The Importance of Being Earnest: Character & Key Quotes: Cecily Cardew

Character Analysis: Cecily Cardew

Cecily Cardew is an innocent and naïve eighteen-year-old girl who embodies Victorian ideals of femininity and youth.
Her imagination is her defining trait - she fantasises about a wicked Ernest, creating a love story that exists solely in her diary.
Like Gwendolen, Cecily is also enamoured by the name Ernest, indicating the contagious nature of superficiality.
Despite romanticising mischief, she is herself a conventional lady of her time who accepts societal norms, especially related to marriage and courtship.

Key Quotes

“I have always been of opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing.” - Here, Cecily’s naïveté and idealism about love and marriage comes to the fore.
“I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time.” - This quote reveals Cecily’s romantic fascination for wickedness and her desire for the thrill of the forbidden.
“Oh, I don’t think I would like to catch a sensible man. I shouldn’t know what to talk to him about.” - This humorous line showcases Cecily’s innocence and naïveté about relationships.

Themes and Cecily’s Role

The Role of Women: Cecily as a character embodies the Victorian notions of womanhood - naive, innocent yet somewhat manipulative in a subtle manner.
Love & Courtship: Cecily’s fabricated love story with Ernest shows her deep-rooted fantasies and the romanticised ideals she holds about love.
The Superficiality of Class: Cecily’s fawning over “wickedness” symbolises the discontent brewing in the Victorian class.

Language and Style

Cecily’s dialogue is often peppered with wit and irony, serving as a sharp critique of Victorian morality and societal norms.
Her conversation is filled with imaginative constructs, reflecting her dreams and romantic illusions.
Much of Cecily’s language reveals innocence and naïveté, which further cements her characterisation as a typical young Victorian lady.
Her interactions with Ernest fuel the comedy of the play, where her innocence turns into absurdity.