LRJ #4 - The Importance of Being Earnest

Sarita Beekie
Ms. Peifer
10 IB - Hour 5
10 May 2009

LRJ #4 - The Importance of Being Earnest

Absurdity is all too apparent when Jack's true identity is discovered through the revelation that he was the son of Ernest John Moncrieff (before Miss Prism placed him in the black handbag when he was a baby), so therefore he must be Ernest John Moncrieff. This is because Jack was the eldest son of Ernest John Moncrieff, and according to social conventions of the nineteenth century, Jack would've been christened with his father's Christian name. This can be inferred when Lady Bracknell tells Jack, "Being the eldest son you were naturally christened after your father" (Wilde iii). A prime example of wit can be seen when Jack (who is now earnestly Ernest) says, "It is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking the truth" (Wilde iii). Wit, (and oddly enough) absurdity and social conventions are what resolve all of the mishaps that accumulated throughout the play, as well as conclude the play while staying characteristic to the rest of the play.

LRJ #3 - The Importance of Being Earnest

Sarita Beekie
Ms. Peifer
10 IB - Hour 5
9 May 2009

LRJ #3 - The Importance of Being Earnest

There are several instances in The Importance of Being Earnest where wit is used to add dimension to the characters, and add humor to the play as a whole. Examples of wit include Algernon telling Jack, "It is awfully hard work to do nothing" (Wilde i) and "It is perfectly childish to be in deep mourning for a man who is staying for a whole week with you in your house a a guest (Wilde ii). Algernon also displays wit when he tells Cecily, "[Good looks] are a snare that every sensible man would like to be caught in" (Wilde ii). As well when Ms. Prism tells Dr. Chausuble, "No married man is ever attractive except to his wife" (Wilde ii).

The satire in The Importance of Being Earnest is used mostly to ridicule the actions of women and that of the upper class. When Gwendolen first meets Cecily, she politely tells her, "Cecily Cardew? What a very sweet name! Something tells me that we are going to be great friends. I like you already more than I can say. My first impressions of people are never wrong" (Wilde ii). However, this friendly conversing soon turns nasty, and eventually Gwendolen snaps at Cecily, "From the moment I saw you I distrusted you. I felt that you were false and deceitful. I am never deceived in such manners. My first impressions of people are invariably right" (Wilde ii). Oscar Wilde uses this spat to illustrate the cattiness and fickleness of women. As far as the absurdity of the upper class, Lady Bracknell's character does a most perfect job at demonstrating such a foible. When hearing of Cecily's immense inheritance, she replies, "A hundred and thirty thousand pounds! And in the Funds! Miss Cardew seems to me a most attractive young lady" (Wilde iii) and then goes onto tell Algernon, "There are distinct social possibilities in Miss Cardew's profile" (Wilde iii) as is he really cares about "social possibilities". Creating Lady Bracknell as the "aristocrat's aristocrat" Oscar Wilde portrays the British upper class of the time period as a group only concerned with appearances and money.

Comedy for comedy's sake (also known as farce) is what makes The Importance of Being Earnest so likable. The frequent "slipping-of-tongues" includes Cecily's, "Yes, to good heavens, Gwendolen, I mean to Gwendolen" (Wilde ii) and Algernon's, "Oh, I killed Bunbury this afternoon. I mean poor Bunbury died this afternoon" (Wilde iii).

LRJ #2 - The Importance of Being Earnest

Sarita Beekie
Ms. Peifer
10 IB - Hour 5
5 May 2009

LRJ #2 - The Importance of Being Earnest

The mishaps in The Importance of Being Earnest were (quite naturally) meant to be comical, but were also intended to entice the readers as to how these mishaps will eventually resolve.

Gwendolen doesn't necessarily fit into the mold of the stereotypical nineteenth century lady, however, Gwendolen doesn't completely defy the role of a stereotypical nineteenth century lady, either. True, she initiates Jack's proposal for her hand in marriage and secretly rejects her mother's ideas on whom she will marry, but at the same time, she has Jack propose to her (because it would've been shocking for a lady to propose to a man at the time), and she doesn't defy her mother outright, but "beats around the bush" to make secret plans with Jack, instead (because it would've been very rude [as well as inconvenient] for a lady of her standing to defy her mother for a man's whose lineage is a mystery). Lady Bracknell, on the other hand, epitomizes the stereotypical nineteenth century lady to the point it is comical (which is usually characteristic of comedies, and all). What's better (or worse) is that Lady Bracknell seems to take on all of the "less flattering" characteristics of the stereotypical nineteenth century lady (which is where satire plays its part in The Importance of Being Earnest) which is evident when she tells Jack, "I feel bound to tell you that you are not down on my list of eligible young men...However, I am quite ready to enter your name" (Wilde i) and then proceeds to ask him of his income and lineage.

LRJ #1 - The Importance of Being Earnest

Sarita Beekie
Ms. Peifer
10 IB - Hour 5
5 May 2009

LRJ #1 - The Importance of Being Earnest

In Oscar Wilde's comedy The Importance of Being Earnest, Algernon's views marriage as "a necessary evil". This is because he thinks that marriage puts a damper on one's freedom and fun, which is apparent when he tells his friend Jack, "It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal. Why, one may be accepted. One usually is, I believe. Then the excitement is all over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If I ever get married, I'll certainly try to forget the fact" (Wilde i). It is also apparent that Algernon views marriage as something that shouldn't damper ones freedom and fun, which can be inferred when he gives Jack a couple pieces of advice. The first being, "You don't seem to realize, that in married life three is a company and two is none" (Wilde i) and lastly "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" (Wilde i). Algernon's freedom and fun loving views are also blatantly evident when he complains, "The amount of women who flirt with their own husbands is quite scandalous. It looks so bad. It is simply washing one's clean linen in public" (Wilde i). Algernon's views on marriage make him out to be freewheeling, anti-commitment, and flirtatious (however that may have been defined in the nineteenth century) despite the fact that he thinks, "Lane's [his servant's] views on marriage seem somewhat lax" (Wilde i) because Lane apparently cheated on his wife back when he was married. This makes Algernon appear all the more inconsistent, and even less like the stereotypical nineteenth century British man.

