Lady Windermere's Fan - Oscar Wilde

Summary

Lady Windermere's Fan is a social comedy that satirizes the hypocrisies and moral conventions of Victorian society. The play revolves around Lady Windermere, a young, virtuous, and puritanical wife who is celebrating her twenty-first birthday. She firmly believes in rigid moral principles and is deeply disturbed by rumors that her husband, Lord Windermere, is having an affair with a mysterious and scandalous woman named Mrs. Erlynne, and has been giving her money. Despite Lord Windermere's denials, Lady Windermere discovers evidence that he has indeed been supporting Mrs. Erlynne and plans to invite her to Lady Windermere's birthday ball.

Distraught and feeling betrayed, Lady Windermere decides to abandon her husband for the charming and cynical Lord Darlington, who has been openly pursuing her. She goes to Lord Darlington's rooms, intending to elope with him. However, Mrs. Erlynne, who is revealed to be Lady Windermere's estranged mother, intervenes to save her daughter's reputation and marriage. Mrs. Erlynne sacrifices her own newly found respectability by allowing herself to be discovered in Lord Darlington's rooms, creating a scandal that allows Lady Windermere to return home undetected. The play explores themes of public versus private morality, the price of reputation, and the complex nature of maternal love and sacrifice, all delivered with Wilde's characteristic wit and paradox.

Book Sections

Section 1: Act I

Plot: The play opens in Lady Windermere's drawing-room on the afternoon of her twenty-first birthday. Lady Windermere is discussing her upcoming ball with her friend, the Duchess of Berwick. The Duchess, a notorious gossip, subtly suggests that Lord Windermere might be having an affair with a Mrs. Erlynne, a woman of questionable reputation, and that he has been giving her large sums of money. Lady Windermere, who holds very strict moral views, is initially incredulous and fiercely defends her husband.

Later, Lord Windermere enters and tries to persuade his wife to invite Mrs. Erlynne to her ball. He claims that Mrs. Erlynne is an unfortunate woman who is trying to re-enter society and that he has been helping her financially out of charity. Lady Windermere refuses, disgusted by the very idea of associating with such a woman. When Lord Windermere insists, implying a deeper connection, Lady Windermere discovers his checkbook, which confirms he has indeed been giving Mrs. Erlynne large sums of money. Feeling betrayed and heartbroken, she threatens to hit Mrs. Erlynne with her fan if she dares to show her face at the ball. Lord Windermere, desperate, secretly writes Mrs. Erlynne an invitation himself. Lord Darlington, a cynical but charming admirer of Lady Windermere, visits and expresses his affection for her, hinting that Lord Windermere is not worthy of her. Lady Windermere, despite her distress, dismisses his advances.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Lady Windermere	Young, beautiful, virtuous, principled, somewhat naive, high moral standards, easily swayed by appearances, fiercely loyal to her husband until confronted with evidence of betrayal.	To maintain her strict moral code and uphold the sanctity of her marriage; to believe in the absolute goodness of her husband; to protect her reputation and social standing; to reject anyone she deems immoral.
Lord Windermere	Lady Windermere's husband, seemingly devoted but secretive, well-meaning but prone to causing misunderstandings, genuinely cares for his wife.	To protect Mrs. Erlynne (revealed later to be his mother-in-law) and help her re-enter society without revealing their true relationship, thus avoiding scandal for his wife; to prevent his wife from discovering a painful family secret.
Duchess of Berwick	A society matron, gossipy, somewhat superficial, concerned with social appearances and status, mother of Lady Agatha.	To share society gossip, often with a subtle malicious intent; to maintain her position within the social hierarchy; to advise Lady Windermere (though her advice often fuels suspicion); to arrange a suitable marriage for her daughter.
Lord Darlington	Witty, cynical, charming, worldly, admirer of Lady Windermere, critical of societal hypocrisy, believes in living life fully.	To pursue Lady Windermere and win her affection, believing her husband is unworthy; to challenge conventional moralities; to observe and comment on the absurdities of society.
Lady Agatha Carlisle	The Duchess of Berwick's daughter, quiet, somewhat naive, and easily led.	To find a husband, particularly Lord Augustus Lorton, who is admired by her mother.
Mr. Cecil Graham	A dandy, witty, observant, part of the social set, enjoys making clever and often cynical remarks.	To observe and comment on the social dynamics and follies of his peers; to entertain himself and others with his sharp wit.

