Upper class lifestyle in Oscar Wilde The Important of Being Earnest

1. By: Atikah Rahmawati

2. In this essay the writer try to analyze a drama, entitled The
Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde. The
purpose of this writing is to analyze the upper class lifestyle
of British society in Victorian era reflected in the drama.
Theory and methodology that will be used to analyze this
drama are close reading and textual theory. From analyzing
the drama, the writer presents upper-class that the upper-
class society’s daily life was important for maintaining their
social status.
Keyword: Oscar Wilde, Victorian Era, Upper Class Lifestyle

3. The Important of Being Earnest is a farcical comedy play
taking place within the social conventions of late Victorian
London. The major theme of the play is the treats of
marriage and social lifestyle of Victorian society.
Contemporary reviews praised the play as humor though
there are implicit of social messages that resulting satire of
Victorian society.

4. To analyze this drama, the writer use close-reading
method.

5. The object of the research are sorted into material and
formal object. Material object of this essay is a play The
Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. While the
formal object of this essay is the upper class lifestyle for
maintaining their social status.

6. Biography
Oscar Wilde, born in October 16, 1854, was an Irish
playwright, novelist, essayist, and poet and became one of
English most popular playwright. His masterpiece are The
Importance of Being Earnest, De Profundis, The Picture of
Dorian Gray, and his last work, The Ballad of Reading
Gaol¸ a long poem he wrote before he died in Paris at the
in November 20, 1900.

7. Summary
Jack Worthing, a young gentlemen uses his fictitious
brother, “Ernest”, to leave his home in journey to London
where his close friend Algernon Mocrieff lives in luxury.
Algernon or Algy has a cousin, Gwendolen Fairfax, whom
Jack is deeply in love. Jack has convince Gwendolen
mother, Lady Bracknell, who care about man’s background.
One day, when all of the characters stay at Jack’s house, it
is revealed that Jack is the son of Lady Bracknell’s sister.

8. The Importance of Being Earnest reveals the differences
between the behavior of the upper class and that of the
lower class. Members of the upper class display a great
deal of pride and pretense, feeling that they are inherently
entitled to their wealth and higher social position. They are
so preoccupied with maintaining the status quo that they
quickly squash any signs of rebellion. In this play, Wilde
satirizes the arrogance and hypocrisy of the aristocracy.

9. The aristocratic Victorians valued duty and respectability
above all else. Appearance was everything, and style was
much more important than substance. So, while a person
could lead a secret life, carry on affairs within marriage,
society would look the other way as long as the
appearance of propriety was maintained. For this reason,
Gwendolen is the paragon of this value. Her marriage
proposal must be performed correctly, and her brother even
practices correct proposals. Gwendolen's aristocratic
attitude is "In matters of grave importance, style, not
sincerity is the vital thing." The trivial is important; the
serious is overlooked.

10. As her daughter, Lady Bracknell, like other aristocrats, is
too busy worrying about her own life, the advantages of her
daughter's marriage, and her nephew to feel any
compassion for others. Gwendolen, learning from her
mother, is totally self-absorbed and definite about what she
wants. She tells Cecily, "I never travel without my diary.
One should have something sensational to read in the
train." It seems to be taking to task a social class that thinks
only of itself, showing little compassion or sympathy for the
trials of those less fortunate.

11. This play criticizes the Victorians for believing that
appearance is much more important than truth. Oscar
Wilde takes the opportunity to insert many examples of
popular thought, revealing bias, social bigotry,
thoughtlessness and blind assumptions.