Comment on the treatment of love and marriage in “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

Answer

Comment on the treatment of love and marriage in “The Importance of Being Earnest.” [NU: 2015, 18, 20, 22]   

Oscar Wilde’s (1854–1900) play “The Importance of Being Earnest” (1895) is a brilliant comedy. It satirizes the social life of the Victorian upper-class society. Love and marriage are central themes of the play. They are shaped by names, appearances, money, and social rules.    

Love Based on Names and Appearances: In the play, Wilde shows that love is rarely pure, and marriage is rarely romantic in Victorian society. Wilde shows love is a silly and shallow matter. Gwendolen Fairfax insists she can only love a man called Ernest. In Act I, she says, 

“The only really safe name is Ernest”. 

For her, the name is more important than the man himself. Besides, Cecily Cardew also imagines being engaged to Ernest. She writes fake love letters and even an engagement ring in her diary. Wilde uses this to mock how Victorians valued appearances over truth. Love becomes a game of names and imagination, not feelings.    

Marriage as a Social Business: Marriage in Victorian society was treated like a contract. Lady Bracknell represents this harsh view. She questions Jack about money, property, and family before approving marriage. She asks in Act I, 

“A man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing. Which do you know?” 

When Jack says he was found in a handbag, Lady Bracknell rejects him at once. On the other hand, at first, she rejects Cecily as Algernon’s bride because she thinks Cecily is poor. However, when she learns that Cecily has a large inheritance, Lady Bracknell suddenly becomes very supportive of the marriage. She exclaims in Act III,

 “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 shows her greed. She ignores her earlier objections when wealth appears. Her hypocrisy adds comedy