The Importance of Being Earnest with Dr. Grace Hamman
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Welcome to The Classical Mind, a podcast about the great books in the Western tradition. We're your hosts. I'm Father Wesley Walker.
And I'm Dr. Junius Johnson.
And we're very excited to have a special guest today, Dr. Grace Heyman, who has her PhD from Duke University and is an independent scholar focusing on late medieval poetry and contemplative writing. She's written some really incredible books, Ask of Old Paths, Medieval Virtue and Vices for a Whole and Holy Life, and Jesus Through Medieval Eyes, Beholding Christ with Artists, Mystics, and Theologians in the Middle Ages. She also has a great substack called Medievalish, and hosts the podcast Old Books with Grace, where, like us, she reads and discusses old books. So we thought this would be a really fun opportunity for us to kind of join forces and discuss an old book. Grace, how are you?
I'm so glad to be here.
What is the significance of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest?
This is so fun. I hadn't cracked open this book in a long time, and it was so fun to return to it. So... Delightful.
That's actually one thing we like to do kind of at the beginning is maybe talk through a little bit of our personal experiences with the text. So when was your first encounter with The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde?
I was trying to remember when I first encountered this book, and I'm pretty sure that I was in middle school. I went through a huge phase where I was reading like anything that was mentioned in another book, like any classic that... had like a lot of people were referencing it. I wanted to know, I wanted to be on the end of what it was. And so I'm pretty sure that this was in that season where I was reading like a ton of Charles Dickens and like anything that was like classic with a capital C. And Oscar Wilde's Importance of Being Earnest came up. And so I read that. And really thought it was funny. Also probably honestly missed a lot of the jokes because I was like, you know, 13 or whatever. And then that was around the same time that the adaptation starring Colin Firth came out.
And my friends and I saw that in the theaters and just thought it was hilarious. And so it's such a fun, such a fun play.
It absolutely is. And I think even reading it as an adult, every time I pick it up, there are jokes that I did not pick up on before. It's kind of one of those multifaceted texts in that way. Junius, you kind of have the opposite opinion. experience with the text, or sort of anyway, so what about you? How have you encountered this text before?
I first encountered this text, it was performed when I was in college, and so the university theater troupe did it, and I went to see it. I want to say that we might have even had a an English club event with them where we did a sort of pre-play discussion. And so I would have gone to see the dress rehearsal so that I'd get a sense for how they were doing it and whatnot. And then we did the discussion and then I stayed and watched the play, but I hadn't read it. And this was my first time reading it. I've seen it again since then. I don't remember if it was the movie version I saw or another stage production, but I know I've seen it a couple of times, but I'd never read it before. And so it was really, I was eager to see how it would hold up on paper because I really enjoyed it on stage.
And, you know, to anticipate a little bit, it's even better because it is so densely packed with jokes that you kind of need some time. And it goes by so quickly. And I think it ought to go by quickly on the stage. And so you need some time to kind of sit and ponder things because it's just every line almost is just hilariously some crazy reference or some shot at somebody or something like that.
It really is fantastic. It's interesting. So a brief, if you'll allow me an excursus into behind the scenes connection for our listeners. I'm a pastor in Annapolis, Maryland, and we have a local group called the Elliott Society. And the Elliott Society does these events where they want to kind of connect Christians in the arts. And so both Grace and Junius have been to my church to speak because we love to partner with the Elliott Society.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:03–0:52
2
What is the significance of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest?
0:52–5:00
3
How did each host first encounter The Importance of Being Earnest?
5:00–46:36
4
What is the historical context of The Importance of Being Earnest?
46:36–57:22
5
How does Wilde's personal life influence the themes in the play?
57:22–1:08:03