MIDTERM REPORT

A WILDE OBSERVATION: Sexual Subtexts and Symbolism in Oscar Wilde’s “The

Importance of Being Earnest”

LECTURER: RINA SARASWATI, S. S., M. Hum

ARRANGED BY:

MAGNA AURIZZA WIBOWO 121711233065

SYAHRIDAN MUHAMMAD 121711233066

NABILA TARADHIA 121711233085

I GEDE RAMA DHARMA 121711233088

MUHAMMAD NAUFAL SHABRI 121711233091

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
UNIVERSITAS AIRLANGGA
2019
 Chapter I
INTRODUCTION

What gives a story an interesting twist beside plot and its characteristics? Some may say that
what strengthen a story are the hidden meanings in every scene, utterances, actions, and
characters’ behaviors, that are full of underlying meaning otherwise known as Symbol. Those
symbols are not explicit nor that we can get a grasp of it on a surface level. It takes a deeper
dive into what it really means through larger and wider background research and analysis as
to what the writers of the story really implied. Thus, symbols take a big part to determine the
uniqueness of a story.

The Importance of Being Earnest is a drama play written by Oscar Wilde, one of the most-
known Irish playwrights, prosaist, and poets. The play was written in 1894, in an attempt to
actualize the favour of George Alexander, an actor-theatre manager, who was discussing the
story with Wilde. The play was known for its farce comedy as a mock to the high-end society
at that time which the story presented and played on the theatre in 1895. The story first
introduced the main characters, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who met at
Algernon’s flat or house. They were discovering each other alternate self, Jack as Ernest, and
Algernon as Bunbury. Bunbury itself stands for false identity in this excerpt of 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, in order that I may be able to go down into the country whenever I
choose. Bunbury is perfectly invaluable. If it wasn't for Bunbury's extraordinary bad health,
for instance, I wouldn't be able to dine with you at Willis's to-night, for I have been really
engaged to Aunt Augusta for more than a week.“

Moreover, the play itself is known for its homosexual subtext that’s truth has been debated by
various theorists and literalists. However, the notion of it being Oscar Wilde’s plead to his
homosexuality add an interesting layer to the play because at the time this play was written,
homosexuality was against The Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 which falls under the
term “gross indecency between males”. In fact, Oscar Wilde was imprisoned for that exact
reason. He was imprisoned for two years with hard labor after convicted of gross indecency
with Lord Alfred Douglas, son of John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensbury. He was
imprisoned just months after The Importance of being Earnest first performance. Thus,
supporting the idea that the play might have any symbolic meaning about Wilde’s personal
life might not be illogical at all.
 Chapter II

FOOD SYMBOLS

a. Cucumber sandwich
 Cucumber as a symbol of wealth
Cucumber is a vegetable that requires a lot of care and cannot live in a place with high
humidity. Cucumber was associated with the aristocrat in that era because apparently
only upper-class people in the Victorian era could afford to buy fruit and vegetables
which have high nutrients. As Wilde put it in the story:

JACK: “Why cucumber sandwiches? Why such reckless extravagance in one so

young?”
LANE: “There were no cucumbers in the market this morning, sir. I went down
twice.” … “No, Sir. Not even for ready money”

Cucumbers were cultivated in England under specific conditions only affordable for
the higher class, relegating its position to only be accessible for people of affluence.
This is based on Samuel Pepys Diary, noted on August 22, 1663, “This day Sir W.
Batten tells me that Mr. Newburne (of whom the nickname came up among us forarse
Tom Newburne) is dead of eating cowcumbers, of which, the other day, I heard
another, I think Sir Nicholas Crisp’s son.” assuming that on that period cucumber is
very hard to maintain and should be taken great care of, thus the demand was high, as
well as the price. Another notable reference of the cucumber’s taxing cultivation was
Emperor Tiberius who historically had cucumber on his table everyday on summers
and winters, and had a special greenhouse-like system made to have cucumbers every
day of the year. (Pliny, Natural History)

 Cucumber as a symbol of male genitalia

Generally, to this day, food has been a symbol to sex, shared as an inside or implicit
knowledge of theorists and prosaists, regardless of what shapes, colors, and textures.
Uniquely, the shape of a cucumber is like an elongated phallic figure, like a male
genitalia. The phallic shape of the cucumber, and the fact that it is consumed by
Algernon ravenously, insinuates an appetite for phallic imagery and sexual acts which
was considered taboo and forbidden at the time.

ALGERNON: “...Please don't touch the cucumber sandwiches. They

are ordered specially for Aunt Augusta.” [Takes one and eats it.]

