Oscar Wilde The Importance Of Being Ernest Essay

Oscar Wilde in many ways was far ahead of the Victorian society that he found himself in. Wilde’s homosexual lifestyle and focus on sensuality were so frowned upon in the Victorian society that they were actually illegal, which led to his eventual imprisonment and downfall (Bastiat 2). It is almost as if Oscar Wilde’s life itself was a satire, because these aspects of himself that were illegal and frowned upon were what made his play The Importance of Being Earnest so successful. Wilde’s play was intended to not only entertain his spectators, but also try to change their attitudes in a passive, yet meaningful way. A background knowledge of Oscar Wilde’s life would be essential to understanding The Importance of Being Earnest. Wilde, a homosexual and aesthetic, was very much anti-Victorian; while the Victorians were worried about being proper and following the norms and rules, Wilde was concerned with sensuality, meaning, and pleasure (Walsh 1). Wilde lived a life of pleasure and hid his life from the public eye. Although married to Constance Lloyd, Wilde hid his life of homosexuality from the public view, which is what likely drove Wilde
This use of different selves or “Bunburying” is a way for both Jack and Algernon to be themselves and not have to worry about society judging them. These personas that they create are masks to their true identity and personality, and if this true identity is revealed they could lose everything and because of societies need to point out and isolate those who are different and do not fit the social norms. Wilde is showing here the trouble that people will go through to hide their true selves because they know the societal repercussions will be enormous. Here Wilde wants society, those who are viewing his play, to understand that being different is okay but also that being different is also hard on the