Section 2: Act II

Plot: The scene shifts to Lady Windermere's ball. Mrs. Erlynne arrives, much to the shock of Lady Windermere and the other guests. Lady Windermere initially tries to ignore her but is deeply hurt and humiliated by her husband's apparent defiance and Mrs. Erlynne's presence. Lord Windermere is relieved that Mrs. Erlynne has accepted his invitation, believing it will help her social rehabilitation. Mrs. Erlynne, through her charm and wit, begins to win over some of the guests, including the slightly foolish but kind Lord Augustus Lorton, who becomes smitten with her.

Lord Darlington once again approaches Lady Windermere, confessing his love for her and urging her to leave her husband, whom he portrays as a hypocrite. Lady Windermere, overwhelmed by her pain and believing her husband has truly betrayed her, makes the impulsive decision to leave him for Lord Darlington. She writes a farewell letter to her husband, explaining her departure, and leaves the house. Lord Windermere finds the letter and is distraught. Mrs. Erlynne, who had observed Lady Windermere's distress and her brief interaction with Lord Darlington, finds the letter and realizes what her daughter is about to do. Determined to save Lady Windermere's marriage and reputation, Mrs. Erlynne quickly follows her to Lord Darlington's rooms, intending to persuade her to return home.

| Character | Characteristics | Motivations |
| Mrs. Erlynne | Mysterious, sophisticated, elegant, refined, charismatic, cunning, outwardly confident, initially perceived as a social pariah, later revealed to be Lady Windermere's mother. | To re-establish herself in polite society and regain respectability after a past scandal; to secure financial stability; eventually, to protect her daughter's marriage and reputation at great personal cost, showing a deep maternal love she initially couldn't express. |
| Lord Augustus Lorton| A kind-hearted and slightly gullible older bachelor, a man about town, well-intentioned. | To find companionship and a wife; to offer Mrs. Erlynne a stable social position through marriage; to enjoy the social scene. |

Section 3: Act III

Plot: The setting is Lord Darlington's rooms later that night. Lady Windermere is there, having fled her home. She is conflicted and full of regret, realizing the gravity of her actions. Mrs. Erlynne arrives and confronts Lady Windermere, imploring her to return to her husband and save her marriage and reputation. She reveals that she herself suffered greatly from a similar impulsive mistake in her youth and doesn't want her daughter to endure the same fate.

Suddenly, Lord Windermere, accompanied by Lord Augustus, Mr. Cecil Graham, and other gentlemen, arrives at Lord Darlington's rooms. They had been to a club and decided to continue their revelry there. Lady Windermere panics, realizing that if she is discovered, her reputation will be ruined irrevocably. Mrs. Erlynne, thinking quickly, hides Lady Windermere behind a curtain. Lord Windermere and the others enter, but Lord Darlington is not home. They decide to wait for him. During their wait, Lord Windermere, looking for his cigar case, almost discovers Lady Windermere's fan, which she had dropped. Mrs. Erlynne cleverly distracts him, and then, at a critical moment when discovery is imminent, she steps out from behind the curtain herself, pretending to have been the one hiding. This creates a new scandal for Mrs. Erlynne, but it allows Lady Windermere to slip away unnoticed and return home. The men are shocked by Mrs. Erlynne's apparent indiscretion, and Lord Augustus is heartbroken by what he perceives as her betrayal.

Section 4: Act IV

Plot: The next morning, Lady Windermere is back in her own drawing-room, filled with remorse and relief. She had left her fan at Lord Darlington's and fears it will be discovered. Lord Windermere enters, still distraught about his wife's farewell letter, but relieved to find her home. He is unaware that she was at Lord Darlington's rooms. He believes she has been home all night, having merely threatened to leave.

