Preview

The Importance Of Being Earnest Society Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
728 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Importance Of Being Earnest Society Analysis
Society is made up by a set of social rules. People within society must conform and act upon these values. Throughout the play “Importance Of Being Earnest,” Oscar Wilde uses the conventions of The Comedy Of Manners style social customs critiques how society operates within restraints established by society. This paper will examine women roles, table manners, separation of social class and orderly conduct.

Society creates social norms and values for women. They are then restricted to follow these set of morals. By ignoring these rules, the women may be seen as rebellious. Algernon Moncrieff mentioned “The amount of women who flirt with their own husbands is perfectly scandalous. It looks bad”(1.2). A message being portrayed is if women are already married and committed to their significant other, there is no need for flirting. The flirting is for single women and people whom are still looking for someone to be committed to. There were numerous roles and certain
…show more content…
These rules were set to identify whom belonged to the upper class and whom were the lower class. In the play “The Importance Of Being Earnest”, Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax have a feud about being engaged to a young man named Ernest. When Merriman, Cecily and Jack’s butler walks in and hands Gwendolen and Cecily tea, Cecily must not act in such a vulgar way. Cecily switched to a more calm tone as soon as Merriman walks into the scene. “(Sternly, in a calm voice)” (2.7). The message Oscar Wilde is trying to convey is that butlers and servants are known to babble and are very observant people, when Merriman hands over the tea Cecily immediately more kind. Cecily must act a different way in front of Merriman so that he does not speak of her to other butlers and people, she does not want to have an atrocious name for herself. When people see how impolite someone is, their respect for the person will be much lower and they will be less

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    A modern day audience would be very shocked by the characters behaviour and actions within the play. A modern day audience would be surprised by the strong views men held regarding women and their rights. In the Victorian times, there were various rules about jewellery, who to talk to – when and where, who to dance with, and how and when to speak. Women were expected to be submissive to men and not to speak with their own voice. Women upheld the highest morals in the Victorian times.…

    • 643 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    While reading Oscar Wilde’s story “The Importance of Being Earnest” I can see that the play is about a debate of pleasant and unpleasant marriage. Wilde explores sincerity in his play by really gearing the play around the word “earnest”. In the play both women wanted to marry a person named “earnest” because they thought that it actually meant to be sincere, responsible, and earnest. The play presents many scenes of sincerity versus hypocrisy. For example, when Lady Bracknell asks Jack about Cecily with the intention to judge her as a wife for Algernon, while Lady Bracknell notices Cecily after she found out about her money. But, also the men characters play having a double life or secret life. Both men Jack and Algernon make up a fake…

    • 187 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the past centuries between 1800 all the way through 2017, the gender roles between men and women have drastically changed. In the 1800’s it was very common for men to go to school, acquire an education, and use their education to earn a job that lead to a future success. The men provided a house, the food, and often, the materials needed for day to day life. As the man worked, the roles of the woman were to care and nurture the man, keep the home clean and tidy, and if any, watch after the children as they grow older. Interestingly enough, as time progressed this very different and separated list of common roles for each gender has changed. In the novel A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle, women’s gender roles are tested by the men in the surrounding society whereas the only woman of value is Miss Irene Adler.…

    • 1644 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Separate Spheres

    • 906 Words
    • 4 Pages

    These stereotypes dominated American culture throughout the eighteenth century. In fact, women were said to be naturally unfit for economic competition or political citizenship because of their “delicate constitution”. The idea of Separate Spheres defined the roles of women and men during the eighteenth century. Therefore, women had a very limited role in society.…

    • 906 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    "Every word and every part of an individual was expected to be in accordance with the rigid moral and behavior rules, and each, even the slightest deviation from the rule was considered an offence which made the delinquent publicly disgraced. Even literature and art had its cannons which were to be respected" (Mathews, 2009). In Oscar Wilde 's satirical comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest, Victorian hypocrisy is presented within the lines of the play as it unfolds a story about the courtship of two young women and men of that era. Wilde utilizes triviality as the guise to unwind his message about the most certain hypocrisy that occupied society during that time. Superficiality within the story serves as not only the veil but statement of the consequences of repression. The ills or wickedness of Victorian Repression are exposed through the authors cutting wit as well as the duality coming alive within the characters and situations presented to them by society 's standard (Wilde, 160).…

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For the 19th century upper and middle-class women, the way social guidelines were adhered to could make or break women. As seen in Ladies of the…

    • 890 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Victorian Etiquette Quotes

