Disclosing Social Topics in Read Literature
Gender criticism in modern times challenges people’s traditional notions of what constitutes masculinity and femininity. At the moment, the question of sexuality is quite tricky and multifaceted, and it is beyond the binary categories. The modern approach to this issue is more critical, as people who are confident in it recognize that sexuality itself is multifaceted. One cannot describe a person as gay or heterosexual.
Contemporary gender-based criticism seeks to broaden people’s horizons and understanding of what modern gender identity means and what roles exist. Gender and feminist strategies have been observed by writers and critics alike, and their ability to critically examine the issue and challenge existing social norms is a feature of the topic. Thus, writers usually initiate new views on gender interaction and identification.
When writing a literary work, I often pay attention to what language the author writes and what literary techniques they use. In the works of Oscar Wilde, Gregory Corso, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the authors create a unique prism for studying human relationships. Wilde’s work shows the author’s satirical relation to existing social conventions. Corso’s poem presents the author’s critical view of the relevance of marriage, and Browning’s sonnet, on the contrary, praises the power of love and its depth. My impressions of the works are based on the use of harsh and penetrating expressions and witty dialogues in the literature.
Play by Wilde
In Oscar Wilde’s play, visibility and reality often coincide, which is evidence of irony. The characters in the play are involved in actions that are always associated with deception, and this deliberate deception causes the viewer to laugh at misunderstandings between the characters and their sometimes erroneous actions (Wilde). The play’s title is not comparable to what is happening in the plot, and this is the first sign of irony. The characters’ behavior lacks sincerity, so it demonstrates society’s comic expectations of the people and is a satire that the reader should reveal.
In his play, Oscar Wilde uses witty dialogues, absurd, and the play of words that generally create a comedy situation. Funny situations often occur amidst the characters’ concern for elementary things, and the constant confusion of the name Ernest creates a comedic atmosphere that does not disappear for a moment. Wilde satirically ridicules the social norms present in the society at the time, and this amuses the public.
Wilde’s play features three characters, each needing to be described. Jack Worthing is a hero who has fallen into a web of lies and is confused between his desires and society’s expectations. In the background of Jack, Algernon Moncrieff shows himself as a witty but cynical character, creating a humorous atmosphere for the play (Wilde). Finally, Lady Bracknell is an arrogant personification of society’s expectations, but her character is absurd, indicating her criticism of the upper class.
In the case of Gwendolen and Cecily, the simple name Ernest attests to the superficiality of the characters. Algernon is involved in the web of Jack’s deception as he constantly pretends to be his brother. On the other hand, Jack challenges traditional social norms when he starts dressing himself in other clothes (Wilde). Oscar Wilde criticizes rigid gender roles and social expectations from society and uses satire. The absurd behavior of the characters causes readers to question the relevance of traditional gender constructs, as it exposes norms as arbitrary. The author writes that genuine authenticity is to show oneself, including gender, in terms of identity, not public expectations.
Poem by Corso
In the poem by Corso, the author openly criticizes the institution of marriage and uses harsh language and characters in his narrative. Such literary techniques transmit a sense of hopelessness and frustration associated with people’s traditional expectations of marriage (Corso). Corso can openly express his thoughts and emotions in a rather crude and abrupt manner. Still, this method of writing perfectly conveys the author’s contempt and negligent attitude to social norms.
Sonnet by Browning
Sonnet by Elizabeth Browning is a contract work against the previous two, as it celebrates eternal love, expressing beautiful poetic language and vivid images. The reader may be surprised by the sincerity of the author’s emotions and the depth of the expression of emotions (Browning). The sonnet is also well structured, highlighting the painstaking work on the work and the sincerity of the statements that describe Browning’s experiences of love.
Personal Impressions of Read
The book by Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, was the most interesting. The author was able to use the techniques of satire and humor cleverly, creating the right balance of common sense and laughter in the work. The story makes the reader think and is quite fascinating. Wilde’s thoughts on gender roles resonated with my thoughts as it deals with a critical discussion of a problem that remains relevant to modern society—for example, dressing Jack in different clothes hints at the difficulties that arise during self-identification (Wilde). However, the author does not view the situation from a purely pessimistic point of view, like Corso, or merely optimistic, like Browning.
I found the most resonance with Block 4, which focuses on feminist and gender strategies. The debate about the importance of challenging traditional social expectations is enriching my outlook and has led me to think about many modern principles. I studied in detail how authors use these strategies in writing and deconstructing public expectations, and this has been an interesting discovery for me in the literature.
Works Cited
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett. Sonnets from the Portuguese. Culturea, 2023.
Corso, Gregory. “Marriage.” The Happy Birthday of Death, 1960.
Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest. Dover Publications, 1990.