The Importance of Being Earnest Criticizes the Victorian Society Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Being Earnest Criticizes the dainty Society EssayIn The Importance of Being Earnest, author Oscar Wilde criticizes the Victorian society. His characters represent the Victorian era and turn over twisted views on issues regarding intense emotions such as love and marriage. They do not fully appreciate these concepts and either hack them or confuse them with emotions that lack depth. Wilde depicts his Victorian society as superficial and incapable of love that is not shallow. In his comedy, both women, Gwendolyn and Cecily, believe to be head over heels in love with a human being named Ernest. The reason for their love is simply that the name Ernest is appealing to them. In fact, Cecily has achieved her lifetime goal. She states, It had always been a puerile dream of mine to love someone whose name was Ernest (Wilde 159). Loving a caring or trenchant man was not a priority. The basis of her love was a name. Wilde illustrates the ridiculous nature of his Vict orian characters and their erroneous perceptions of love. Wildes characters do not seem to connect intimate emotions with the word love.Though Cecily had never met Ernest, she veritable a relationship between them entirely in her head. Upon meeting him for the first time, she begins to talk nearly the garner she received from him. When he tells her he has never written to her, since they have never met, she says, I was forced to hold open letters for you I wrote always three times a week and sometimes oftener (158) Cecily and Ernest argon supposedly in love merely the only thing they share are the letters Cecily wrote to herself in Ernests name.There is no real affection between them and the only thing holding their relationship together is her attraction to his name. In Wildes comedy, the concept of marriage is not seen as something to cherish but rather as inconvenient and bothersome. In an exchange between Algernon and his servant, Lane, Lane mentions that married couples often have an inferior quality of wine compared to bachelors. Algernon answers, Is marriage so demoralizing as that? (116).To Algernon, marriage is not at all important if it means sacrificing the quality of wine. Wilde is criticizing the priorities of the Victorian era as being irrational and impractical. kinda than being in a loving, satisfying marriage, the Victorian bachelor prefers to sip fancy wine. When Jack tells Algernon about his plans to propose to Gwendolyn, Algernon states that proposing is not romantic whatsoever and that nothing is romantic about a definite marriage proposal (118). He even says, Divorces are made in heaven (118).Algernons contempt for marriage is unambiguous and feels that disunite is an excellent solution to the terribleness of marriage much like most of society today. Wilde depicts the Victorian society as superficial and hypocritical. His observations relate to modern society. People in this age look for reliable qualities in their ideal part ner, most of which are based on image. Instead of learning to love, one pushes apart his potential love of his life if they do not meet these shallow qualifications.The public is taught to toss past anyone with any minor imperfection instead of seeing any amazing characteristics they may have. Celebrities are seen with their beautiful partners and the public uses them as models of a perfect relationship. This is done without fully realizing that most of these power couples were matched up by publicists and do not share tender emotions for one another. Society is not taught how to love. This explains the 50 percent divorce rate. To Modern society, like Wildes Victorian society, divorce is holy.