The World of the Play: Macro View

1.) Richard Wagner: German Composer

Wagner's compositions, particularly those of his later period, are notable for contrapuntal texture, rich chromaticism, harmonies and orchestration, and elaborate use of leitmotifs: musical themes associated with particular characters, locales or plot elements. Wagner pioneered advances in musical language, such as extreme chromaticism and quickly shifting tonal centres, which greatly influenced the development of European classical music.

http://classiccat.com/wagner_r/biography.htm

In the script, Algernon refers to Lady Bracknell ringing the bell in a "Wagnerian manner." Richard Wagner was popular upon classical music in the 19th century because of his out of the box style.

2.) Woman's Suffrage: 1890

The American Woman Suffrage Association and the National Woman Suffrage Association merge, becoming the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), pledged to state-by-state campaigns for suffrage.
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4929

Women all over the world are coming together at this time in the late 19th century to advance the rights for women. The women in The Importance of being Earnest are strong woman who would appreciate and perhaps participate in woman's movements.

3.) Etiquette

Always

-Graciously accept gentlemanly offers of assistance.

-Wear gloves on the street, at church and other formal occasions, except when eating or drinking.

-When crossing the street, one must lift her dress a bit above the ankle while holding the folds of her gown together in her right hand and drawing them toward the right. It was considered vulgar to raise the dress with both hands as it would show too much ankle, but was tolerated for a moment when the mud was very deep.

-When introduced to a man a lady never offers her hand, she merely bows politely and

says, “I am happy to make your acquaintance.”

Never

-Refer to another adult by his or her first name in public.

-Grab your hoops [of your hoop skirts] or lift your skirts higher than is absolutely necessary to go up stairs.

-Lift your skirts up onto a chair or stool, etc.[to sit down].

-Sit with your legs crossed (except at the ankles if necessary for comfort or habit).

-Lift your skirts up onto the seat of your chair when sitting down (Wait for, or if

necessary, ask for assistance when sitting down at a table or on a small light chair).

-Speak in a loud, coarse voice.

http://www.centerforhistory.org/pdfdoc/male%20and%20female%20etiqu%208.pdf

Etiquette is a very important thing to the characters in the play. They live their life based upon what is proper and acceptable to their modern day culture.

4.) Industrial Revolution

The first Industrial Revolution brought steam power, factories and railways. The second gave rise to new kinds of power - electricity, new chemicals, new plastics and new drugs - particularly from recently industrialised nations like Germany and the USA. Technology became more complex and more diverse.
http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/stories/the_second_industrial_revolution/

Modern advances in technology in the late nineteenth century allowed for the characters in the play to live the lifestyle of the upper class. With the growth of the industrial revolution, investors; such as Jack, prospered.

5.) Domestic Servants

Households would employ a election of servants varying upon the household income, a very wealthy household employing a full selection of servants, a less fabulously wealthy household maybe just employing a housekeeper, a cook or a maid-of-all-work. A chamberlain being only employed by the king or noblemen of very high position. In the mid-19th century most households which employed servants employed two or three male servants, comprising a servant out of livery, or a butler, a footman and a coachman, or a coachman and a groom where the household had more than two or three horses. A popular mis-conception is that cooks are, and were, always female. Not so. Male cooks were also employed in the 19th century and were paid more than their female counterpart
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/cgi-bin/res.pl?keyword=Domestic+Servants&offset=0

Domestic servants were widely common and served in the homes of the characters. Friendly relationships were formed with the servants.

6.) Adoption

In the late 19th century, closed adoption was born. The Victorian era had arrived to the detriment of our children. Children considered illegitimate were locked up and hidden away. Birth mothers became the scourge of society. They were labeled misfits, outcasts, bad girls, and were secretly whisked away to give birth to their children in nunnery's and secret hospitals across the nation. Such women were considered immoral, disallowing them the freedom of choice given to them and their families in the past.
http://adoption.about.com/od/adoptionrights/a/historyofopen.htm

Adoption is a significant factor to this play because Jack and Cecily both relied upon their guardians since they do not have parents of their own. According to Lady Bracknell, it is unfashionable in their society.

7.) Vincent Van Gogh Dies

Vincent van Gogh (March 30, 1853 - July 29, 1890) is generally considered the greatest Dutch painter after Rembrandt, though he had little success during his lifetime. Van Gogh produced all of his work (some 900 paintings and 1100 drawings) during a period of only 10 years before he succumbed to mental illness (possibly bipolar disorder) and committed suicide. His fame grew rapidly after his death especially following a showing of 71 of van Gogh's paintings in Paris on March 17, 1901 (11 years after his death).

http://www.vincentvangoghart.net/

The death of Vincent Van Gogh is important to the growth of the culture during the time of this play. Art is a vauled piece of culture for aristrocats such as the main characters of the play.

8.) U.S. Government selects Ellis Island as federal immigration center for New York

The first Ellis Island Immigration Station officially opens on January 1, 1892, as three large ships wait to land. Seven hundred immigrants passed through Ellis Island that day, and nearly 450,000 followed over the course of that first year. Over the next five decades, more than 12 million people will pass through the island on their way into the United States
http://www.history.com/content/ellis-island/timeline

Immigration into America was common for the working class for the purpose of creating a new life and hopes for prosperity. This is important to the play because of the investments that Jack could have been involved in getting people to America.

9.) Literature

The 19th century lasts from 1801-1900 in the Gregorian calendar. In France, Victor Hugo (1802-1885) wrote "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1831). In the U.S., Mark Twain wrote "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." And Charles Dickens wrote: "Great Expectations," "David Copperfield," "Oliver Twist," "Nicholas Nickleby," and "A Christmas Carol."
http://classiclit.about.com/od/19thcenturyinliterature/19th_Century_AD_Literary_History.htm

Literature is important to the play because of the education and studies of London's upper class. the works of these authors would have been studied along with earlier classical literature.

10.) Rise of Public Health

Mass education along with sanitary conditions for the general public and the advances in obstetrics all led to the decline of Infant mortality rates at the end of the 19th century. By 1884 the Cholera organism was identified in water via the microscope and could now be contained by public health officials. The scientific revolution in cellular biology excelled in the second half of the nineteenth century unlocking doors and answering many questions in the fight against
disease.
http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/projects/bluetelephone/html/health.html

Health concerns started to decline in the late 19th century compared to those of earlier years. This is realtes to the play because all the characters are living heathly lives.