Themes + Ending of The Importance of Being Earnest

Today we read and finished Act III of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde in class. The ending was definitely interesting and much more amusing than I expected, which is always a good thing! Act III is the most pivotal part of the whole comedy and I think the most significant in terms of themes and underlying concepts. A lot of the play’s actions and conflicts emerge and are resolved in this Act, which makes it such an essential aspect to Wilde’s overarching message about society and the trivial versus serious.

 

In Act III, Gwendolyn and Cecily have just been informed by Jack and Algernon that neither of them are whom they claimed to be, which causes a huge understanding amongst the four lovers. As soon as Lady Bracknell enters, her presence is immediately equated with one of interruption and obstruction. Lady Bracknell is almost an impeding structure for the progression of the novel’s play. She is the ultimate force that is thwarting Jack’s chance at being content and fulfilling his only desire in his adult life, which is to marry Gwendolyn. However, Lady Bracknell is adamant about her disapproval of Jack and Gwendolyn’s union. In order to convince her otherwise, Jack uses the fact that he is Cecily’s rightful guardian (and that he has the right to dictate whom and when she can marry) in order to come to a compromise with Lady Bracknell, who wishes to marry Algernon with Cecily because she has such a large fortune.

 

Essentially, Wilde is mocking society’s beliefs in marriage and he subtly implies the incompatibility of heterosexual couples, which makes his own gender/sexual preference somewhat obscure. In Act III, Wilde ridicules the social customs and attitudes of the upper class, and how they tend to value style over depth/character. Wilde is criticizing society’s superficial values through all of the characters including Jack, Algernon, Gwendolyn, Cecily, and especially Lady Bracknell, who certainly appreciates appearance and image far more than one’s true nature. The way in which Wilde depicts the concerns of the upper class is humorous and entertaining, especially in regards to Lady Bracknell’s ridiculous beliefs about society. Lady Bracknell and Miss Prism embody the seriousness in Victorian society, which Wilde cleverly satirizes throughout the play, as he explores the true significance of earnestness versus appearance.

 

Overall, Wilde is poking fun at the fact that aristocratic Victorians seemed to be preoccupied with maintaining the appearance of a perfect marriage and such while truly leading a double life. I think Gwendolyn’s remark in Act III sums up Wilde’s purpose when she honestly states that “in matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.” This is the exact notion that Wilde is encompassing in the entirety of the play, and Gwendolyn’s comment is representative of Wilde’s outlook on serious vs. trivial and how serious issues are easily overshadowed by the temptation of triviality.