The Importance of Being Earnest
Samantha Soto
Gilchrist
AP English IV
28 October 2012
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest is a play by Oscar Wilde that can be viewed as a satire on the moral compass of people living in the Victorian era. The moral standards of the time held the ideas of sincerity and honesty on a high pedestal. To be Earnest would most likely fall between the two ideals; the first definition of the word earnest is “Serious in intention, purpose, or effort” and this can be a trait attributed to both John/Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff due to their dedication and effort that is put into living their double lives without trouble, however, now is not the time to be speaking of the two men. Another definition is “Showing depth and sincerity of feeling” when used as an adjective earnest can be used to describe anyone who shows passion and dedication in their work, an artist, for example, can be describes as earnest, using the canvas or the paper before them as a display of their true feelings and also as a means of showing just how much effort is put into something that takes time. Earnest implies having a purpose and being steadily and soberly eager in pursuing it. Throughout the play, the characters encompass this thought; it is the driving force between any and all actions the characters commit. However, the connection between Earnest, the assumed name Jack uses in the city, and the word earnest itself are almost entirely contradicting. The Earnest in the city is supposed to be Jack’s brother, who only commits the most sensual of actions, and is described as a man of many follies and vices, while he truly is not, simply the action of pretending to be a man by the name of Earnest defies the meaning of the word earnest. Other ways to restate the title of this play would be “The Importance of Being Honest” or “The Importance of Being Sincere” and in the end, the idea of being sincere becomes the main point Wilde seems to highlight. The entire
Gilchrist
AP English IV
28 October 2012
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest is a play by Oscar Wilde that can be viewed as a satire on the moral compass of people living in the Victorian era. The moral standards of the time held the ideas of sincerity and honesty on a high pedestal. To be Earnest would most likely fall between the two ideals; the first definition of the word earnest is “Serious in intention, purpose, or effort” and this can be a trait attributed to both John/Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff due to their dedication and effort that is put into living their double lives without trouble, however, now is not the time to be speaking of the two men. Another definition is “Showing depth and sincerity of feeling” when used as an adjective earnest can be used to describe anyone who shows passion and dedication in their work, an artist, for example, can be describes as earnest, using the canvas or the paper before them as a display of their true feelings and also as a means of showing just how much effort is put into something that takes time. Earnest implies having a purpose and being steadily and soberly eager in pursuing it. Throughout the play, the characters encompass this thought; it is the driving force between any and all actions the characters commit. However, the connection between Earnest, the assumed name Jack uses in the city, and the word earnest itself are almost entirely contradicting. The Earnest in the city is supposed to be Jack’s brother, who only commits the most sensual of actions, and is described as a man of many follies and vices, while he truly is not, simply the action of pretending to be a man by the name of Earnest defies the meaning of the word earnest. Other ways to restate the title of this play would be “The Importance of Being Honest” or “The Importance of Being Sincere” and in the end, the idea of being sincere becomes the main point Wilde seems to highlight. The entire
Cited: Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest: With Connections. Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston,. Print