The Importance Of Being Earnest Satire Analysis

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest provides a satirical view of the Victorian era, primarily focusing on Victorian standards of marriage and social expectations. Wilde builds his critique of Victorian morality through his humor and wit between the character’s banter, the hypocritical Victorian view of honesty. Wilde view of Victorian society is illustrated through his wit and humor embedded in the characters’ dialogues. For example, Jack and Algernon live double lives as lowlifes of society that they, nonetheless, admire due to their alter ego’s carefree nature. When both Jack and Algernon become their alternate personas, it illustrates their desire to escape and cover up their past, in order to become Ernest. The ironic
Both Jack and Algernon pretend to be a man named Ernest to satisfy their love interest's wish, reflecting the Victorian obsession of social appearance and standing. This obsession may have lead to this hypocritical nature of lying and cheating in order to look truthful and honest. There is also the way marriage is handled within the play that contrasts with Victorian society. Marriage in the play is treated as a simple process, with a simple proposal, then engagement, and then marriage. This view pokes fun at how Victorian parent plan in great detail about their children’s marriage, shown especially with Lady Bracknell, who questions Jack after his proposal to Gwendolen, and scrutinizing every aspect of his status. During the questioning, she is quick to judge the status of Jack’s finances, occupation, and housing, describing the concerns of many upper class Victorians of the time. Also, this play allows the couples wins their marriage, even with the disapproval with their guardians.. Likewise, despite the truth eventually coming out, all the main characters get their happy ending, which in essence illustrate that although Victorian society discourages dishonesty, the individuals of the Victorian time will allow it to pass if it is going to benefits them in some way, either now or later. From the juxtaposition of the name Ernest and the idea of earnest, to Algernon’s