The Importance of Being Earnest is a play about two young fellows in 19th century England who lead double lives and their lies have in the long run caught up to them as a result of their affection.
While it appears to be clear to me that the play is a parody of Victorian ethics and values in the silliness of the characters and the plot, what I discover all the more intriguing is Wilde's utilization of gender role reversal. By having his female characters go up against the parts of men and his male characters go up against the parts of ladies, I find that that Wilde does a very nice job turning Victorian values upside down and demonstrating their flaws.
Lady Bracknell appears to encapsulate this role reversal more than all of the other characters. Lady Bracknell has total control over her little girl Gwendolen's future. She says in Act I, "When you do become engaged to someone, I, or your father, should his health permit, will inform you of the fact” (12). While she is recognizing that her significant other ought to play a role in the decision, she puts herself before him and deprecates him by remarking on his weakness. Lord Bracknell, truth be told, never shows up as a dynamic player at any time throughout the whole piece. What's more, from the beginning of Lady Bracknell's appearance on the set, she orders and controls Gwendolen (and through Gwendolen also Jack), and furthermore appears to put …show more content…
While it appears glaringly evident that the two young ladies take some control of their lives by tolerating the recommendations of Jack and Algernon without checking with their guardians, there are additionally more profound inversions inside them both. At the point when Algernon proposes to Cecily, her first reaction is to say "we have been engaged for the last three months," and continues to let him know about the phony affair she was having with him while he was not aware
While it appears to be clear to me that the play is a parody of Victorian ethics and values in the silliness of the characters and the plot, what I discover all the more intriguing is Wilde's utilization of gender role reversal. By having his female characters go up against the parts of men and his male characters go up against the parts of ladies, I find that that Wilde does a very nice job turning Victorian values upside down and demonstrating their flaws.
Lady Bracknell appears to encapsulate this role reversal more than all of the other characters. Lady Bracknell has total control over her little girl Gwendolen's future. She says in Act I, "When you do become engaged to someone, I, or your father, should his health permit, will inform you of the fact” (12). While she is recognizing that her significant other ought to play a role in the decision, she puts herself before him and deprecates him by remarking on his weakness. Lord Bracknell, truth be told, never shows up as a dynamic player at any time throughout the whole piece. What's more, from the beginning of Lady Bracknell's appearance on the set, she orders and controls Gwendolen (and through Gwendolen also Jack), and furthermore appears to put …show more content…
While it appears glaringly evident that the two young ladies take some control of their lives by tolerating the recommendations of Jack and Algernon without checking with their guardians, there are additionally more profound inversions inside them both. At the point when Algernon proposes to Cecily, her first reaction is to say "we have been engaged for the last three months," and continues to let him know about the phony affair she was having with him while he was not aware