Double Meaning In Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being

1. In Oscar Wilde’s play, The Importance of Being, Wilde plays on the concept of dualism and the concept of double meaning. The dualistic theme is also present in the motif of food, where food or the act of eating is seen as more than just for consumption or entertainment more particularly since food is always centered around a conflict. Thus food can be seen as a tool of distraction from the conflicts the characters find themselves in more specifically Algernon where food is seen as an escape from his problems. In the opening scene, Algernon comments, “have you got the cucumber sandwiches cut for Lady Bracknell?” (699) and his following statement, he states, “eight bottles of champagne are entered as having been consumed” (699). From the beginning, Algernon is characterized as a man with a large appetite and also a man who places importance on food and drinks. As he proceeds to consume the sandwiches, and engage in conversation …show more content…
Although the story is still told through a narrative, it remains one narrative throughout the novel and that is of Watson. The Sign of Four is written in a form of a detective story which consist of a detective and his companion who works alongside one another to solve a case. Within the novel, Doyle introduces suspense and build tensions leading to the each clue that adds up to the conclusion. Sherlock Holme’s method includes observation, reaching the conclusion and providing an explanation as to why the crime occurred. The novel begins with suspense and tension that leads up to each clues and this is continue throughout the novel until the crime is solved. In compare to Collins’s, The Moonstone in which the clues are not presented in chronological order, The Sign of Four are solved in sequence where Holmes solves one clues which leads to another more detailing and revealing clue and this process is continue until the crime is