The Policy-Making Decision
Oscar Wilde reflects his thoughts of society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the play The Importance of Being Earnest, his discretions bringing great attention to the strange simplicity of life for those living during the time period. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde offers several ideas about life during the late 19th century, suggesting that society’s moral codes clashed with women’s freedom of personal choice.
The pompous Lady Bracknell can be seen in either a positive or negative light by feminists. Of course, feminists would appreciate that she holds the education of women, especially her daughter, in such high importance. This is shown in her encouragement of Gwendolen to read literature, learn language, and improve her intellectual being. Feminists surely would not be fond of Lady Bracknell forcing Gwendolen to study and choosing exactly what she studies. They would support Gwendolen’s free will to study as she pleases and to study whichever subject(s) she desires. Gwendolen actually hates learning the German language, and her mother’s strong hand is the only reason why she does it. If she could make her own decisions, which she is capable of doing, she would never again open another German novel. We as readers can deduce that Lady Bracknell finds value only in intellectual women, offering no credit and paying no mind to the variety of paths from which one can choose. She is judgmental towards women who enjoy intellectual pursuits that differ from her own. She takes pride in her education but looks down on women who choose different walks of life. Although she encourages Gwendolen to learn German, she does not allow her to study French, and she even refuses to play French songs at her event: “French songs I cannot possibly allow… But German sounds a thoroughly respectable language, and I, indeed believe is so.” (42)
Throughout the novel, we recognize that Wilde desires to bring attention to the late 19th century’s societal moral
The pompous Lady Bracknell can be seen in either a positive or negative light by feminists. Of course, feminists would appreciate that she holds the education of women, especially her daughter, in such high importance. This is shown in her encouragement of Gwendolen to read literature, learn language, and improve her intellectual being. Feminists surely would not be fond of Lady Bracknell forcing Gwendolen to study and choosing exactly what she studies. They would support Gwendolen’s free will to study as she pleases and to study whichever subject(s) she desires. Gwendolen actually hates learning the German language, and her mother’s strong hand is the only reason why she does it. If she could make her own decisions, which she is capable of doing, she would never again open another German novel. We as readers can deduce that Lady Bracknell finds value only in intellectual women, offering no credit and paying no mind to the variety of paths from which one can choose. She is judgmental towards women who enjoy intellectual pursuits that differ from her own. She takes pride in her education but looks down on women who choose different walks of life. Although she encourages Gwendolen to learn German, she does not allow her to study French, and she even refuses to play French songs at her event: “French songs I cannot possibly allow… But German sounds a thoroughly respectable language, and I, indeed believe is so.” (42)
Throughout the novel, we recognize that Wilde desires to bring attention to the late 19th century’s societal moral