Setting In The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde

As social animals, human beings marshal themselves into social groups that construct the society. Such an act may appear to be a de minimis but forsooth, the setting that people are put into has a prominent effect on the person. In the dynamic play by Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, the setting is more than a mere backdrop that sets the mood for the play; instead, Wilde initiates a setting that acts as a nonhuman character in the play. That is, the setting, similar to the characters in the play in its essentiality, affects the characters and their actions in a plethora of ways. The effect of the setting in the play is so puissant that if these characters were to be put in a different setting and say their lines at a different …show more content…
At the time, the basic living standard of the people were changing, and traditional families were disappearing. In the place of traditional families, the noble and wealthy classes were arising. These wealthy classes make up what was called the Upper Class. The Aristocrats, Nobles, Dukes, and other prosperous families employed in the courts made up the Upper Class. As they were wealthy, the people of the Upper Class had authority and exceptional living conditions. These persons had gathered enough money to live luxurious lives for generations and had excellent education from the best tutors. The arrogance and pretense of the people of Upper Middle Class are satirized in the Importance of Being Earnest. In the play, Algernon thinks lower classes have the duty to set a moral example for the upper classes, for people of upper classes were corrupt: “Really, if the lower orders don't set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them? They seem, as a class, to have absolutely no sense of moral responsibility.” (I.17) In another scene, Lady Bracknell dismisses Jack’s proposal for Gwendolen in a haughty manner. Lady Bracknell goes so far as to keeping all biodata and testimonials of people who propose to Gwendolen. When Jack does the same, she asks questions on personal matters to see if Jack is qualified to marry Gwendolen. She treats the men as if they are of less importance, and …show more content…
The specific topics he chose to mock in the play are dependent on the setting. The characters and their actions are so tied to the setting that these situations cannot take place anywhere else. Earnestness was a social value that held great importance that people lived double lives to live “earnest” lives. The idea of living earnestly—by living double lives—occurred due to strict restrictions on what is moral and what is not during the Victorian era. Today, in the 21st century, people are unbothered by such moral codes. People today seek freedom; this includes freedom to be what one is, instead of conforming to the orders of society. The idea of living double lives with the sole purpose of living a life that complies with what society considers as earnest would seem pathetic in the eyes of the people today. Although it is disturbing to people of the 21st century, it was utterly normal then, even desirable. In the 21st century, social classes still remain, although not as explicit. In the Victorian society, the people of middle classes and lower could not address the upper class unless it was completely necessary. Even then, only a few words should be said. If such etiquettes were to take place today in the 21st century, people would find it perplexing and even