Being Earnest: The Importance Of Social Class

Every person in society is dramatically different from one another, yet some people manage to find their place. But what is to be done with the people who don’t fit the status quo, or who don’t fit into society’s ideals? The American society is dominantly constructed by three main aspects: race, class and economics. In Louis Alvarez’s and Andrew Kolker’s documentary, “People like us: Social Class in America”, they thoroughly discussed and examined these three ideas and how they operate in the American culture. Race, class and economics all shape the experiences people have and in the film, all three structures are interconnected in how they impact the lives of people. One way they all can impact lives is how the media socially frames what we

In the Importance of Being Earnest, two characters, Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing fall in love with two women, Cecily Cardew and Gwendolyn Fairfax. However, from the start of the romance there are lies and deceit. Jack and Algernon pretend to carry on the names of “Ernest” instead of telling their true names to the women. They do this so they can escape their real lives and instead lead a double life. The two couples fall in love with each other and the women forgive the men eventually for their lies. In the next fifteen years, the couples will grow a strong bond and have a healthy marriage.

The Importance of Being Earnest appears to be a conventional 19th century farce. False identities, prohibited engagements, domineering mothers, lost children are typical of almost every farce. However, this is only on the surface in Wilde's play. His parody works at two levels- on the one hand he ridicules the manners of the high society and on the other he satirises the human condition in general. The characters in The Importance of Being Earnest assume false identities in order to achieve their goals but do not interfere with the others' lives. The double life led by Algernon, Jack, and Cecily (through her diary) is simply another means by which they liberate

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, premiered in London in 1895 when Wilde was in the peak of his career. During this time of the Victorian Era, society was very moral and chaste, at least on the surface. There was a very specific code of behavior that governed almost everything, but focused mainly on the topic of marriage. This affected Wilde first-hand as he was married to a woman but also involved with men which was forbidden at the time. Using the themes of dualism and marriage, Wilde is trying to show the audience the ridiculous nature of Victorian society. Through the reoccurring theme of dualism, Oscar Wilde uses sizable amounts of satire to not only mock the trivial Victorian society, but more specifically to ridicule

There is much debate about the issue of social class in the United States. There are arguments about whether social classes are distinctly separate or fluid, dependent upon one’s community or society as a whole, and if they are subjective or objective (Hughes and Jenkins). However, despite the debate surrounding social classes, it is still important to try to define them and analyze their effects, as they are such an important part of our identity and our opportunities in society. Although our society has tried to appear as though we have no classes, and it is becoming harder to tell what class someone is in by material goods, classes do still exist today (Scott and Leonhardt). The trend has been to divide the U.S. into four major

The core of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest lies within the play-long pun that is conveniently introduced in the very title of it. The most important twist in the entire book is not only is no one being earnest, but no one in the book is actually named Ernest! It follows two characters, the protagonist and his foil, and primarily focuses on their opinions on the world that they live in. The two characters whom bunbury their way through town/the country in order to escape the responsibilities they have waiting for them at home. These two characters masquerade around with seemingly nothing going wrong until the issue of marriage is presented to them. Throughout the entirety of the play no one is at all acting up to the true definition

Social class is a “tag” to define your status in a community. One of the main requirements you must have to be in the Upper class, is to have wealth and power. That is basically it, and obviously the absence of those characteristics could mean you are in a Middle or even in the Lower class. Sports are an activity that people do for pleasure that requires physical activity and sometimes has rules for the players to follow in order to play the game. It is most commonly played outdoors. It can improve your cardio, health, and physical condition. For example, it can prevent things like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer or even mental illnesses like depression.

United States of America is a country of social class. In the documentary, “People Like Us: Social Class in America”, I am given an informative insight that how different in lives that people with different classes share. The video shows how the lives are like, what applicants and homewares do people in different classes use, and how to speak being an upper class and upper-middle class person. The rich often shop at particular stores, whose goods rarely appear at any supermarket or shopping center. The way we stand, sit, walk, and the clothes we wear are reasonability sights to reveal our social classes in the society, and they are totally different between the white-collar workers and blue-collar labors. The foods that wealthy people eat also differ from the labor forces. Upper-classes people tend to eat healthy like organic vegetables or white meats, while people from lower classes usually buy foods which are suit their pocket. The social movement which relates to social class is the Occupy Movement. The Occupy Movement is the people-powered movement which fight against the 1% of the richest people who suggest the rules of an unfair global economy. An activist Micah M. White, who also is the only American creator, is the co-creator of Occupy Wall Street Movement. The movement is relevant to the reflection of social classes in America.

The social class in America is everywhere but it is often quite hard to recognize only because it is against the American principle for the social class system to exist. Whether we know it or not, we tend to participate in the class system.. By doing so, this leads us to separate ourselves based on our social class system, including class discrimination and social mobility

America is seen as the land of opportunity across the world, but many people wonder if it is true. The truth is America does have opportunities and with dedication anything is possible though the opportunities are limited. Usually limited for those who belong to a lower social class. The main reason opportunities are limited are because of America’s social inequality. The social class of America is separated into multiple groups that struggle with each other due to the inequality of power and wealth on the daily basis.

Social class in the United States can be looked at according to purely economic factors such as income, and also using educational, wealth, and job related factors associated with socioeconomic status. Each year, the U.S. government sets a poverty line which indicates the minimum amount of money a family needs to have for a decent living. As of 2015, the property line is 24.250 for a family of two adults and two children.

A person’s name and position in society are significantly important for the upper class, due to the fact that if one were to marry into the family, a key member of the family would judge the person by their social class and the family name they carry to see if they are worthy to being a part of their lineage. In the play, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” a person's social class is highly admired. The main characters are high in society and are falsely appearing to live up to great expectations. In Oscar Wilde’s play, the theme of the social class is extensively explored through the characters, although they are living double-lives.

In almost any city in the United States you can observe communities and individuals of different social classes and socioeconomic statuses. From the homeless man begging for change on the side of the road, to the CEO driving a brand new Mercedes, people of different social classes are found throughout society, usually living within proximity of each other. These are extreme, and observable examples of the different social classes in the United States, however it is not also easy to determine someone's social class by first glance. In the United States there are distinct differences among the classes of families ranging from marriage and parenting styles, to health and educational resources (Zinn & Eitzen). Income is a primary component that

Every line, every character, and every stage direction in The Importance of Being Earnest is set on supporting Oscar Wilde’s want for social change. The Importance of Being Earnest was written during the late period of the Victorian era. During this period social classification was taken very seriously. It could affect working and living conditions, education, religion, and marriage. Wilde explores the issues of social class and turns it into a comedic play. He humorously criticizes Victorian manners and attacking the society of the luxurious life. The audience becomes self-aware as the characters reflect on themselves. Plays such as this become successful because of the backgrounds the writers come from and the experiences they have had.

Earnestness, which implies seriousness or sincerity, is the great enemy of morality in The Importance of Being Earnest. Earnestness can take many forms, including boringness, solemnity, pomposity, complacency, smugness, self-righteousness, and sense of duty, all of which Wilde saw as hallmarks of the Victorian character. When characters in the play use the word serious, they tend to mean “trivial,” and vice versa. For example, Algernon thinks it “shallow” for people not to be “serious” about meals, and Gwendolen believes, “In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.”