The Importance Of Being Earnest
(Oscar Wilde)
A critical view of Oscar Wilde?s drama The Importance of Being EarnestCritics? opinion regarding Oscar Wilde?s Importance of Being Earnest could be divided into two groups. A group of people suggest Importance of Being Earnest as a serious comedy which satirises the Victorian society its norms culture etc when another group opine that Wilde is never a moralist like Shaw. His concerns are not with the Victorian society but with the London society and the ultra sophisticated Londoners. In this play he does not moralise or teach a lesson; here he stays apart and just makes fun of them. In Importance of Being Earnest Wilde attacks Victorian solemnty in a very polite manner. The title itself remains an irony. According to Wilde in Victorian society seriousness is nothing but hypocrisy as both Algernon and Jack claim themselves as earnest while they are ?gulls?. The opening of the drama seems suggestive. Lane is hearing the sound of the piano but denies it. This false appearance is one of the vices found in the late Victorian society. Jack and Algernon escape from their duties and responsibilities which Algernon calls as ?bunburying?. Wilde mocks the vague seriousness through his characters; when Jack and Algernon(who is an oxonian) are escapist Gwendolen?s behaviour is shown as womens? awareness as she speaks of metaphysical speculation, german sceptism etc Lady Bracknell and MissPrism wear a mask of gravity to conceal their ignorance. But it cannot be ignored that there is a childlike simplicity in thr whole play. The activities of the characters cannot be mentioned as vices. Just as Algernon?s muffin eating reflects his childish nature the quarrel between Cicily and Algernon is also no exception to that. Wilde redicules Lady Bracknell who asks Jack some minor , silly question like his age, habbits etc to accept him as her daughter?s husband. She thinks losing both parents is jack?s carelessness. Miss Prism places baby Jack in her hand bag. Thus the air of childlike simplicity pervades the whole drama. Therefore we might call it a farce, not a serious comedy.
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