Women in the Confinement of Marriage

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   Lady Windermere's Fan is a comedy play by Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde, a dramatist, was a popular literary figure at the end of the Victorian era. Lady Windermere’s Fan is one of Oscar Wilde’s most witty satirical plays. It observes the gender politics within marriage and society. The story is about a Lady called Windermere, who hears rumors that her husband is in a relationship with another woman. She confronts him with it but although he denies it, he invites this woman, Mrs. Erlynne, to his wife's birthday party. In this significant event, Lady Windermere decides to escape with another lover and leave her marriage. To view this play, feminist approach is the best way to fully understand the entire text. 

    Wilde’s satirical play is concerned with many issues that are revolved around society. To name one, marriage; marriage during the Victorian era has been really superficial as it is built on expectations based on a demanding society. Furthermore, ladies marry in a very young age, so they turn to be adults in their childhood. For instance, Lady Windermere, one of the main characters, is married and has a kid in the beginning of her twenties, and also her mother, Mrs. Erlynne, is in the same case. Wilde also addresses the issue of being a divorced woman in that time. This means that people will assume that you are a wretched woman and not a good one. Because Mrs. Erlynne is divorced, she is outcasted, and the whole society does not accept her. They assume that she is in prohibited relations. On the other hand, if a man does the same entire thing, it will never be problematic, and the society will provide reasons for his unacceptable behavior. But because she is a woman, the society treats her in a different manner. At the end of the play, it is clear that Mrs. Erlynne marries a submissive man to gain her old position in the society, and this completely highlights how women are underestimated in a patriarchal society. Additionally, Lady Windermere’s hesitations to leave her husband shows how it is known that the society will reject her as a divorced woman, and she knows deeply how she will never be accepted. 

       To conclude, Wilde attempts to criticize his society as it embraces ideas that don’t make any sense, especially in marriage and relations between males and females. It examines the way women should appear. In fact, This play is considered as a mockery of the society in an indirect way. 



                          Works Cited

Wikipedia contributors. "Lady Windermere's Fan." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 Oct. 2021. Web. 12 Dec. 2021.  


Oscar Wilde Biography. BIOGRAPHY, 2 April. 2014. Sun. 12 Dec. 2020. 

Lady Windermere's Fan. STAGEAGENT, Sun. 12 Dec. 2020. 




Comments

  1. Mariam Mohamed HosnyDecember 18, 2021 at 9:49 AM

    Your approach is great! I see that Wilde succeeded in displaying these issues through the play. I also like his style of loading the play with ironies so the contrasts are portrayed in the best manner.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah HagarDecember 18, 2021 at 9:58 AM

      I totally agree with you! His play is loaded with many ironies to show how people were contradicting themselves.

      Delete
  2. Salma RedaDecember 18, 2021 at 1:42 PM

    Labeling and stereotyping women are always the centre of many problems in patriarchal societies. It is very ironical that lord Windermere assumes till the end that his wife has the purity of a child, while she was going to do the same exact thing he disdains Mrs. Erlynne for doing. I think this mindset is related to white and black fallacy; people always place their judgments on others as if they're God's mouthpiece, as if they never committed a sin or a mistake. It is another kind of showing authority above others because these judgments are never imposed on higher people. It is always the lowers' fate to be severely looked down upon, especially women and poor people.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah HagarDecember 18, 2021 at 3:14 PM

      What a wonderful opinion! You really amazes me, and I agree 100%with you. Barbara Sher once said that " Being Judgmental is cheap. Any fool can do it". No one, in this world, does not make sins or mistakes.

      Delete
  3. Fatema MuhammadDecember 23, 2021 at 8:05 AM

    You tackled the novel from an interesting critical point. This novel shows how the rumors are destroying relationships and it teaches us not to judge people because all humans make mistakes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah HagarDecember 23, 2021 at 8:25 AM

      I totally agree with you! Rumors usually destroy any relationship, no matter what it is.

      Delete
  4. FarahemadDecember 24, 2021 at 5:10 PM

    Marriage indeed did confine women at the time. Women's reputations were highly connected to their relationship statuses, and it affected their lives severely. Wilde addressing this issue using comedy is so smart.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah HagarDecember 31, 2021 at 2:50 PM

      Absolutely admit! All of us know that Wilde is one the greatest satirists, and he also has a good sense of humor.

      Delete

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