Lady Windermere's Fan: Analysis of Setting
"Lady Windermere's Fan: Analysis of Setting" explores the richly detailed environments that frame Oscar Wilde's play, focusing on the social dynamics and character interactions within the upper echelons of British society. The primary setting is the home of Lord and Lady Windermere, located on fashionable Carlton House Terrace in central London. This opulent residence, particularly the morning room where key scenes unfold, reflects the grandeur expected of Victorian aristocracy, complete with well-decorated furnishings and an array of servants, although only a few are depicted in the play.
The morning room serves as a central hub for social interaction, featuring items like a bureau and a tea-serving table, which play crucial roles in the unfolding drama. Additionally, the drawing room and adjacent ballroom highlight the social events and gatherings that are typical of the era, emphasizing the importance of public image and reputation. Contrast is provided by Lord Darlington's bachelor quarters, which reveal a more personal space filled with symbols of his affection for Lady Windermere. The settings not only establish the visual and emotional tone of the play but also deepen the thematic exploration of class, morality, and personal relationships. This analysis invites readers to appreciate how Wilde meticulously crafted the physical spaces to enhance the narrative.
Lady Windermere's Fan: Analysis of Setting
First published: 1893
First produced: 1892
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Comedy of manners
Time of work: Nineteenth century
Places Discussed
Windermere house
Windermere house. Home of Lord and Lady Windermere in the real and fashionable Carlton House Terrace adjacent to St. James’s Park in central London that serves as the setting for three of the play’s four acts. The play opens and closes in the morning room, one of the grand rooms used for entertaining by the Windermeres, who are important members of British society. As with all the aristocracy of the time, they have servants; only one butler, one maid, and a nonspeaking footman appear in the play, but at least another six or eight servants might be expected. The morning room should be large and immaculately decorated, containing more furniture than the few items specified for plot purposes. Among the pieces of furniture specified in the play’s stage directions are a bureau, in which Lady Windermere finds a bank book of her husband’s that contains apparently incriminating evidence; a table used by Lady Windermere to arrange flowers; a sofa used for seating; and a small table on which tea is served. French windows open onto a terrace, to which an impressionable daughter is sent to view the sunset so that she will not hear gossip about Mrs. Erlynne.
The house’s drawing room is equally grand, adjacent to the ballroom, where during the play’s second act a ball is held and a band is playing. A door leads onto the terrace. Because of crowds of guests, no furniture is specified, though some chairs and sofas around the walls might be expected. Wilde mentions only flowers and potted palms, which are typical of late Victorian era decor.
Lord Darlington’s rooms
Lord Darlington’s rooms. Home of the bachelor Lord Darlington, who has long loved Lady Windermere and tried to persuade her to leave her husband. In keeping with his station, Darlington’s apartment should be a suite of rooms forming all or part of a floor of a large terraced house. Act 3 of the play is set in his sitting and entertaining room. Wilde’s stage directions mention a sofa—where the fan of the title is accidently left—and three tables set with writing materials, alcohol, and cigars—all items typical for a man of his status.
Bibliography
Brooks, Cleanth, and Robert B. Heilman. Understanding Drama: Twelve Plays. New York: Holt, 1945. An indispensable act-by-act analysis that points to problems in characterization and motivation, and measures Lady Windermere’s Fan against defined genres. Eloquently establishes the myopia of bringing predetermined standards to art.
Cohen, Philip K. The Moral Vision of Oscar Wilde. Rutherford, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1978. The chapter on the comedies includes ten pages that read Lady Windermere’s Fan in terms of the shift from Old Testament to New Testament values.
Davidson, David. “The Importance of Being Ernst: Lubitsch and Lady Windermere’s Fan.” Literature/Film Quarterly 11, no. 2 (1983): 120-131. Highlights the unique potentialities and limitations of film in handling Lady Windermere’s Fan.
Powell, Kerry. Oscar Wilde and the Theater of the 1890’s. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Sets Wilde’s work within its theatrical and social contexts. The chapter devoted to Lady Windermere’s Fan provides the basis for comparisons made throughout the book.
Small, Ian, ed. Introduction to Lady Windermere’s Fan, by Oscar Wilde. New York: Norton, 1980. Explicates the differences in existing versions of the text. Discusses the role of deceit in both play and culture, drawing on contemporary etiquette handbooks to illustrate the protocols of London society.