In the drama The Importance of Being Ernest the writer, Oscar Wilde, utilizes satirical techniques to expose his feelings on different features of people in the Victorian epoch. In this drama there are several different characters who all display features of hoggishness, superficiality and other flawed character traits. Through these character ‘s behaviours, actions and values Wilde utilizes many different techniques of sarcasm to roast these different issues. In the text it becomes apparent that Wilde is satirising that being of the comfortable societal category leads to being nescient through forms in which the characters are vain.
One manner the characters in the drama illustrate features that are vain is when members of the flush societal category are greedy. Algernon displays his hoggishness when he is eating sandwiches with Jack when he says, “ Please do n’t touch the Cucumis sativus sandwiches. They are ordered specially for Aunt Augusta ( takes one and eats it ) ” ( 30 ) . Customarily, a host offers nutrient to his invitee, or does non eat the nutrient if it is being saved. This is incongruent and proves how the flush societal category is avaricious because while Algernon is eating the sandwiches, he would n’t allow his guest have one. This occurs in the flush societal category. An extra illustration of hoggishness is displayed when Jack and Algernon are speaking about the trouble they are holding with the ladies when Algernon begins eating gems
Jack- Well, there is no ground why you should eat them all in that avaricious manner. Algernon- I wish you would hold tea-cake alternatively. I do n’t wish tea-cake ( 89 ) .
Typically a invitee is offered nutrient from a host but Wilde uses incongruousness to demo how the flush societal category is greedy by utilizing the satirical technique of reversal. Algernon is now offering Jack nutrient, alternatively of the other manner around, exposing how Algernon, a member of the flush societal category, is excessively avaricious to wait to be offered nutrient. This causes the flush societal category to do enemies easy because their greed causes them to believe of themselves in front of others. This demonstrates how being avaricious leads to the flush societal category behaving in manners that are vain.
Another manner in which the flush societal category is vain in the drama is the manner they merely care about expressions in a relationship. When Lady Bracknell and Jack are speaking about the eligibility one needs to be engaged Lady Bracknell says, “ He has nil, but he looks everything. What more can one desire? ” ( 99 ) . This is incongruous because by and large, in a relationship, even if one has good expressions, and they have nil, they should be found an unattractive campaigner to go a fiance . Wilde utilizes incongruousness to show how members of the flush societal category have their precedences mixed up. Alternatively of acquiring married for love affair and love they do it merely because of expressions. This type of foundation causes twosomes to hold bad relationships because they feel hurried into an battle. Another quotation mark that supports this is when Gwendolen and Cecily are talking after they both had merely argued with their fiancees Cecily says, “ In affairs of grave importance, manner, non earnestness, is the critical thing ” ( 92 ) . The belief that most people hold in life is that being a good individual is more important than holding good manner. Wilde uses incongruousness to expose how the flush societal category merely cares about how they look as opposed to how they act. This causes the rich to move unfeelingly towards others because they are excessively preoccupied with their expressions, which causes the flush societal category to move vain. In general, one should be more focussed on being a good individual than looking good.
Last the rich act vain by, by and large, being mercenary. When Cecily and Algernon are speaking about how of import Algernon ‘s name is to Cecily
Algernon – If my name was Algy, could n’t you love me?
Cecily – ” I might esteem you, Ernest, I might look up to your character, but I fear that I should n’t be able to give you my undivided attending ( 76 ) .
Normally there is a batch more to the choice of a fiance than merely merely their name. Wilde uses incongruousness to show how Cecily being mercenary because despite the fact that a name is n’t a stuff, Algernon owns it and he can non amend that. The lone ground Cecily could love him would be if his name was Ernest. She is being mercenary because the name is all she cares approximately. Another subdivision of grounds to back up being mercenary is when Jack and Lady Bracknell are discoursing whether or non to give consent for matrimony and Cecily ‘s luck
Jack – She is deserving about a hundred and 30 thousand lbs in the Fundss
Lady Bracknell – A hundred and 30 thousand lbs! And in the Funds! Miss Cardew seems to me a most attractive immature lady, now that I look at her ( 97 ) .
Typically, when giving consent to a relationship the determination shaper cares about the contentment their household member will hold. Wilde uses incongruousness to show how Lady Bracknell is mercenary because when she learned that Cecily had a big luck she forgot about everything else that had happened and merely idea of the money. This causes the rich to non care about the truly important things in life like felicity or love but to entirely care about money and other stuffs, which is how being mercenary leads to moving in vain.
Ultimately one must reason that Wilde is satirising three distinguishable and every bit of import factors of being portion of the flush societal category. Being shallow, greedy and mercenary all are abysmal features of the flush societal category. This illustrates how being of the flush societal category causes one to blend up their precedences, and act in manners that are vain.