    • 1818 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Imagine taking a step back in time to when the streets were filled with the whirlwind of all the horse and buggies and the city’s air brimming with smog from the factories. The day was fraught with toil and hard work. Though the environment may not seem so extravagant a night out was where opulence spilled out in every person of high society. At night, the aristocracy of Victorian England thrived because every single person held manners at a high regard in everything they did, especially in front of others. “Some simple rules for everyone to follow were to be gentle and kind and not act in anger or selfishness” (Malheiro, B. "Victorian Etiquette - The Basic Rules of Etiquette). Etiquette on the street, at the dinner table, and during a ballroom…

    • 1818 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Women were also expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner, observing rules of etiquette and decorum. Inappropriate behaviour such as, drinking, wearing make-up and the use of vulgar language was greatly frowned upon and considered to be extremely un-lady like. High expectations were implemented. This made it hard for women to be themselves as they had to be continuously aware of what people would think of them.…

    • 2310 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Oscar Wilde lived in the Victorian era, which was governed by principles of a discrete and an orderly life with a great political conservatism. This political conservatism included a series of ideals which were quite the contrary ideas of a revolutionary, rebellious and critical person as Oscar Wilde was. In the play all the Victorian values are show against, demonstrating upper classes as models of exemplary attitude and correct manner, when they really acted in a wrong way. For example the play makes us think that marriage is deeply satisfying and that being earnest is a moral attitude which will conduce to happiness. When marriage actually was a business deal and being earnest wasn’t a way of conducing to happiness, was a manner of living in falsity with a double moral.…

    • 1366 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oscar Wilde's satirical depiction of Victorian Society in The Important of Being Earnest comments on the absurdity of their inability to recognize the difference between the important and unimportant. Characters in the play often make trivial matters into serious matters and vice versa, although there are times where issues are treated appropriately. However, the whole idea of what is important is subjective, and in a Victorian Era context, matters such as social status and proper etiquette were considered important. Serious issues such as death, deception of identity and the lost child confusion are regarded in a trivial manner. In contrast, more trivial affairs such as the name Ernest, the breaking of an engagement and food are treated serious. Wilde's uses the inversion of what is serious and trivial to ridicule Victorian Society and their morals and values.…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Wilde’s play “The Importance of Being Earnest”, Wilde uses comical satire to describe the high society class of the Victorian era, were image and social status is important as breathing. “The Importance of Being Earnest” play brought about “light comedy” (Bastiat 53) and the satirical humor that allowed one the look of how marriage, the nature of marriage, and love makes men like Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing (Ernest), able to keep up a farce of leading double lives. These two men escape the social status of high society and their responsibilities, in order to gain the love of two women Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew, but social…

    • 982 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The subject matter of the play was no surprise coming from Wilde as he had frequently spoken out against similar subjects, speaking out against restrictive clothing on women, such as corsets, that prevented them from doing duties the same as any man (Brackett). Such vocal statements that went against the status quo, in public and his works alike, made Wilde a leader for progression regarding how women were viewed Tolar 3 in…

    • 655 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Susan Glaspell’s 1917 short story “A Jury of Her Peers” was based on a one act play she had written called ‘Trifles’, which was first performed in 1916. This story’s themes centered around the ideas of gender roles as they stood during the progressive era in the United States. The role a person’s gender played in society during the progressive era was vastly different than the way it is perceived today. This piece of work helps to illustrate what was expected of women and how condescending men were in Glaspell’s era.…

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Importance of Being Earnest, written by Oscar Wilde, is a play that was first performed and published in the late nineteenth century. This play was written during the decline of the Victorian era and portrays the lifestyle of the era’s upper class in the author’s amusing point of view. While this was the era of supreme manners, well-educated men, and the utmost marriageable women, Oscar Wilde depicts his characters in a more truthful manner by revealing their contradicting statements and dishonest ways. Gwendolen, Cecily, and Lady Bracknell are the women in the play who are supposed to be the perfect representation of Victorian women, but their flaws are shown through their superficial behavior and ignorance. The main characters, Jack and…

    • 1867 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Social etiquette these days has changed exceptionally since the time of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but how many people really understand how impertinent the world has become? The way spouses speak to each other now completely contrasts with how, for example, Mr. Bennet spoke to Mrs. Bennet. In addition, women now have a greater equality with men, but even their image has been adulterated by today’s society. They are allowed to have their own opinions, as well as acquire property and a fortune, however many women are looked upon as reprobate human beings, and are often times used for pure entertainment purposes. Although there are still signs of old fashioned demeanor, a vast majority of the global population are repressed to a less eloquent vocabulary, poisoned levels of thinking, and a limited consciousness of overall morality.…

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays