In Victorian society, the institution linking status, gender roles, and marriage imposed unrealistic demands on both men and women. Girls were raised by their parents with the goal of becoming the ideal housewife, while men were compelled to enter marriages based on societal status. Oscar Wilde’s play, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” satirizes the conventional Victorian conventions and ideals that dictated individuals’ roles in society.
In this analysis, I will explore the various techniques employed by Wilde in “The Importance of Being Earnest,” including satire, symbolism, and farcical situations. Wilde skillfully subverts Victorian values by depicting men willing to change their name for the sake of women, a reversal of traditional gender roles. Additionally, he offers insights into the portrayal of women, highlighting societal expectations that they remain idle and ignorant (Petrie 178).
Within the play, both Gwendolyn and Cecily share the same fantasy of meeting a perfect man named Ernest. The name Ernest holds a dual significance – it serves as a literal moniker as well as a symbol for sincerity and earnestness.
In his article “Victorian Women Expected to be Idle and Ignorant,” Charles Petrie discusses how women were raised to prioritize marriage. Petrie states, “From infancy, all girls who were born above the level of poverty had the dream of a successful marriage before their eyes…” (Petrie 180). This notion is exemplified by both Gwendolyn and Cecily. Gwendolyn expresses her desire to love someone named Ernest, stating, “…my ideal has always been to love someone of the name of Ernest. There is something in that name that inspires absolute confidence” (Wilde 1742).
In the play, Wilde satirizes the name Ernest, highlighting the concept of a sincere and honest husband through this name. The ongoing satire revolves around Jack and Algernon pretending to be named Ernest, instead of adhering to the conventional Victorian values of sincerity and truthfulness. Initially, Jack utilizes the name Ernest to deceive Gwendolyn into thinking that he is the ideal suitor, rather than embodying the qualities of a genuine Victorian man. He succumbs to Gwendolyn’s insistence on marrying someone named Ernest, disregarding his true identity and perpetuating the deception until the end when he realizes his name is actually Ernest. In response, Jack confesses to Gwendolyn, “It is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth” (Wilde 1777). Ultimately, Jack had never been truthful, as he lied about inventing Ernest as an excuse to meet Gwendolyn when in reality, he used it as a means to escape Hertfordshire. This further underscores his divergence from the typical Victorian values. The dual lives led by Jack and Algernon serve as a symbol for the widespread hypocrisy within the Victorian mindset that Wilde aimed to portray.
Algernon uses his fake invalid Bunbury to deceive people and avoid situations he doesn’t want to be in. For example, he tells Lady Bracknell that he can’t dine with her because Bunbury is sick again (Wilde 1740). By pretending to have an invalid friend, Algernon is able to escape obligations he has no interest in fulfilling.
Both Jack and Algernon both have cases of leading double lives, but Jack acknowledges that both his persona Ernest and Algernon’s imaginary friend Bunbury will only result in negative consequences. He goes as far as to say that he would kill his brother if Gwendolyn agrees to marry him. In response, Algernon mocks the idea of a happy marriage by stating that “A man who marries without knowing Bunbury will have a very boring time” (Wilde 1739). By this, he suggests that all Victorian husbands engage in secret activities, and if they don’t, they won’t experience a blissful marriage. Additionally, he declares that “Divorce is made in heaven” (Wilde 1735), flipping the traditional belief that marriage is divine.
The text highlights the fact that in Victorian society, women were expected to conform to a particular ideal. Petrie argues that these expectations placed a great deal of pressure on women. Wilde’s play, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” challenges this traditional notion by portraying men who are instead pressurized by the expectations of women. This is evident when both Jack and Algernon decide to change their names to Ernest while at Shropshire. Jack explicitly states, “I have just made arrangements with Dr.”.
Both Chasuble and Algernon mention being christened at different times. Chasuble says he will be christened at a quarter to six, while Algernon says he made arrangements to be christened at 5:30 (Wilde 1766). When Jack learns about Gwendolyn’s infatuation with the name Ernest, he asks if she could love him if his name was Jack. Gwendolyn responds harshly, stating that there is very little music in the name Jack and it does not thrill or produce vibrations. She adds that she has known several plain Jacks (Wilde 1742).
The text challenges the expectation that Victorian women should appear innocent, as described by Petrie (184). Food becomes a recurring theme in the play, both in literal and metaphorical contexts. In Act I, Algernon consumes all the cucumber sandwiches. When Gwendolyn and Lady Bracknell arrive, he fabricated a lie to cover up his actions, exclaiming, “Good heaven! Lane! Why are there no cucumber sandwiches? I ordered them specially” (Wilde 1740).
Algernon retreats to food as a means of comforting himself in times of stress, sadness, or when he feels trapped. He confesses, “When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me” (Wilde 1766). This acknowledgment of his weaknesses deviates from the traditional expectations of Victorian men, challenging typical gender roles. Instead of being the provider for his guests, particularly women, Algernon often finds himself being the one served food. Algernon’s compulsive eating resurfaces during the later muffin incident. He remarks to Jack, “You are at the muffins again!”
Jack and Algernon argue about who dislikes tea cake the most during a tea party. Algernon suggests that Jack should eat tea cake instead of muffins, which Jack is particularly fond of. This argument over the cake is seen as uncivilized and inappropriate for Victorian men. Furthermore, food serves as a metaphor for sex, as seen when Jack eagerly indulges in bread and butter, leading Algernon to accuse him of behaving as though he were already married to Gwendolen (Wilde 1767).
In the play, food serves as a replacement for other pleasures. There are several instances of role reversals throughout the play. Algernon’s acknowledgement of his faults is one example, and another occurs in Act III when Jack and Algernon plan to be christened in order to change their names to Ernest. They both exclaim, “Our Christian names! Is that all? But we are going to be christened this afternoon” (Wilde 1768). Gwendolyn and Cecily are deeply affected by this generous act.
In this unconventional scenario, Jack and Algernon are preparing to take on the role typically assigned to women in a marriage: changing their names. Interestingly, during the scene where Jack proposes to Gwendolyn, she defies the Victorian stereotypes associated with women, such as being submissive, having no opinions, and being generally weak and helpless (Petrie 184). Gwendolyn boldly asserts herself and seizes control of the entire proposal, thereby challenging the traditional male role. This is evident in her statement, “I think it would be an admirable opportunity.”
Oscar Wilde displays great skill in subverting the traditional Victorian norms. He cleverly employs satire through the name Ernest to convey both a literal and figurative meaning. Wilde employs symbolism to convey multiple interpretations, such as using food to represent both a coping mechanism and a metaphor for sex. Additionally, he challenges gender roles by reversing the traditional proposal and having Gwendolyn assume the role of the man.
Wilde successfully creates a story filled with mockery and comedic puns that challenge typical Victorian ideals. Despite its unrealistic nature, the play remains relatable to many people both in Wilde’s time and today. (Petrie, Charles. “Victorian Women Expected to be Idle and Ignorant.” Victorian England. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhouse, 2000. 177-190.) The play in question is “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde, featured in “The Norton Anthology of English Literature” edited by Julia Reidhead. (Wilde, Oscar. “The Importance of Being Earnest.” The Norton Anthology English Literature. Ed. Julia Reidhead. New York, NY; Wells Street, London: W. W. Norton & Company, 1962-2012. 1734-1777.)
