Abstract

The Importance of Being Earnest is the last social comedy produced by the 19th century famous aestheticism writer, Oscar Wilde. Since it was premiered in 1895, this drama has been played on the world stage constantly, becoming one of the most successful comic masterpieces of Oscar Wilde. This paper, by analysis of the plot design and characterization of this drama, presents the aspects of late Victorian period such as moral values, dandyism, and marriage concept, to reflect the writer’s disclosure of the hypercritical and exaggerating social climate, and vulgar and stale moral rules of Victorian Period. Wilde expresses the his sarcasm towards the morbid “carefulness” of noble bourgeoisie upper class.
This paper is divided into three parts. Firstly, it makes a brief introduction of The Importance of Being Earnest and its writer, Oscar Wilde. Secondly, the author introduces the social background of the creation of the novel—late Victorian Period. Thirdly, it elaborates the late Victorian Period under the pen of Oscar Wilde from the three aspects of values, marriage concept and dandyism.

Key words: late Victorian Period; illusions and hypocrisy; revelation and sarcasm

摘 要

《不可儿戏》是十九世纪英国著名唯美主义文学家奥斯卡王尔德创作的最后一部社会喜剧。该剧自1895年首演以来，一直活跃在世界戏剧舞台，成为王尔德最成功的喜剧代表作之一。本文主要通过对剧中情节设置和人物塑造的分析，展现了维多利亚时代晚期的道德价值观、纨绔主义、婚姻观等方面，体现出作者王尔德对虚伪浮夸的社会风气以及庸俗陈腐的维多利亚时期道德规范的揭露，表现了王尔德对贵族资产阶级上流社会病态的“认真”态度的讽刺。
本文分为三个部分。首先，介绍小说《不可儿戏》和作者王尔德，紧接着简述小说创作的社会背景维多利亚时代晚期。第三部分选取小说中涉及的价值观、婚姻观以及纨绔主义三方面详细分析王尔德笔下的维多利亚时代社会。

关键词: 维多利亚时代晚期；表象与伪善；揭露与讽刺