The tone of the dialogue between Jack and Algernon is casual (for two nineteenth century British men) and it makes it clear that they are good friends. The trading of banter and the topic of their conversation supports this. From their first meeting in The Importance of Being Earnest, Algernon teases Jack, "My dear fellow, the way you flirt with Gwendolen is perfectly disgraceful. It is almost as bad as the way Gwendolen flirts with you" (Wilde i). The fact that Jack calls Algernon "Algy" is also a clue-in to their friendship.

LRJ #1 - Tankas

Sarita Beekie
Ms. Peifer
10 IB - Hour 5
26 April 2009

LRJ #1 - Tankas

In Princess Nakuda's tanka, "I Waited and I", the words "yearned" and "stirred" share the same "er" sound. In this poem, both words emphasize the two main ideas of the poem that the princess is waiting for someone, and is wanting that someone to arrive, but the imagery of the autumn breeze stirring her curtains also gives the reader a heightened sense of the princess' loneliness. In Oshikochi Mitsune's tanka, "journey" and "summer" also share the "er" sound, and these words are important to the imagery of the poem, which illustrates the poet on a journey in the summer, yet the poet is standing in "the tree shade" with, "[his] mind floating" which clarifies the very reflective mood of this poem. In Ki Tsurayuki's tanka "Now, I Cannot Tell", "know" and "old" which are used in the last two lines, "In this place I used to know / Keep their old fragrance" (Tsurayuki 4-5) emphasizes the familiarity the poet has with his old friend's house, despite the fact that it has been a long time since they have seen each other. In Ono Komachi's tanka " How Helpless My Heart", "helpless", "tempt", and "severed" all contain the short "e" sound, which helps convey the author's comparison of temptation to the stream, and her heart to a reed, and that "[her] body, like a reed severed at the roots would drift along" (Komachi 3-5), "were the stream to tempt" (Komachi 2). Lastly, in Priest Saigyo's tanka "Every Single Thing", the long "a" sound is prominent througout most of the "emphasis words" in this poem, such as "changes", "always", and "same", as the poet reflects on the notion that, "[everything] changes and is changing...yet with the same light the moon goes on shining" (Saigyo 2-5). All in all, these tankas all appear to portray a very reflective mood of some sort.

Tanka
Poetic musings
Tankas are impossible
Picky, portentious
Well, what about haikus?
I'm sure they cause much less blues.

LRJ #2 - Haikus and Senryus

Sarita Beekie
Ms. Peifer
10 IB - Hour 5
26 April 2009

LRJ #2 - Haikus and Senryus

The significance of nature in haikus is to take an ordinary, everyday event, and make it beautiful. In Kobayashi Issa's haiku:

"A morning-glory vine
All blossoming has thatched
this hut of mine"

Issa uses the blossoming of morning-glory vines to illustrate the pleasant feeling of Spring and rebirth.

Although senryus and haikus have identical structure and are both prominent forms of Japanese poetry, the mood and tone of each form are quite different. Senryus are whimsical, and are basically jokes about the foibles of human nature in the form of poetry. Like this senryu by Senryū Karai (by which senryus are named after):

"The robber,
when I catch,
my own son."

Haikus are more reflective and can often have subliminal messaging. In Hatsuo Basho's haiku:

"On the withered branch
A crow has settled--
autumn nightfall."

The "withered branch" could represent an elderly person and the crow (which are divine messengers and the collector of souls in Japanese culture) is coming to collect this person's soul. "Autumn nightfall" can be a representation of the darkness, but also of the comfort in death.

Senryu
All across Japan
I've been searching for a man
From the ninja's clan.

Haiku
I, the butterfly,
Can feel my life's order die.
Now I'm forced to fly.

LRJ #3 - Zen Parable

Sarita Beekie
Ms. Peifer
10 IB - Hour 5
25 April 2009

LRJ #3 - Zen Parable

Once upon a time, there was a tall, proud ginkgo tree that could be seen from anywhere in the village. This tree grew near a small stream, and on the banks of the stream were some thin, low-lying marsh grass. The tree continuously scoffed at the grass, taunting, "Say it or no, I know for a fact that such low-lying grass like yourselves will want to be a tall and proud tree like myself at some point". The grass just sighed at the tree's boasting, and continued to gently sway with the stream's gentle current and the soft mountain wind, day in, and day out. One day, however, the wind wasn't so gentle, and stream's water began rise and crash abrasively against the shore. Before long, a fierce storm had gathered and was getting closer to the village. The marsh grass bent with the violent wind, but were not blown away. The tree, on the other hand, refused to bend and stood straight. Despite the tree's strength, the wind was much stronger, and eventually caused the tree to snap and fall into the stream. In the morning when the storm had finally died down, the marsh grass looked below the water's surface at the tree that was now at the bottom of the stream bed and said, "Your stubbornness has caused you to take a much greater fall than our willingness to bend".