The Importance Of Being Earnest
Today, Starbucks is revered as the coffee shop of the Gods: lines go out the door, pictures of their lattes flood social media, and consumers make sure the logo is in plain sight wherever they take the cup. However, the coffee does not have a secret ingredient that makes it so special. In fact, the drinks are rather plain and just overloaded with sugar to create the illusion of flavor. However, if a millennial dared to say this out loud and stray from the fad, he would be labeled as eccentric and alienated from his peers. Lewis Carroll’s “The Lobster-Quadrille” and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest satirize conformity through the fetishization of products of Empire, status, and traditional sexuality in order to characterize society
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For example, the inversion of traditional values is apparent when Jack compliments Gwendolyn’s appearance and she retorts that she is “always smart” (303). The word “smart” is a double entendre. On one hand, it means good looks: Gwendolyn is exhibiting confidence in her beauty and not being coy about it, thus exhibiting a prime example of feminism and women fearlessly embracing who they are without the need for a man’s approval. On the other hand, “smart” means knowledgeable. Gwendolyn is hinting at Jack that she is more than a pretty face, for behind her makeup is an astute and intelligent woman. In any case, modesty is being ridiculed, and Wilde is suggesting that being forward, opinionated, and diverging from what society expects of women will lead to a more authenticity and open-mindedness. In addition to women being true to themselves, Wilde suggests the gay men should do the same, the first step being the ability to eat “muffins in his own garden” (341). “Muffins” is a sexual innuendo referring to the male gluteus maximus. Therefore, eating such muffins in one’s “own garden” is a metaphor for practicing sexuality in one’s own home. This is a vast improvement from having to resort to prostitution to be sexually satisfied: in this case, there is a safe haven where it is okay and not sinful to be different. Wilde is arguing that this is the first step to a more accepting society. As time passes, homosexuality will slowly be introduced outside the home, becoming more and more prevalent until it is finally accepted as
For example, the inversion of traditional values is apparent when Jack compliments Gwendolyn’s appearance and she retorts that she is “always smart” (303). The word “smart” is a double entendre. On one hand, it means good looks: Gwendolyn is exhibiting confidence in her beauty and not being coy about it, thus exhibiting a prime example of feminism and women fearlessly embracing who they are without the need for a man’s approval. On the other hand, “smart” means knowledgeable. Gwendolyn is hinting at Jack that she is more than a pretty face, for behind her makeup is an astute and intelligent woman. In any case, modesty is being ridiculed, and Wilde is suggesting that being forward, opinionated, and diverging from what society expects of women will lead to a more authenticity and open-mindedness. In addition to women being true to themselves, Wilde suggests the gay men should do the same, the first step being the ability to eat “muffins in his own garden” (341). “Muffins” is a sexual innuendo referring to the male gluteus maximus. Therefore, eating such muffins in one’s “own garden” is a metaphor for practicing sexuality in one’s own home. This is a vast improvement from having to resort to prostitution to be sexually satisfied: in this case, there is a safe haven where it is okay and not sinful to be different. Wilde is arguing that this is the first step to a more accepting society. As time passes, homosexuality will slowly be introduced outside the home, becoming more and more prevalent until it is finally accepted as