Social Norms In The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay
How serious can we take The Importance of Being Earnest as being a play that criticizes social norms and values?
There is nothing earnest about this play, at least on the surface. It’s a giant critism of the Victorian era, when middle class behavior governed everything from communication to sexuality. The most important rules applied to marriage and were always a popular topic in Victorian plays, and one that interested Wilde, who was married to a woman but sexually involved with men.
During the Victorian period, marriage was about protecting your resources, and keeping socially unacceptable impulses under control. This is shown within The Importance of Being Earnest, when Lady Bracknell and Jack have a conversation about his eligibility …show more content…
Wilde seems to use her as the
character in which most of the social norms and values are criticized, this can be seen in Act I where Lady Bracknell has a conversation with Jack to determine whether he is eligible enough to marry Gwendolyn.
“Jack: I know nothing, Lady Bracknell.”
“Lady Bracknell: I am pleased to hear it. I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance.”
Lady Bracknell swarms Jack with questions from politics and fortune to addresses and parents in which he must answer correctly to gain any marriage approval. Within the conversation it is clear that appearance is everything, and society would prefer it if individuals were ‘attractively’ ignorant rather than be educated.
“Wilde creates episodes in which his characters live secret lives or create false impressions to express who they really are.”
The reason for these characters to hold secret lives and false impressions isn’t just for the comedic value of the play, but seems to be Wilde’s way of escaping the repressive and suffocating norms and values of Victorian
There is nothing earnest about this play, at least on the surface. It’s a giant critism of the Victorian era, when middle class behavior governed everything from communication to sexuality. The most important rules applied to marriage and were always a popular topic in Victorian plays, and one that interested Wilde, who was married to a woman but sexually involved with men.
During the Victorian period, marriage was about protecting your resources, and keeping socially unacceptable impulses under control. This is shown within The Importance of Being Earnest, when Lady Bracknell and Jack have a conversation about his eligibility …show more content…
Wilde seems to use her as the
character in which most of the social norms and values are criticized, this can be seen in Act I where Lady Bracknell has a conversation with Jack to determine whether he is eligible enough to marry Gwendolyn.
“Jack: I know nothing, Lady Bracknell.”
“Lady Bracknell: I am pleased to hear it. I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance.”
Lady Bracknell swarms Jack with questions from politics and fortune to addresses and parents in which he must answer correctly to gain any marriage approval. Within the conversation it is clear that appearance is everything, and society would prefer it if individuals were ‘attractively’ ignorant rather than be educated.
“Wilde creates episodes in which his characters live secret lives or create false impressions to express who they really are.”
The reason for these characters to hold secret lives and false impressions isn’t just for the comedic value of the play, but seems to be Wilde’s way of escaping the repressive and suffocating norms and values of Victorian