviewing Jack, since typically this was a father’s job to do so. In another case it can relate the practice of marriage which seems to be the main focus of the play. When Algernon remarks, ‘Divorces are made in heaven,’ he inverts the cliché about marriages being ‘made in heaven.’ 

To put it briefly Algernon and Cecily share many aspects of their personalities together. They indeed have more similarities than differences. They are both witty and outspoken individuals who aren’t afraid of letting their imaginations run wild.