Earnest Problem Proposals

The Importance of Being Earnest: Problem Proposals A complicated person can take a toll on a relationship. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Aunt Augusta is that complicated person. From the beginning, she brings conflict with her social class, her family, and her approval. Because of Aunt Augusta is from a high social class, she wants everyone in her family to marry someone of high class too. When someone is part of a high class, they always have money. Towards the end of the play, Algernon, Augusta’s nephew, is engaged to Cecily, Jack’s ward. Aunt says they are not allowed to be married. Jack then states, “about a hundred and thirty thousand pounds in Funds” (line 2050-2051). She then later states, “Miss Cardew seems to me a most attractive young lady, now that I look at her” (2055-2056). Another thing Aunt looks for is the land that he or she possess. When interviewing Jack for Gwendolen, her daughter, Aunt exclaims, “…land has ceased to be either a profit of a pleasure. It fives one position, and prevents one from keeping it up”
One engagement that needs approval is Gwendolen to Jack. From the beginning, Jack has been trying to marry Gwendolen, but Aunt will not let him. She interviews Jack and, of course, that does not go very well. Then at the end, she gives her approval when she says, “I remember now that the General was called Ernest” (2395-2396). This is approval because she has found out that Jack is her nephew. The second engagement is Algernon, her nephew, to Cecily, Jack’s ward. Just like Jack and Gwendolen’s engagement, Aunt did not want her nephew to marry a ward. Cecily, like Jack, lost both of her parents, and Aunt did not like that. However, Augusta finds out that Cecily has money in funds and gives the marriage approval. She exclaims, “Cecily, you may kiss me” (2092). The couples struggle to get Augusta’s approval, but in the end, she