Would Victorian Society Laugh at Us?

One of the most enjoyable learning experiences I have had form the Laughter class is reading and discussing the play, “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde is an incredible writer, and it was enjoyable to see how his humor can still be enjoyed in the 21st century.

One of the key themes throughout the play was marriage and its nature in society. Jack and Algernon briefly discussed the nature of marriage and whether or not a proposal is a matter of business or pleasure. The continued focus on marriage occurs when Lady Bracknell presents the list she has made of eligible bachelors for her daughter. Victorian society in the 1800s had a strong focus on social classes and marrying into the appropriate social classes. However, the play satirizes the absurdity of these expectations in society. It was enjoyable to notice this sarcasm throughout the play.

The most important and intelligent aspects of the play were Oscar Wilde’s play on the words “Earnest and Ernest”. The term “earnest” relates to the state of being serious or sincere. Wilde focused on this word throughout the play because being serious and honest was such an important, yet trivial aspect of Victorian Society.

The climax of the play occurs when Cecily and Gwendolen realize that Algernon and Jack are not named “Ernest.” For some reason, these women believe that one of the essential pieces of the foundations of their relationships was the fact that their lovers were named “Ernest.”

Ultimately, it is discovered that Miss Prism abandoned Jack as a baby and truly is Algernon’s brother. Ironically, Jack has been found to be indeed named “Ernest” and has been telling the truth about his name all along. The irony comes in the fact that by Jack not being earnest, yet he has, in fact, been “Ernest” all along. The critical piece of this play is the importance of Jack not being earnest.

I enjoyed reading this play and the unique writing style of Oscar Wilde. I am impressed that Wilde had the ability to cleverly satirize society through his writing. Many of the themes and symbols throughout this play are still relevant in today’s society. Sometimes it may be reasonable to take a step back and look at society. Is the society we will live in precisely what we want it to be? What are its flaws?

Modern-day America has changed tremendously since the writing of this play. Many things that were considered a requirement for Victorian Society are quite comical to present-day standards, as I’m sure that people of Victorian Society would find our society amusing as well.

I think that its important to be understanding, but critical of society when necessary. There are many problems in society, and people all have varying opinions of what society should look like. With the upcoming election, it may be essential for people to step back and have a good laugh at ourselves. We are far from living in a perfect country. I’m thankful that we no longer need to worry about social classes when getting married, as well as women no longer drinking arsenic like it’s not poison. We have made considerable strides in society, but many aspects of modern-day society are quite laughable.