Evaluate Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” as a social satire.

Answer

Evaluate Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” as a social satire.

Or, To what extent is “The Importance of Being Earnest” a picture of contemporary upper-class society?

Oscar Wilde’s (1854–1900) play “The Importance of Being Earnest” (1895) is a brilliant comedy that uses humour to criticize the society of his time. This play focuses on the lives of the upper-class people in Victorian England. Wilde uses satire to expose the foolishness of the upper class. They are more concerned with appearances than real values like honesty and love. 

The Superficiality of the Upper Class: The upper-class characters are shown as being very shallow in the play. They care more about how things look than about what is true. For example, Gwendolen and Cecily, the two main characters, say they can only love a man named “Ernest.” They do not care about the man’s true character but are obsessed with the name because it sounds serious and respectable. Gwendolen says,

My ideal has always been to love someone of the name of Ernest.

This shows how superficial the upper class can be, valuing something as trivial as a name over real qualities like kindness or honesty.

Marriage as a Social Tool: Wilde satirizes marriage in the upper class. For example, Lady Bracknell prioritizes wealth and family background over love. She considers Jack a match for Gwendolen based on wealth and family background. She says,

To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.

This line shows how marriage in the upper class is more about social status than love.

The Hypocrisy of the Upper Class: Hypocrisy is another key theme in the play. The characters often say one thing but do another. For example, Jack and Algernon both pretend to be someone else to escape their social responsibilities. Jack pretends to have a wicked brother named Ernest. He says,

When one is placed in the position of guardian… in order to get up to town I have always pretended to have a younger brother of the name of Ernest.

Algernon invents a friend named ‘Bunbury’ to avoid his social obligations. This shows that hypocrisy is common in their society, and the upper class often hides behind false appearances.

The Ridiculousness of Social Etiquette: Wilde also mocks the upper class’s strict social rules and manners. The characters in the play follow a set of rigid rules that seem pointless and silly. For example, when Algernon and Jack argue over who gets to eat muffins, they argue about who is better at following social rules. This scene is funny because it shows how the upper class can get caught up in meaningless details while ignoring more important issues. 

The Obsession with Wealth: Wilde satirizes the upper class’s obsession with wealth. The characters in the play are very concerned with money and status. For example, Lady Bracknell initially disapproves of Cecily as a match for her nephew Algernon because she thinks Cecily is not wealthy enough. However, when she learns Cecily has a large inheritance, she suddenly supports the marriage. She says,

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.

This shift shows how shallow and materialistic the upper class can be.

To conclude, “The Importance of Being Earnest” is a humorous play that satirizes the Victorian upper class’s superficiality, hypocrisy, and obsession with wealth. Wilde’s clever use of comedy exposes society’s flaws while entertaining the audience.