Mrs. Erlynne arrives to retrieve Lady Windermere's fan. She explains the true situation to Lady Windermere: that she is her mother, who had abandoned her and Lord Windermere years ago, ruining her own life in the process. She made the sacrifice last night to prevent her daughter from making the same mistake. Lady Windermere is deeply moved and grateful. When Lord Windermere enters, Mrs. Erlynne asks him to return the fan to her, feigning an innocent reason, to avoid Lady Windermere's husband discovering it was his wife's. She manages to retrieve it without arousing his suspicion.

Lord Augustus then arrives, still heartbroken, but Mrs. Erlynne masterfully convinces him that she was merely having a harmless "little adventure" and that he should still marry her. She accepts his proposal. To further protect Lady Windermere, Mrs. Erlynne pretends she is leaving London permanently with Lord Augustus for the Continent, taking the fan with her as a souvenir. Lady Windermere, now understanding the full depth of her mother's sacrifice and love, promises to send her money regularly. The play ends with Lady Windermere having learned a profound lesson about judgment, forgiveness, and the complexities of human morality, recognizing that "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." Her marriage is saved, and her mother leaves, having secured a new future while preserving her daughter's reputation.

Literary Genre

Comedy of Manners, Social Satire, Melodrama (with comedic elements).

Author Facts

• Oscar Wilde (1854-1900): An Irish poet and playwright, one of the most celebrated figures of the Aesthetic Movement and late Victorian literary culture.
• Wit and Aphorisms: Wilde is renowned for his brilliant wit, paradoxes, and epigrams, many of which are delivered through his characters in plays like 'Lady Windermere's Fan', 'An Ideal Husband', and 'The Importance of Being Earnest'.
• The Picture of Dorian Gray: His only novel, a philosophical tale about beauty, morality, and corruption.
• Tragic Downfall: Despite his literary success, Wilde's life ended tragically after he was convicted of gross indecency for homosexual acts and imprisoned, leading to his financial ruin and premature death.
• Literary Themes: His works often explore themes of appearance vs. reality, the hypocrisy of Victorian society, the nature of art and beauty, and the pursuit of pleasure.

Moral of the Story

The primary moral of 'Lady Windermere's Fan' is a critique of rigid, uncompromising moral judgment and the importance of empathy and understanding. Lady Windermere learns that people are rarely purely good or purely evil, and that judging others harshly based on superficial appearances or past mistakes can lead to misunderstanding and personal destruction. The play suggests that forgiveness, compassion, and a recognition of the complexities of human nature are essential. It also subtly highlights the sacrifices often made by women to uphold societal expectations and protect their families, even at the cost of their own reputations. Ultimately, the play advocates for a more nuanced view of morality, emphasizing that even those who seem fallen might act with noble intentions.

Curiosities

• First Performed: 'Lady Windermere's Fan' premiered on February 20, 1892, at the St. James's Theatre in London and was a significant commercial and critical success for Wilde.
• Wilde's Curtain Call: At the play's premiere, during the curtain call, Oscar Wilde famously appeared on stage smoking a cigarette and told the audience, "I have been as long in writing this play as you have been in listening to it. But I hope that you have been as pleased in listening to it as I have been in writing it." This bold and unconventional address was a sensation.
• Original Title: Wilde initially considered calling the play 'A Good Woman', which would have given away the moral twist regarding Mrs. Erlynne's true nature.
• The Fan as a Symbol: The fan itself is a key prop and symbol, representing Lady Windermere's reputation and virtue. Its potential discovery at Lord Darlington's rooms symbolizes the fragile nature of social standing.
• "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.": This famous line, often attributed to Wilde, is not actually spoken by a character in the play, but rather appeared in his later work, 'Lady Windermere's Fan: A Play about a Good Woman (Second Edition).' However, the sentiment perfectly encapsulates the play's theme.
• Controversial for its Time: The play's portrayal of a fallen woman (Mrs. Erlynne) who ultimately acts heroically, and the critique of society's hypocritical moral standards, was quite daring for its Victorian audience.