 Bread and butter

Bread and butter is slang for sexual act, as bread and butter resembles of two bodies
sliding against each other. Gwendolen is devoted to bread and butter (ACT 1), so
arguably Gwendolen is actually someone who is really into sex, as opposed to a
demure woman who is supposed to be the norm for women in that era. So, by denying
to serve Gwendolen her bread and butter, she denied Gwendolen of her wants of
intercourse, presumably with Jack.
 Chapter III

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

a. Cecily, according to some sources, is a trade-name for rent boys. Oscar Wilde, after
discovering his interest in men, was often seen calling for rent boys to have sex. This
then does not close the possibility that Oscar Wilde did know about the trade name,
and since Cecily is a rather popular name back in the 1800s, her name then became
something that could be read two-ways, as a girl name and a slang for males
prostitutes.
b. Gwendolen: in the 1800s, Gwendolen meaning the halo above an angelic being, but
this makes Gwendolen an ironic character naming-wise as the bread and butter means
sex, so that means that Gwendolen named holy/good, but manner-wise she is not so
holy.
Her name is a Welsh given name, composed of the word “Gwen”, meaning
White, or blessed, and “Dolen”, which means ring or loop. This meaning of “White
Ring” connotes a Halo, evoking an imagery of holiness and angelic purity. This is
contrasted with the bread and butter imagery as it has the connotation of sexual acts,
putting the name off as an ironic juxtaposition of a person not being what they seem,
in this case, the bearer of the halo being not all that holy.
c. Bunbury: the name is used quite often by Algernon to run away from his social
obligation, but naming wise: bun: means buttocks, so it could be said that bunbury
means the sexual act between homosexuals. It also means that Algernon ran away
from his obligations to have sex with a man. However, there is a possibility that this
term is perceived as a homosexual term in modern era, as bun slang is put in the urban
dictionary by 2004. It could be possible that Bunbury in itself is a mask to a double
life, just like gay men have to pretend as heterosexual men in order to escape
punishment.
d. Ernest: The name Ernest in this play has been arguably the most debated gay-
representation in the play. Many believe that Ernest was a slang for queer in victorian
era. One of the most popular arguments is that Ernest was an allusion for French word
‘Uraniste’ which means male homosexuality. Nonetheless, like many slang, it is hard
to look for a concrete evidence of it. However, the pun Earnest and Ernest that is
being the center of this play might have been inspired by a volume of homoerotic
poetry by John Gambril Nicholson titled Love in Earnest: Sonnets, Ballades, and
lyrics, in which one of the poem title ‘Of Boys’ Names ’ include a stanza that mention
the name Ernest.

though Frank may ring like a silver bell,

And cecil softer music claim
they cannot work the miracle,
'tis Ernest sets my heart aflame

It is plausible that Oscar Wilde took inspiration from this poem because the poem was
published in 1892, two years before Wilde wrote the play, by an Oxford
undergraduate magazine titled ‘The Chameleon’ in which Oscar Wilde contributed
to.
 Chapter IV

ALGERNON’S GAY CODING

Through the previous chapter, we talked about cucumber sandwich’s meaning

and what is in Cecily’s and Bunbury’s name. Both of these things are closely linked to
one character, which is one Algernon Moncrieff. If we consider the connection
between the three symbols, then it is quite obvious that it is very related to
homosexuality. We stated that Cecily is a trade-name used in Victorian Era for rent
boys, and Oscar Wilde was one to constantly call one. Not only that, Cecily’s name
was inside the cigarette case, the same gift that was gifted by Wilde to his lover at that
time, Lord Alfred, and as a payment to the rent boys. Algernon was seen keeping
Jack’s cigarette case, noting it as something probably scandalous enough to try to dig
the secret out of Jack. If it was a simple cigarette case, then Algernon would not make
a big deal out of it. However, Cecily's name is inside the case, and Algernon probably
knew the subtext of the cigarette case.
Continuing with his interaction with Cecily, at first Algernon played the
“cousin” quite insistently. Though, not even an hour into talking to Cecily, he
immediately played another side of him and immediately compliment Cecily’s looks.
Cecily, understandably, was quite confused about Algernon’s frankness. This could
also be a point to Algernon being attracted, at first, to Cecily’s looks, just like one to a
rent boy. However, after meeting Cecily, he was eating a muffin, which according to
modern slang means woman reproduction system. This is the modern understanding
of muffin, though, and Jack was trying to stop Algernon from eating the muffin, a
scene mirrored by Gwendolen and Cecily.
His coined term, Bunbury, in the modern understanding, could mean gay sex
(burying in buttocks), means that he is running away from social obligations and the
repressive Victorian era’s manner to seek something that is considered scandalous.
Though by making it sound like he was visiting a sick person instead of going to have
sex with a man, it makes it more socially better, even if the term is a bit on the nose.
An author noted that in the Victorian era, if there is a plausible deniability, then the
society as a whole will accept which one is morally more acceptable. So, this term
would be a bit too blunt, but it does sound like a name, so that means that Augusta
would be able to ignore the implications and think positively of Algernon, even
though throughout the play, he had not been the most honest person around.
 CONCLUSION

Many of the actors of the original play denounced the possibility of sexual subtext
within The Importance of Being Earnest. An actor immediately met other actors to talk about
the possibility, though it was met by complete deniability and quoted, “I would’ve known.”.
However, it does not close the possibility that the play itself was peppered with many sexual
subtexts. It does depend on the year the interpretation was made, however, because as time is
changing, the meaning of the play itself could shift, especially in symbols.

It could not be denied, however, that The Importance of Being Earnest has many
layers on the story. The story itself was a play on double life/double mask, so it would not be
far-fetched to say that the story itself was masking another story, one that might be the true
story. Oscar Wilde was very well known for being very clever with his words, so implication
as such might not be just a myth.
Reference

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Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales. n.d.

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