{"product_id":"lady-windermeres-fan-oscar-wilde-9798897183616","title":"Lady Windermere's Fan","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLady Windermere's Fan: A Play About a Good Woman\u003c\/strong\u003e is a four-act comedy by \u003cstrong\u003eOscar Wilde\u003c\/strong\u003e, first performed in \u003cstrong\u003e1892\u003c\/strong\u003e. It is one of Wilde's most famous \u003cstrong\u003esocial comedies\u003c\/strong\u003e, filled with witty dialogue, satirical critiques of Victorian society, and themes of \u003cstrong\u003ehypocrisy, morality, and the double standards applied to women\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe play is set in \u003cstrong\u003eLondon high society\u003c\/strong\u003e, where reputation and appearances mean everything.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLady Windermere\u003c\/strong\u003e, a young, idealistic woman, is preparing for her \u003cstrong\u003ebirthday ball\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe believes in strict moral values and worships her husband, \u003cstrong\u003eLord Windermere\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer friend, \u003cstrong\u003ethe Duchess of Berwick\u003c\/strong\u003e, informs her that Lord Windermere has been secretly \u003cstrong\u003egiving money to a mysterious woman\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eMrs. Erlynne\u003c\/strong\u003e, which suggests an affair.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLady Windermere is horrified and considers \u003cstrong\u003eleaving him\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the ball, \u003cstrong\u003eMrs. Erlynne arrives as an unexpected guest\u003c\/strong\u003e, invited by Lord Windermere.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSociety gossips about her past, but no one knows her full story.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLady Windermere, heartbroken and believing her husband has betrayed her, decides to \u003cstrong\u003erun away with Lord Darlington\u003c\/strong\u003e, a charming bachelor who has confessed his love for her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLady Windermere leaves a \u003cstrong\u003efarewell letter\u003c\/strong\u003e and sneaks off to Lord Darlington's rooms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMrs. Erlynne follows her and convinces her to return home, saving her from scandal\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, Mrs. Erlynne accidentally \u003cstrong\u003eleaves Lady Windermere's letter behind\u003c\/strong\u003e, putting her own reputation at risk.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLord Windermere and others arrive at Darlington's rooms and find the letter.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo \u003cstrong\u003eprotect Lady Windermere's reputation\u003c\/strong\u003e, Mrs. Erlynne \u003cstrong\u003epretends the letter was hers\u003c\/strong\u003e, sacrificing her own name.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn a final twist, it is revealed that \u003cstrong\u003eMrs. Erlynne is actually Lady Windermere's long-lost mother\u003c\/strong\u003e, who had once abandoned her family.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLady Windermere, unaware of this, forgives her and returns to her husband, never knowing how much Mrs. Erlynne did for her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnlike many female characters in Victorian dramas, Mrs. Erlynne is \u003cstrong\u003enot a villain\u003c\/strong\u003e-she is \u003cstrong\u003ea complex, independent woman\u003c\/strong\u003e who manipulates social rules to survive. She is \u003cstrong\u003eselfish yet selfless, calculating yet caring\u003c\/strong\u003e, making her one of Wilde's most nuanced creations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLady Windermere's Fan\u003c\/em\u003e was a huge success and helped establish Wilde as a \u003cstrong\u003emaster of social satire\u003c\/strong\u003e. The play influenced later works like \u003cem\u003eA Woman of No Importance\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Importance of Being Earnest\u003c\/em\u003e. It has been adapted into \u003cstrong\u003efilms, operas, and modern retellings\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Oscar Wilde\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798897183616\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Lushena Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/23\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 96\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.66lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.38d","brand":"Oscar Wilde","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48487349125375,"sku":"9798897183616","price":31.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_4d6a301b-a92b-4ca7-b698-240b1abd5b0c.jpg?v=1778059962","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/lady-windermeres-fan-oscar-wilde-9798897183616","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}