Gwendolen implies that Cecily is not fashionable; this is shown when Cecily offers Gwendolen sugar in her tea and she replies with, “no, thank you. Sugar is not fashionable anymore.” This implies that Cecily is not fashionable because she has sugar. Another example of this occurs when Cecily offers Gwendolen cake or bread and butter Gwendolen says, “Cake is rarely seen in the best homes nowadays.” This shows that Gwendolen thinks Cecily is unfashionable. The way Gwendolen uses the words “anymore” and, “Nowadays” shows that she thinks Cecily does not know what the latest fashion is. Cecily then “[cuts a very large slice of cake.]” On the surface Cecily is doing a nice thing here but it is actually very rude because Gwendolen specifically asked for bread and butter.
The Girls also use their actions to insult each other; Gwendolen, [Quite politely, rising] by standing up she is trying to gain control over the situation and show power. However we are then told Cecily is [Very politely, rising.] By doing this it is as if she is out doing Gwendolen by being politer; because she is politer she has more control over the situation and has more power than Gwendolen.
The way in which girls correct each other is also subtly insulting. They act as if they are protecting each other by saying things such as “You must be under some slight misconception,” and “There must be some slight error.” These appear seemingly polite but they are actually hidden insults, because they could actually appear very patronising. Wilde has cleverly made it so that they are telling each other, “You are wrong,” but in a polite way. Another example of this is when Cecily says, “It would distress me more than I could tell you, dear Gwendolen, if it causes you any mental or physical anguish, but I feel bound to point out that since Ernest proposed to you he has clearly changed his mind.” Cecily has insulted Gwendolen because she has basically said, in a very polite way, that Ernest obviously prefers her to Gwendolen, which is why he proposed to her after Gwendolen because he changed his mind.
The girls cleverly use word play to insult each other; Cecily says, “When I see a spade I call it a spade,” Gwendolen changes the use of the word “spade” to make it mean a gardening tool and says, “I am glad to say I have never seen a spade.” Cecily means that she speaks bluntly about things, but Gwendolen changes this to mean a gardening tool and says she has never seen a spade, implying that she is too rich to know of gardening tools.
The girls subtly insult each other by talking about their future with Ernest, Gwendolen says, “If the poor fellow has been entrapped into any foolish promise I shall consider it my duty to rescue him at once.” The word, “entrapped” makes the reader think of someone who is horrible; by saying this Gwendolen is implying that Cecily is the type of person who blackmails others to get what she wants and entraps people a horrible, cruel and sly person. Gwendolen says it is a, “Foolish promise,” which shows that she believes Ernest did not know what he was doing and that his proposal to Cecily is a silly mistake and completely invaluable. Cecily says, “Whatever entanglement my dear boy may have got into. I will never reproach him with it when we are married.” By saying, “Entanglement” she is suggesting that his proposal to Gwendolen is a mistake and meaningless. Additionally by saying “When we get married,” she is suggesting that Gwendolen will lose the fight for Ernest’s hand in marriage.
The girls subtly insult each other with regards to where they each live; Cecily says, “From the top of one of the hills quite close one can see five counties.” Here Cecily is trying to boast that she lives in a good location and there is an excellent view, Gwendolen insults Cecily by saying, “Five counties! I don’t think I should like that; I hate crowds.” Gwendolen is undermining Cecily and her enthusiasm for her home, she thinks is magnificent and grand, Cecily then makes a sarcastic comment in response, she says, “I suppose that is why you live in the town.” This is suggesting that the town is very crowded therefore common; by this she is insinuating that Gwendolen is common because she lives in an area which is not particularly special or unique - it is shared with lots of other people. The thought of Gwendolen being common is emphasised when Gwendolen says, “I had no idea there were flowers in the country.” Cecily replies, “Oh, flowers are as common here, Miss Fairfax, as people are in London.” The use of common could be both common- lots of or multiple or common- lacking in taste or manners so by saying this she is indirectly saying that Gwendolen is lacking good taste or manners because she lives in an area that is very public and many people live there. Gwendolen says, “Personally I cannot understand how anybody manages to exist in the country, if anybody who is anybody does.” By saying this Gwendolen is suggesting that Cecily has a very low social status because she lives in the country.
I think Cecily is more insulting because she makes the most valid points and Gwendolen often says comments that also offend Ernest. I think they did have some good points but they did say a few ridiculous things. Cecily has said much more valid points and her insults are very sly and subtle, however Gwendolens insults often offend Ernest as well as Cecily and her insults are fairly obvious. Oscar Wilde has cleverly written this section so that neither of them has any idea that they are talking about different men so are fighting for no reason. He has used excellent techniques to convey their rudeness, however in doing so he has not made the insults any less obvious, such as using their actions to portray rudeness, also undermining each other as they do on many occasions, additionally Wilde effectively shows rudeness through the way they address each other. I think Wilde does an excellent job in making the girls be subtly insulting towards each other.
