The Writing Techniques of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest
Abstract
The Importance of Being Earnest is the representative play of Oscar Wilde, the great English writer and the leading figure of aestheticism in the 19th century. As a rhetorician, Wilde sticks to finding a still fresher way of expressing, which contributes very much to his accomplishment in writing. This can be best exemplified in the plot design of Earnest. Wildean language is lofty, graceful, formal, rhetorically polished and sometimes full of humorous and satiric expressions. His symbolism is efficient, impressive and outstanding. The use of “paradox” and “parody” is Wilde’s favorite, by which he subverts the dominant traditional binary oppositions. Earnest poignantly and devastatingly satirizes all sorts of hypocrisies in religion, love, marriage, education, politics, etc. Indeed, many aspects prove to be applicable approaches in interpreting the writing techniques of The Importance of Being Earnest.
Key Words: Oscar Wilde; drama; The Importance of Being Earnest; writing techniques
摘 要
《認真的重要性》是109世紀英國唯美主義最傑出的代表人物奧斯卡•王爾德的喜劇代表作，也是世界戲劇寶庫中的1顆明珠。該劇新穎出奇的情節設計﹑卓爾不群的`諷刺效果﹑別具1格的象徵手法以及複雜深邃的思想內涵都可以在作家的“永遠朝著更新”的修辭信條裡找到解答。王爾德最喜愛的修辭方式是“似非而是”和 “仿擬”。他“似非而是”的悖論顛覆了人們所習以為常的2元對立思維慣性，如自然和藝術﹑真理和謊言﹑真誠和虛偽等等，因而向社會文化賴以存在的基礎發動了攻擊。該劇正是通過這1系列創作技巧,描繪了維多利亞時期政治﹑宗教﹑教育﹑婚姻等社會生活的方方面面，對存在其中的虛飾矯情以輕鬆幽默的方式給予了入木3分的揭露。對於《認真的重要性》的創作技巧來說，也許任何單1的闡釋都會在其充滿生機與活力的魅力面前顯得片面和呆板。
關鍵詞：王爾德﹑戲劇、《認真的重要性》﹑創作技巧