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The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde

1043 Words5 Pages

The satirical piece of literature, “The Importance of Being Earnest”, takes place in the Victorian Era, “when an intricate code of behavior governed everything from communication to sexuality.” (shmoop.com). During the Victorian age, all marriages were connected to social status, matched economics, and to protect their own resources. This idea can be shown in “The Importance of Being Earnest” through Lady Bracknell. This satire is written to awaken people and to try to remind people not to value bloodlines instead of true love when deciding upon your marriage partner. I think that Oscar Wilde finds his characters funny. This play is sarcastic and ironic toward the Victorian age, and this is presented through his characters. Wilde made many similarities between Jack and Algernon. He is “making fun of the Victorian upper class, to which both Jack and Algernon belong.” (shmoop.com). It shows Wilde’s point that it is the society and the period of time’s fault, instead of the individuals. It is also satiric when Oscar Wilde portrays Gwendolen in terms of how she loves the name “Earnest” instead of the person himself. There is also a lot in common between Gwendolen and Cecily. Wilde is “satirizing the society that produced women like them” (shmoop.com) instead of the characters themselves. Both Gwendolen and Cecily “suggest(s) the qualities of conventional Victorian womanhood.” (sparknotes.com). Oscar Wilde provided many subtle hints in the text, which reveal the characters’

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