Gender Identity in The Importance of Being Earnest
In Victorian England, people’s identity controlled every aspect of their life. Their social class, religion, wealth, and gender all formed their identity, and dictated what they could and could not do, and how they could live. Acting outside of these identity-based restrictions was not often done, and when it was, was often considered inappropriate behaviour. These rules were especially ridged regarding gender, and firmly dictated how each gender should act. In the play The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde criticizes these gender roles, and provides examples of characters acting outside of these gender norms.
Throughout his life, Oscar Wilde faced many challenges regarding his identity, …show more content…
During this era women were often viewed only in relations to men, whether as a husband or daughter. As a result, women were often not given much responsibility, and were often not seen as more than a thing of beauty. Through the use of satire, Oscar Wilde critiques this convention. When Cecily and Gwendolyn are having tea, a misunderstanding occurs, and the women believe they are engaged to the same man. This causes turbulence between the women who had only a moment previously been “great friends”(Wilde 34), and causes them to act in an excessively childish manner. The women immediately blame each other, and assume the men innocent, with Cecily claiming that Algernon is a “poor, innocent, trusting boy”(Wilde 38). This emphasizes the idea that a women’s identity was largely related to their relationship with men. Wilde uses this scene to criticize the Victorian ideas of women by portraying it in an overdramatized fashion. The men in the play, Jack and Algernon, are also used to critique gender roles. Jack and Algernon make many foolish decisions, with their “Bunburying” (Wilde 7) and multiple lies regarding their names. Lady Bracknell also states that Algernon has “nothing but his debts” (Wilde 47), which presents an opinion that counters the Victorian idea that men are more suited to financial responsibility. By providing a heavily satirized example of the female gender role, and a depiction of men who fail to uphold their gender role, Wilde “resists the traditional notions that govern[ed] men 's and women 's lives…”(Bastiat
In Victorian England, people’s identity controlled every aspect of their life. Their social class, religion, wealth, and gender all formed their identity, and dictated what they could and could not do, and how they could live. Acting outside of these identity-based restrictions was not often done, and when it was, was often considered inappropriate behaviour. These rules were especially ridged regarding gender, and firmly dictated how each gender should act. In the play The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde criticizes these gender roles, and provides examples of characters acting outside of these gender norms.
Throughout his life, Oscar Wilde faced many challenges regarding his identity, …show more content…
During this era women were often viewed only in relations to men, whether as a husband or daughter. As a result, women were often not given much responsibility, and were often not seen as more than a thing of beauty. Through the use of satire, Oscar Wilde critiques this convention. When Cecily and Gwendolyn are having tea, a misunderstanding occurs, and the women believe they are engaged to the same man. This causes turbulence between the women who had only a moment previously been “great friends”(Wilde 34), and causes them to act in an excessively childish manner. The women immediately blame each other, and assume the men innocent, with Cecily claiming that Algernon is a “poor, innocent, trusting boy”(Wilde 38). This emphasizes the idea that a women’s identity was largely related to their relationship with men. Wilde uses this scene to criticize the Victorian ideas of women by portraying it in an overdramatized fashion. The men in the play, Jack and Algernon, are also used to critique gender roles. Jack and Algernon make many foolish decisions, with their “Bunburying” (Wilde 7) and multiple lies regarding their names. Lady Bracknell also states that Algernon has “nothing but his debts” (Wilde 47), which presents an opinion that counters the Victorian idea that men are more suited to financial responsibility. By providing a heavily satirized example of the female gender role, and a depiction of men who fail to uphold their gender role, Wilde “resists the traditional notions that govern[ed] men 's and women 's lives…”(Bastiat