Reading and Misreading "The Man of Mode": Journal Article by R. D. Hume

R. D. Hume Restoration comedy / Literary criticism Journal article

Summary

Robert D. Hume’s article "Reading and Misreading 'The Man of Mode'" examines the complexity and reception of Sir George Etherege’s Restoration comedy, highlighting the tension between its witty, fashionable surface and deeper critical interpretations. Hume argues that the play, often seen as light, entertaining "creampuffery," embodies a mix of romantic and satirical elements, and that critics historically struggle to assign it a singular, serious moral or political purpose. The article explores how misreadings arise from attempts to impose higher meanings on a work primarily designed as a display of wit and social spectacle in late seventeenth-century theater.

Contexts & frameworks

In examining the contexts and frameworks surrounding The Man of Mode, we can see how the play reflects the unique social dynamics of its time. Understanding the Restoration period and the influences that shaped Etherege's work helps reveal the deeper meanings behind its characters and themes.

Restoration Comedy Context

The Man of Mode (1676) by Sir George Etherege is set in the Restoration period, a time marked by the re-opening of theatres after the Puritan ban. The play reflects the courtly culture of Charles II’s reign, where wit, libertinism, and fashion defined social life. It captures the manners and morals of the elite, focusing on themes of love, seduction, and social manipulation typical of Restoration comedy.

The play intricately satirizes the libertine lifestyle and aristocratic society’s obsession with fashion, wit, and romantic conquests. Dorimant, the protagonist, embodies the quintessential rake, cynically manipulating lovers and social situations for sport. This manipulation extends to creating theatrical spectacles in everyday life, emphasizing a performative and often superficial social world. The work cynically explores sexual politics, with humor drawn from exaggerated heartlessness and the commodification of relationships reflective of Restoration attitudes toward gender and class.

Theatrical and Literary Influences

The Man of Mode belongs to the genre of comedy of manners, characterized by its focus on witty dialogue and social satire. Its libertine protagonist is thought to be inspired by real figures like John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, blending historical scandal with dramatic invention. The play also engages with earlier works like Wycherley’s The Country Wife through its themes of deception and sexual intrigue. Etherege’s use of intricate plotting and character types highlights Restoration theatre’s interest in performance as both art and social commentary.

Themes and questions

In "The Man of Mode," various themes and questions arise that prompt deeper analysis of its social commentary. The exploration of these themes invites readers to reflect on the complexities of identity, morality, and societal norms in Restoration England.

Key themes

The play critiques the superficiality and performative nature of Restoration aristocracy.
It highlights the reversal of traditional moral values, celebrating vice as virtue.
Libertinism and social manipulation dominate character behavior.
It mocks social ambition and the empty affectations of fashion and manners.
Control and spectacle are central to characters’ interactions and power dynamics.
Education and serious morality are derided as making fops, not gentlemen.

Symbols & ambiguities

Recurring symbols include fashionable costumes and elaborate language embodying performativity and false identity, especially in Sir Fopling’s character, symbolizing social spectacle without sincerity. The wheel of fortune metaphor reflects the unpredictable social and emotional gambits Dorimant manipulates. Ambiguities arise around Dorimant’s control: he commands events but is ultimately subject to chance, exposing tensions between human agency and fate. The play’s licentious acts symbolize a broader cultural inversion where traditional virtues are mocked and vice celebrated.

Study questions

What does the play suggest about the nature of authenticity in Restoration high society?
How does Dorimant use theatricality as a means of social control?
In what ways does the play mock traditional morality and education?
What role does chance play in shaping the characters’ destinies?
How does Etherege portray the relationship between social class and behavior?
Why are fops depicted as lacking interior merits despite elaborate external displays?
How does the presentation of women reflect Restoration attitudes toward gender and power?
What is the significance of the reversed values seen in the play’s world?

Interpretation, close reading & resources

In examining "The Man of Mode," interpretation plays a crucial role in understanding the intricate layers of the text. Close reading reveals the complexities of character dynamics and thematic concerns, setting the stage for critical approaches and ongoing debates surrounding the play.

Critical approaches & debates

Scholars have explored “The Man of Mode” through various lenses: some focus on its satire of aristocratic manners and social climbing (formalist, social-historical); others examine gender and power, as Dorimant’s manipulation of women exposes Restoration attitudes toward gender and class. There is debate over whether the play endorses or merely mocks the decadence of its characters—Hughes, for example, highlights Dorimant’s control and theatricality, while critics like Williams and Brown emphasize the emptiness of Sir Fopling’s performative identity. Feminist readings question the agency of female characters, and Marxist critiques see the play as both ridiculing and perpetuating class hierarchy. The work remains a touchstone for debates about Restoration comedy’s moral ambiguity.

Key passages

A pivotal moment occurs when Dorimant, rebuffing Loveit in Act II, greets her emotional outburst with a rhyming couplet: “So thunder breaks the cloud in twain, / And makes a passage for the rain.” Here, his detachment and wit turn genuine passion into artificial spectacle, mocking the sincerity of feeling with poetic artifice. This passage reveals Dorimant’s manipulative mastery, the play’s central theme of performance versus authenticity, and the social currency of wit in Restoration London. Another key scene is Sir Fopling’s entrance, where his extravagant costume and affected French phrases mark him as a satirical figure of vain excess, highlighting the play’s critique of social artifice.

Bibliography

Hume, R. D. “Reading and Misreading ‘The Man of Mode’.” Modern Philology (if available, cite exact issue/date). A foundational study of interpretations and common misreadings.
Etherege, George. The Man of Mode, or Sir Fopling Flutter (1676). The authoritative text for close reading.
Hughes, Derek. “Play and Passion in The Man of Mode.” Elliott, Emory, ed. Columbia Literary History of the United States. Important for analysis of Dorimant’s theatrical control.
Williams, Carolyn D. “The Centre of Attention.” In Reading the Material Culture and the Poetics of Superfluity in The Man of Mode (2013). Focuses on Sir Fopling’s performative identity.
GradeSaver Study Guide. Offers accessible summaries and themes, useful for introductory research.
DergiPark PDF (2019). Discusses Restoration comedy conventions and Etherege’s techniques.