Rigid social roles and double identities in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest.

Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest The Importance of Being Earnest is superb comedy with two young men characters that pretend that their names are Ernest to impress their lovers who are highly respected. Since the young women believes that the name Ernest posses magical qualities. Many scholars and critics regard Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest comedy as wittiest comedy in English language. Rigid social roles and double identities in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest The gender role theory in comedy The Importance of Being Earnest is very useful, because it fulfills the stereotypes Victorian gender. Algernon and Jack are Victoria bachelors, dandies who engage freely in the good life. The play portrays Gwendolyn as the very paragon, who presents Victorian feminists. This has been emphasized by her declaration that she cannot marry a man whose is not called Ernest. This comedy illustrates the rigidity of gender roles, both women and for men. It also analyses how the flexibility of this roles affect humankind (Aparicio 28). I agree with the statement that The Importance of Being Earnest is amorality comedy because my experience throughout the play that was characterized by honesty as the best policy, confirms it. This is an obvious lesson that reinforces Wilde’s day values. I agree that Jack lived a double identity life in the comedy The Importance of Being Earnest. He has been portrayed as a liar. At first as the main character, he seemed serious, less ridiculers and more proper than his friend Algernon Moncrieff. Jack looked very straight-faced manner, dignified sober and refined on stage, as contrary to his real character of being a liar (Aparicio 78). I agree with the neighbors and relatives believe that Jack is a productive and a moral member of the society. His double life standards confuse people in the comedy, since they could not realize his character as hedonistic and a liar. Because of Jack’s tedious life in the country, he decided to invent his brother named Ernest so as to dutiful persona and abandon his dreary. Although Jack is deceptive in nature, he sincerely loves Gwendolyn Fairfax. This is the daughter of an aristocratic Lady Bracknell. Considering Jack desire to marry Gwendolyn, he does not want to say the truth about his name Ernest, since he understands that Gwendolyn has been fluctuated by the name Ernest. Jack chose not to say the truth until in act two when Gwendolyn forced him to do so (Aparicio 8). The theory of forgiveness as portrayed by Gwendolyn in the comedy is very important because it shapes the character of Jack in to a different direction. Jack is seen for the first time saying the truth in the play. Jack is finally relieved from the fear of losing his lover I agree with the title of the comedy that states that it is important to be Ernest. Yet the characters contradict on the meaning of earnestness. In addition, when they realize the importance of earnestness, they embody it, or become hypocrites. This essay compares and contrasts the two characters and their approach to earnestness (Zurn 54) The character of Jack in the comedy; The Importance of Being Earnest is analyzed as a responsible and an outstanding member of the society. Jack creates for himself an alter ego, a character that he calls Ernest. This name emphasizes the meaning of the title of the comedy, the importance of being Ernest. However, the real Jack is not Ernest, responsible, nor is he outstanding. Over the course of the play, Jack is tensed because of his character of two distinctive personalities. This character brought complications in his relationship that he was unable to bear. Finally when this secret is revealed, Jack embraces who exactly he is; a complicated character with facets of irresponsibility, in equal measure, and responsibility. In various respect, Jack is a likeable character in the play. Other characters like him because of his respect and responsibility. However, when it comes to the attention of his fellow actors that he had altered ego, they started to doubt and raise questions throughout the play (Wonner 27). Algernon as a character has been portrayed as embodiment of Wilde’s personality. Algy satirizes the world around him, exemplifies wit, and views his own life as art’s highest form. Algy is deferent from Jack because he loves to comment about the urbane social life, marriage, about class, Victorian society. This is contrary to Jack who is ever serious throughout the play (Zurn 20). The Algernon theory of morality is a very important topic of observation. Algernon reasons out that it is the responsibility of the servant class to set for the upper class a moral standard. I agree with Algernon that, the modern culture that relays on what someone should not read, suggest a moral that is restricted and which exist in Victorian society. Nevertheless, Wilde is not concerned on what is considered moral or not. Instead, he makes jokes overall issue of immorality in the play, as to who is moral and who is not. The whole play entails a major chara...