Satire In The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ is a satire of the stifling conventions of Victorian England, a time when a serpentine code of behaviour governed everything from communication to sexuality, and when class was the sole dictator of relationships. With a witty, humorous delivery, the play explores the central themes of materialism, gender roles, marriage and the ignorance of the upper class.

Passage one opens with a series of hyperbolic questions posed with Jack, building in rhythm and accessorised with ornate language like ‘reckless extravagance’. With the expectation of an increase in importance, the dialogue contrarily falls to an exaggeration of absolute triviality, depicting the inverted priorities of the class. This is further accentuated as food becomes a source of conflict. Algernon permits his own uninterrupted devouring of the cucumber sandwiches on account of his relationship with Lady Bracknell, whereas Jack’s unfamiliarity denies him the same audacity. However, when Jack demonstrates excess enthusiasm for Gwendolen’s bread and butter, Algernon reproaches him for behaving as though he were ‘married to [Gwendolen]
As Algernon and Jack partake in a brief debate as to whether the purpose of proposal constitutes ‘business’ or ‘pleasure’, the question of the nature of marriage appears in the play for the first time, where the materialistic code of the upperclass dictates that the gaining of resources forms the cardinal purpose of marriage. Consequently, marriages don’t come without infidelity. The matter is swept swiftly under the rug with a succession of euphemisms to superficially justify the behaviour, followed immediately by a discussion about food, as if the topics are of equal importance. Thus, Wilde satirises Victorian society’s preoccupation with surface manifestations of