An Edition de Luxe of a Wicked French Novel (Simile)
"[She] looks like an edition de luxe of a wicked French novel, meant specially for the English market." (26)
This quote is spoken by Dumby about Lady Windermere. It is unclear whether he is comparing her to a beautiful woman who might be featured on the front of a "wicked French novel" or to that type of elite, romantic novel itself. In either case the simile is quite complimentary. The fact that the novel is said to be "meant specially for the English market" shows that she has an air of worldliness but she especially knows how to charm English men with her looks and behavior.
A Large Packing Case (Simile)
"What a curious shape it is! Just like a large packing case." (21)
The Duchess of Berwick uses this simile when describing Australia to Mr. Hopper. The Duchess seems to flaunt her and her daughter's knowledge and worldliness in the quote, but her childish simile and the way she describes the country as having "all the dear little kangaroos flying about" (21) show her lack of real knowledge of the world.
In the Gutter (Metaphor)
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." (44)
This is one of the most famous quotes from Lady Windermere's Fan as it speaks to the tone of discourse in the English upper class at the time and has a hint of Wilde's famous wit. As a group of men argue about whether they are good or bad, Lord Darlington makes this poetic statement and is promptly made fun of for being "too romantic" (44).
Brick Wall (Simile)
"It’s no use talking to Tuppy. You might just as well talk to a brick wall." (46)
In this quote, Dumby compares talking to Lord Augustus (or "Tuppy," as he is called affectionately) to talking to a brick wall. The idea is clearly humorous, though it is not entirely clear whether Lord Augustus is being called dumb, stubborn, quiet, or hard of hearing.
Doors and Masks (Metaphor)
"You don’t know what it is to fall into the pit, to be despised, mocked, abandoned, sneered at - to be an outcast! to find the door shut against one, to have to creep in by hideous byways, afraid every moment lest the mask should be stripped from one’s face." (39)
In this quote, Mrs. Erlynne uses multiple metaphors to communicate how hard it is to be cast out of respectable society as a woman. She uses this story and passionate tone to convince her unknowing daughter Lady Windermere not to leave her husband and child, risking the same fate as her mother. The metaphors of closed doors and masks allude to the way one is closed out of society and must wear a disguise of obsequious class to try to work one's way back in.
