Analysis of a Quote from Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan, Act 3

This essay analyzes a quote from Oscar Wilde's 'Lady Windermere's Fan,' specifically focusing on the symbolism and meaning behind the phrase "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." The analysis explores the context of the quote within the play, highlighting Lord Darlington's expression of unrequited love and his perspective on human nature and societal expectations. It examines the juxtaposition of the "gutter" and the "stars," interpreting the imagery as a reflection of the divide between those who succumb to life's hardships and those who maintain hope and pursue their dreams. The essay also references the broader themes of the play and the impact of the quote's poetic expression, making it relatable to the readers. The analysis also acknowledges the quote's enduring relevance and emotional resonance.

Running head: EMPATHETIC WRITING
Empathetic Writing

EMPATHETIC WRITING 1
Paragraph for analysis
CECIL GRAHAM. Now, my dear Tuppy, don't be led astray into the paths of virtue. Reformed,
you would be perfectly tedious. That is the worst of women. They always want one to be good.
And if we are good, when they meet us, they don't love us at all. They like to find us quite
irretrievably bad, and to leave us quite unattractively good.
LORD DARLINGTON. [Rising from R. table, where he has been writing letters.] They always
do find us bad!
DUMBY. I don't think we are bad. I think we are all good, except Tuppy.
LORD DARLINGTON. No, we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. [Sits
down at C. table.]
DUMBY. We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars? Upon my word, you
are very romantic to-night, Darlington.
CECIL GRAHAM. Too romantic! You must be in love. Who is the girl?
LORD DARLINGTON. The woman I love is not free, or thinks she isn't. [Glances instinctively
at LORD WINDERMERE while he speaks.]
Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan
Analysis
The speaker Lord Darlington confesses his love to Lady Windermere, a married woman, on the
terrace of a ballroom.

EMPATHETIC WRITING 2
Now, Lady Windermere being not so ordinary and carries a reputation for an unswerving moral
outlook on life, in an age where life is looked up as a speculation. When she rejects him, Lord
Darlington is heartbroken and angry and anguished and he leaves on the ending violin trills of
the waltz.
The quote is inexorably colored by the conversation and Darlington’s rejected love. It draws up
irresistible imagery and symbolism from juxtaposition of “gutter” and “stars”. It reflects not only
what Darlington thinks of the distance between himself and Lady Windermere, but also how
unreachable and untouchable Lady Windermere is to his mind. The chasm between them is as
wide as that between heaven and mud.
One of the greatest quote cited by Oscar Wilde in his Lady Windermere’s Fan. We are all in the
gutter means we humans are standing on the same platform which is full of struggles i.e. struggle
to survive, hard times and life problems. Some of us are looking at the stars” means that some
rare humans, despite the challenges we face decide to remain positive, remain focused on our
dreams and goals. These are ultimately the people who find success in life (Literaturepage.com,
2017).
It draws up irresistible imagery and symbolism from juxtaposition of “gutter” and “stars”.
Consider the wistfulness of that image, of someone lying in the gutter, but gazing up at the bright
star in heaven.
It is moreover a poetic expression and it never fails to give shivers in a performance. And I think
we can all relate to it at some level as each of us deep down have longed, hungered, ached, or
dreamt for something we believed to be out of reach.

EMPATHETIC WRITING 3
References
Literaturepage.com. (2017). Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde: Act 3 (continued) - The
Literature Page. [online] Available at: http://www.literaturepage.com/read/lady-windermeres-
fan-48.html [Accessed 1 Aug. 2017].