Algernon Appearance Vs Reality Essay

Sincerity is a trait that is many times lacking. People put on a persona they wish to be seen as, while in reality, they are completely different. In The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, one can clearly see an example of people who lack sincerity. In this play, Jack pretends to have a younger brother named earnest so that he may indulge in pleasures while in the city. In the same way, Algernon pretends to have an ailing friend named Bunbury so he can escape his duties in the city. The appearance of the following characters is different from their reality: Jack, Algernon, and the two young ladies. Jack’s reality is different from his appearance. Jack appears to be a very responsible young man in the country, but in reality, Jack pretends to be a man named Earnest in the city so that he may indulge in pleasure. Jack wants people to think that he is grieved over his younger brother’s escapades, while in fact, he participates in the escapades he appears to detest. He also pretends to be earnest in order to visit Gwendolen whenever he wants to. Jack’s fake appearance is discovered when Gwendolen comes to the city to see him. …show more content…
Algernon pretends to be very faithful to his duties to his Aunt Augusta while in truth, he uses a fictional person named Bunbury to escape his duties while keeping his reputation intact. In a conversation with Jack at the beginning of the play, Algernon says, “. . . Bunbury is perfectly invaluable. If it wasn’t for Bunbury’s extraordinary bad health, for instance, I wouldn’t be able to dine with you at Willis’s tonight, for I have been really engaged to Aunt Augusta for more than a week.” (1413) Algernon’s statement shows how he used the excuse of visiting Bunbury, whose health was failing, in order to escape his prior engagements. One can also see Algernon’s lack of sincerity in how he pretends to be Jack’s younger brother Earnest in order to visit