Essay about importance of being ernest

Arguably, another reason why everything in the play is presented as superficial and doesn’t need to be taken seriously is the character Lady Bracknell and her funny yet disturbing outburst of her judging Jack on whether he can marry Gwendolen. Lady Bracknell is a stereotypical Victorian woman whose utmost concern is outward appearance and societal impressions. The only important things in life are status and money, without which one is destined to become associated with the abhorrent lower class. Wilde satirises Lady Bracknell’s view of marriage to indicate how the society regard it to be nothing but social business. Lady Bracknell ‘looks in her pocket for notebook and pencil’ as she begins to interrogate Jack. She begins with ‘I feel bound to telling you that you are not down on my list of eligible young men’. This shows us she undertakes the role of an over-controlling mother and her immediate concern over him and Gwendolen getting married as she doesn’t believe him to be ‘good enough’. Lady Bracknell carries on by saying ‘to lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness”. This implies her total disregard for death and the prepared interrogation to which she makes Jack undergo are based on a set of suspicions about the nature and purpose of marriage. More often than not, these assumptions reflect the typical views of Victorian

       One of the first things Wilde chooses to mock in “The Importance of Being Earnest” is the institution of marriage which is a social satire. In the play, marriage

In today’s society, young girls have been taught to believe in their perfect Cinderella wedding where they will marry their Prince Charming in a beautiful dress and eventually live happily ever after. The film industry portrays marriage as picture perfect, in which every girl has their dream wedding and true love always finds its way. Contrary to the media’s view, marriage was not always a fairy-tale because women had the responsibility to help provide for their family. During the English Regency period, young girls married for financial security and social benefits to improve their family’s status. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet rebelled against this mainstream idea of marriage set by society, in order to marry for true love.

In Pride and Prejudice Author Jane Austen claims that marriage should be between a man and women who love each other equally. Austen's disgust of Marriage and decorum in British culture is written through the eyes of main the main character in Pride and Prejudice, Miss Elizabeth Bennett. It is sad to think that marriage could be bought or in Elizabeth Bennett’s case not afforded. Marriage shouldn’t be the only measure of worth for women. Someone should not feel “repugnance” for a marriage due to situation.

Wilde and Galsworthy both write about marriage, one of the main themes in each story. Marriage in this time mirrored a business deal in that both partie should benefit, whether it money or social standing. Algernon firmly believes in this concept: “I thought you had come up for pleasure?...I call that business” (Wilde 3). In the beginning of the story, Jack arrives in town with the intent to propose to Gwendolen. Algernon sees marriage as s union absent of love; love is not required for a marriage. Jack is successful and Gwendolen is beauty, and according to Algernon nothing else is needed. Moreover, in The Man of Property, the narrator hits the nail on the head: “Most people would consider such a marriage as that of Soames and Irene quite fairly successful; he had money, she had beauty…” (Galsworthy 175). A marriage’s success depending on the service provided to the other person, not love or any other emotional connection between the partners. They could hate each other, but if they had money and beauty, society considered the marriage a success. Soames and

In the first act, Wilde portrays the characters of Algernon, Earnest (who is actually Jack), and the butler Lane to discredit the romantic notion of being married. Using the careless opinions from the butler, Lane and the mention of divorces by Algernon to challenge the changing moral views on marriage. In the phrase “if the lower orders don’t see us a good example, what on earth is the use of them?” (Wilde 1734). Asking the question, why continue to uphold an outdated standard. Later in the play Wilde again contests, traditional values by eluding the notion of choosing a spouse based on financial and social gains instead for romance and love.

The 1500’s play focuses more on marriage, as like teenage dating in this modern era, for the play’s intended audience, it was marriage that the Elizabethan era society was preoccupied on, and was something they felt they “had to do”. The difference between relationships and marriage is shown

I call that business,”(Wilde, 15). As for Lady Bracknell, she becomes a contradiction claiming, “...when I was married to Lord Bracknell I had no fortune of any kind,” (Wilde, 64), yet she proposes an immense inquisition towards Jack regarding her wanting Gwendolen to marry rich. Wilde’s diverse usage of character's moralities in the play allots for the depiction of Victorian conversation, behavior, and responsibility. Oscar Wilde’s masterful use of allusion, the neologism of the word “Bunbury” and the mockery of Victorian society establish the theme of duality embedded throughout the play, The Importance of Being Ernest.

