Oscar Wilde is well known for the satire involved within his plays. The Importance of Being Earnest is not an exception to this. Wilde created a brilliant comedy that mocked different aspects of the Victorian lifestyle and unrealistic ideals. Part of the brilliance within this satirical piece is that Wilde mocked the very people that constructed his audience. While the play may be mocking of its own audience, it also draws them in by creating a relatable unrealistic world. In order to identify satire within a literary piece, one must know what satire is. Satire is defined as a humorous way to show that someone or something is foolish (Satire, 2015). It is used in literature as a way to make fun of ridiculous things that people tend to see
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One way of which was the mocking show of Victorian Women and their submissiveness. Victorian women were within a time period where it was thought that the perfect wife must be submissive to their husbands. They were to provide their husbands with a clean home and cooked meals, as well as to bring up the children. Young women were expected to be dependent, delicate and romantic while young men were expected to be protectors of the young women as well as practical and experienced (Jordan, 1954, pp. 102)/ As Robert Jordan put it, this play mocks the “bulwark” (Jordan, 1954, pp 103) of Victorian gender …show more content…
Wilde placed women in positions of authority, rather than having them as the submissive housewives that they were thought to be at the time. An example of this is the refusal of Jack as a husband for Gwendolyn. Lady Bracknell wanted Jack to produce parental lineage. Since Jack was adopted, he was unable to obtain this information until Miss Prism reveals her loss of a baby in a moment of confusion.
The male gender role was reversed within this satirical play as well. Jack was unable to make his proposal, which led Gwendolyn to take the lead. If a young man’s expectations are to be the protector, practical, and experienced, then Jack would be the one in the lead. However, Wilde pointed out the foolishness in this thought by allowing Jack to become, in a way, dependent on Gwendolyn.
Respectability is also mocked within this play. Lady Bracknell’s denial of Jack was due to his inability to produce respectable lineage. When Miss Prism revealed that Jack was Lady Bracknell’s nephew, Lady Bracknell was forced to recognize the baby bred in a handbag as her family. This plot “makes a fool of respectability” (Reinert, 1956, pp. 18, para. 2) because Jack was only denied marriage due to his lack of lineage. Knowing that Jack is her sisters long lost child, Lady Bracknell is now forced to see him as worthy of Gwendolyn’s hand in marriage. To deny him now would be to deny her own self of respectability.
One way of which was the mocking show of Victorian Women and their submissiveness. Victorian women were within a time period where it was thought that the perfect wife must be submissive to their husbands. They were to provide their husbands with a clean home and cooked meals, as well as to bring up the children. Young women were expected to be dependent, delicate and romantic while young men were expected to be protectors of the young women as well as practical and experienced (Jordan, 1954, pp. 102)/ As Robert Jordan put it, this play mocks the “bulwark” (Jordan, 1954, pp 103) of Victorian gender …show more content…
Wilde placed women in positions of authority, rather than having them as the submissive housewives that they were thought to be at the time. An example of this is the refusal of Jack as a husband for Gwendolyn. Lady Bracknell wanted Jack to produce parental lineage. Since Jack was adopted, he was unable to obtain this information until Miss Prism reveals her loss of a baby in a moment of confusion.
The male gender role was reversed within this satirical play as well. Jack was unable to make his proposal, which led Gwendolyn to take the lead. If a young man’s expectations are to be the protector, practical, and experienced, then Jack would be the one in the lead. However, Wilde pointed out the foolishness in this thought by allowing Jack to become, in a way, dependent on Gwendolyn.
Respectability is also mocked within this play. Lady Bracknell’s denial of Jack was due to his inability to produce respectable lineage. When Miss Prism revealed that Jack was Lady Bracknell’s nephew, Lady Bracknell was forced to recognize the baby bred in a handbag as her family. This plot “makes a fool of respectability” (Reinert, 1956, pp. 18, para. 2) because Jack was only denied marriage due to his lack of lineage. Knowing that Jack is her sisters long lost child, Lady Bracknell is now forced to see him as worthy of Gwendolyn’s hand in marriage. To deny him now would be to deny her own self of respectability.