The Importance Of Being Earnest Social Class

Thomas#1
DeAndra Thomas
Ms. Wright
English 1010
April 23, 2017
Social Class
In 1895, during the Victorian era, many great things happened in Victorian England. During this time they had their first international hockey match: Wales v. Ireland; also, they had the lowest ever temperature of −27.2 F, and the premier of Oscar Wilde's latest play, The Importance of Being Earnest, at the St. James' Theatre, in London. During this time, social class was very important. Oscar Wilde’s explores the importance of how social class affects the lives of the characters in his play during the Victorian era.
During the Victorian era, appearance, style, reputation, respect, and wealth were everything. We first see this in act one when Lady Auguta Bracknell
was asking Jack/Ernest Worthing questions about his personal life. Lady Bracknell is the aunt of Algernon Moncrief and the very protective mother of Gwendolen Fairfax. Jack Ernest is a responsible and respectable young man who is known as Ernest in London, and Jack everywhere else. In the interview that Lady Bracknell gives Jack, she is very interested in his assets. She asks questions like, “What is your income?”, and “In land, or in investments?” Through the interview, the reader and Jack assume that his answers to Ms. Bracknell questions are to her liking until Lady Bracknell does not allow the marriage of Jack and Gwendolen. Lady Bracknell wants Mr. Jack to live in the well-known side of town, the suburbs. Because of Lady Bracknell’s ego, rank, and pride, she is worried about her daughter’s statues if she marries Jack that is why she forbids the marriage.
The play The Importance of Being Earnest shows the differences between the behavior of the upper class and the lower class. Families of the upper-class display a great deal of pride and pretense, feeling that they are inherently entitled to their wealth which gives them a
Thomas#2
snobbish attitude.
We see this throughout the play, but we see it mainly in act three with Lady Bracknell and Jack. Lady Bracknell states,”: Mr. Worthing, is Miss Cardew at all connected with any of the larger railway stations in London? I merely desire information. Until yesterday I had no idea that there were any families or persons whose origin was a Terminus”. (III.61). Lady Bracknell insults Jack, making fun of the lack of knowledge he has about himself and his family. She is basically making sure that Jack knows that her family is better than his showing him their social rankings. Then later on in the conversation, Lady Bracknell had to put her pride away when asking about Miss Cardew’s fortune. She says”, as a matter of form, Mr. Worthing, I had better ask you if Miss Cardew has any little fortune? ”Jack replies, “Oh! about a hundred and thirty thousand pounds in the Funds. That is all. Goodbye, Lady Bracknell. So pleased to have seen you. “Afterwards Lady Bracknell says, “A moment, Mr. Worthing. A hundred and thirty thousand pounds! And in the Funds! Miss Cardew seems to me a most attractive young lady, now that I look at her (III.69-71). When Lady Bracknell hears this, she wants to instantly have to take back her previous insult. We also see this at the end when Jack was learning about who his family was. He states “Then I was christened! That is settled. Now, what name was I given? Let me know the worst.” Lady Bracknell say “Being the eldest son you were naturally
christened after your father” (III.162-163).In the Victorian era, it was appropriate for the oldest son of a family to be named after his father, this way he could keep the bloodlines going. By doing this, the son ensured the survival and continuation of his family name and all of the family’s wealth.
Respect and reputation were very important back in the Victorian era. We also see this in Jack and Lady Bracknell’s conversation when she was asking him about his income and where he lives. Back in the Victorian era the wealth and style were considered respectable. This is shown in Lady Bracknell’s interest in Jack’s assets when considering whether or not he is a fit for Gwendolen’s hand in marriage. One of the most important standards for respectability in Victorian England was bloodline. Lady Bracknell asks Jack where his wealth comes from. She

Thomas#3 says,” Mr.
Worthing, I confess I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred, in a hand bag, whether it had handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family …..”(I.200-210). She is wondering about how he get all of his money without a family name.
During the Victorian era, appearance, style, reputation, respect, and wealth was everything. In the play “The Importance of Being Earnest” Oscar Wilde’s explores the importance of how social class affects the lives of the characters in his play during the Victorian era. The humor of this plays depended upon the horror felt by middle-class at the possibility of losing their respectability through ill luck, or of being compromised by a dire secret discovered by another character, and this plays tended to end on an up-beat note, with good names and order restored. (Bryne ,5) In the end, Jack does find his family and when he does, he is moved up in social class
rankings.