Marriage In Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Ernest
In Wilde’s The Importance of Being Ernest, we can easily figure out that marriage is an important theme that ironically criticizes the Victorian society, especially the Victorian moral values and social values. It will be difficult for us to define those marriages are derived from “business” or “pleasure” throughout this play. As long as we can find out the meaning lying behind, the problem will be easily solved. This essay is going to justify whether each of those selected marriages from the play can be categorized as a marriage for business or pleasure.
Tracing back to Victorian period, the aristocrats were all well-educated and they wanted to develop their own economic power through the marriage to the one from middle class. Meanwhile, since people from middle class had no “titles” at all, they wanted to obtain the titles by engaging or marrying the upper classes. As these adopted lines shown: Lady Bracknell … you are not engaged to anyone. When you do become engaged to someone, I, or your father … will inform you the fact …It is hardly a matter that she could be allowed to arrange herself… (I.382-6)
These lines shown to us that Lady Bracknell, who was portrayed as a representative of the aristocrat, did not accept the engagement between Gwendolen and Jack. Lady Bracknell asked Mr. Worthing a few questions to get familiar with his cultural backgrounds, social status, and political views because she thought that Jack did not fulfill her criteria at all – those criteria
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Love And Love In Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnest
1137 Words | 5 PagesOn the other hand, Wilde explores how social relationships can influence the compatibility of marriage between individuals. Both of these factors acts as an obstacle for Jack as he seeks approval to marry Gwendolen Fairfax. Oscar Wilde demonstrates the importance of social relationships and the social status as the determining factors for the compatibility of marriage and love during the Victorian era. The Victorians valued one’s social status as it was seen at the utmost importance when it comes to marriage.
Men And Women In Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband
1285 Words | 6 PagesThe play An Ideal Husband was written by Oscar Wilde in 1895 in England’s Victorian era. This era was characterised by sexual anarchy amongst men and women where the stringent boundaries that delineated the roles of both men and women were continually being challenged by threatening figures such as the New Woman represented by Mrs Cheveley and dandies such as Lord Goring(Showalter, 3). An Ideal Husband ultimately affirms Lord Goring’s notions about the inequality of the sexes because of the evident limitations placed on the mutability of identity for female characters versus their male counterparts (Madden, 5). These limitations will be further elaborated upon in the context of the patriarchal aspects of Victorian society which contributed to the failed attempts of blackmail by Mrs Cheveley, the manner in which women are trapped by their past and their delineated role of an “angel of truth and goodness” (Powell, 89).
Gender Roles In Jane Austen's Sense And Sensibility
1277 Words | 6 PagesOne thinks more of how society views them more than thee other. This demonstrates that marriage may often be more a matter of economics than of love, the examples of Marianne and Elinor show that it doesn’t necessarily have to be this way. And, insofar as marriage brings families together and creates new family units, it can create strong and lasting bonds of familial love. Elinor and Marianne ultimately do marry for love in the
Gender Roles In Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnest
928 Words | 4 PagesWilde’s representation of the British upper class, its values and opinions, is presented most notably through Lady Augusta Bracknell. She is a dignified aristocratic residing fashionable London society circles. On the surface, she is very typical Victorian woman. As a mother to Gwendolen Fairfax, she has a great authority over her controlling her life. She has even a list of ”eligible young man” whom she is ready to interview in order to select a suitable partner for her daughter.
Marriage In Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnest
1653 Words | 7 PagesFor instance, Lady Bracknell’s hypocritical nature is exposed when the topic of marriage is brought up. “Lady Bracknell: But I do not approve of mercenary marriages. When I married Lord Bracknell, I had no fortune of any kind. But I never dreamed for a moment of allowing that to stand in my way (Wilde 78).”
Aestheticism In The Importance Of Being Earnest
1044 Words | 5 PagesThe Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde is an excellent play which has many underlying themes and suggestions especially with regards to the Victorian era, during which this was written. Many themes within the play are reflective of Wilde and his life, including his secrecy and supposed “double life,” his interest in aestheticism, his life pertaining the mannerisms and social etiquette during his lifetime. Today, Oscar Wilde is often remembered in part due to his well known homosexuality trial of 1895 (Linderd, 1), but his “second life” per se had been speculated on for years prior to it, in fact many of his plays contain subtle yet effective implications towards a possible piece of his life kept hidden from the public eye. The Importance of Being Earnest mirrored this double life through the utilization of Jack and Algernon's “Bunburying,” and their motives for lying to the ones whom they love.
Pride And Prejudice Then Vs Now Analysis
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Charlotte Lucas Pride And Prejudice Analysis
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The Picture Of Dorian Gray Romanticism Essay
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805 Words | 4 PagesSociety and Marriage 2. Mistress or Wife 3. Wealth, Power and Equality: from Governess to Heiress 1. Society and Marriage - Victorian period: marrying out of interest with no regards for affection. Brontë exploits this issue in “Jane Eyre” by showing this darker side of society through the enigmatic Edward Rochester and his lustful family.
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