Marriage may not be as simple as just falling in love and living “happily ever-after” with that special partner. It may become complicated when superficial values, such as social standings, money and ones name, become more important than love. Without that thumping in the heart and special someone, marriage may encompass cheating, lies and dominance. These dishonest and threatening tendencies may doom a marriage to fail. In the play Importance Of Being Earnest and the poem My Last Duchess, both Oscar Wilde and Robert Browning utilizes the rhetorical techniques of satire, diction and characterization to show that marriage is not a sacred and honest relationship.

The novel clearly states that marriage is one of the key themes that project itself from the story. Similarly, the theme of marriage is evident when the author states, “…his wife… annoyed him” (p.104). This is clearly

Jane Austen’s novel is commanded by women; Pride and Prejudice explores the expectations of women in a society that is set at the turn of the 19th century. Throughout the plot, Austen’s female characters are all influenced by their peers, pressures from their family, and their own desires. The social struggle of men and women is seen throughout the novel. Characters, like Elizabeth, are examples of females not acting as proper as women were supposed to, while other women like Mrs. Bennett allow themselves to be controlled by men and society. Mr. Collins is a representation of the struggles males deal with in a novel dominated by women. The theme of marriage is prominent during Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Marriage can be examined in

In Oscar Wilde’s play, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, we find many comedic elements strengthening his criticism of Victorian society. With a range of devices providing comedic elements, this comedy of manners is a play varied in its provision of humour. Firstly, Wilde uses satire in the play in order to mock society at the time, with the many ideals and manners of the people of the time challenged, the satirized theme of marriage featuring heavily in Act 1. A great example of such is in Gwendolen’s erroneous insinuation that men with the name of Ernest are more ‘safe’ in terms of marriage.

Later, when Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen enter, two more ideas of marriage are brought to the forefront. Lady Bracknell portrays the aristocratic Victorian view of marriage but to a more extreme extent. According to Ziegenfuss, marriage in the Victorian era was not romanticized or fairytale-like. Love actually played a very minor role in the majority of matrimonies that took place. Engagement was entered into as one would approach a business deal, with rules and guidelines (Ziegenfuss). This is blatantly obvious when Lady Bracknell interviews Jack to see if he’s fit to marry Gwendolen. She attacks Jack with questions about family, fortune, and even place of residency and his answers need be appropriate for a union between the two families. (Kupske, Souza, 122). Even when Algernon wants to marry Cecily, Lady Bracknell voices, “I think some preliminary inquiry on my part would not be out place.” (Wilde, 46). Gwendolen, however, has the same view of marriage as Jack but, still has strong ideals about social protocol. This is seen when Jack tries to propose, she replies, “Of course I will darling…I am afraid you have had very little experience in how to propose!” (Wilde, 11)

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice focuses on the restrictive gender roles of early 19th century England. The only possibility of upwards social mobility for women is through marriage. However, the prospect of marriage is directly by men, leaving women at their mercy. Austen depicts marriage as a social construct designed to maintain gender roles in England’s Regency era.

England has always had a rich history of interesting cultural traditions but arguably none as prevalent as marriage. Marriage, the union of two people with emotional ideals and expectations, are brought on by many different factors that include: for love, for money, for climbing social status, escapism, survival, etc. In Jane Austen’s novels, she focuses on the importance of marriage in her world because she wanted to emphasize how marriage is the most important life event of a woman as this would determine her place in society. Persuasion shows readers good and bad examples of marriage: the amiable Crofts and other couples such as Sir Walter & Lady Elliot and the Smiths. Jane Austen uses the Crofts to support the importance of marriage