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The importance of Being earnest by Oscar Wilde is a play that portrays some of the experiences he was facing before his imprisonment. Specifically, through the characters Jack and Algernon who were some of the main characters in the story. Jack Worthing, also known as Earnest John Worthing, is differently expressed within the story. He and Algernon are into ‘bunburying’ which is the equivalent of putting on a false image for society. It reveals how in England’s society, you had to put on a certain “mask” in different spaces to be accepted or perceived correctly due to social pressure. “Masks” are the picture-perfect appearance, the reputable reputation, and flamboyant living. Wilde, as a homosexual male, was forced to wear a “mask” to hide his true identity or face the rebellion of society. Inevitably, he was imprisoned because of his beliefs but his work gives us an insight into his experiences. Similar to Wilde, Jack, Earnest John, and Algernon each had different things in their reality that they were running away from, and by living two lives they were able to escape.
Jack Worthing is a representation of England’s society who strives to be socially accepted and highly esteemed. He is a respectable gentleman who is preparing to propose to Gwendolen and is the will guardian of Cecily. However, the “mask” that he wears in the country is different from, Earnest, the person he is in town, or his true self. He constantly lies to the people he cares about the most to free himself as he states, “When one is in town one amuses oneself. When one is in the country one amuses other people. It is excessively boring” (Wilde, Act 1). Is it necessary, as humans, to live a double life to be fulfilled and to find contentment? Jack seems to think so as he justifies himself to Algernon by stating, “When one is placed in the position of guardian, one has to adopt a very high moral tone on all subjects. It’s one’s duty to do so. And as a high moral tone can hardly be said to conduce very much to either one’s health or one’s happiness, to get up to town I have always pretended to have a younger brother of the name of Ernest, who lives in the Albany and gets into the most dreadful scrapes. That, my dear Algy, is the whole truth pure and simple” (Wilde, Act 1). I agree with Jack that it is quite necessary to live a double life, to an extent. A lot of people consider their lives boring and without the double life, the constant predictability of the mundane will be unbearable. Jack has invented Earnest to be able to come to town as frequently as he likes without any social retaliation. Although he takes care of his responsibilities, he feels as if his regular life is “boring”. The invention of Earnest was a way to escape the mundane of life however, in Act 2 we see how the lies and secrets almost destroyed the things in his life he loved the most. Although if he had not lied, I believe his lies, which were so destructive, in the end, would not have given him the chance to date Gwendolen. In the end, she only promises to forgive him because she knows that he is a compulsive liar, and she possibly just accepts him for who he is.
Oscar Wilde was a deviant at heart. He normally fondled into things such as having sexual relations with men which were disgraceful in England’s seemingly “perfect” society. Wilde typically criticized the society around him and found freedom in art. Like Wilde, Earnest John Worthing represents Jack’s freedom. His authentic self was hidden behind riches, reputation, and high status in England’s society. Jack wants to be seen as good and reputable but, as the play unfolds, he longs to be Earnest, not by his bad actions but his name because of Gwendolen. In Act 1 Earnest asks Gwendolen, “But you don’t mean to say that you couldn’t love me if my name wasn’t Ernest?” It could imply that he is seeking social validation and acceptance which is the same things Wilde could have been desiring. Earnest didn’t exactly know who he was. He was unsure about where he came from as he stated, “I am afraid I don’t know. The fact is, Lady Bracknell, I said I had lost my parents. It would be nearer the truth to say that my parents seem to have lost me . . . I don’t know who I am by birth. I was . . . well, I was found (Wilde, Act 1).” It could be assumed that it was so easy for Jack to lie and change identities because he was having an identity crisis within himself. However, Earnest provided Jack with a quick excuse to relieve himself of his responsibilities and do things the public eye thought were shameful. It could be implied that art did a similar thing for Wilde. However, before trying to marry Gwendolen, Jack has used Earnest as a crutch but as the play progresses, he must forfeit his fantasy life if he wants to live the reality he truly desires. He has trouble being truthful as he states, “Gwendolen—Cecily—it is very painful for me to be forced to speak the truth. It is the first time in my life that I have ever been reduced to such a painful position, and I am quite inexperienced in doing anything of the kind…” (Wilde). It is hard for Earnest to speak the truth because he has become accustomed to lying for so long. In Act 3, we see how Jack finds out his true identity and that his name is Earnest. The lie he had been telling for so long was the truth.
Unlike Jack and Earnest, Algernon Moncrieff is unbothered by having a double life. He created his “invaluable friend Bunbury” to go into the country whenever he chose to do so. Algernon lies to get out of tasks would rather not do or to escape from daily responsibilities. In Act 1, it is shown that Jack plans to get rid of Earnest regardless but, Algernon is persistent that “Nothing will induce me to part with Bunbury” (Wilde). It seems as if he is getting a kind of pleasure from living a double life different than Jack. Jack is living a double life merely as a means to an end, but Algernon is ‘bunburying’ for fun with no goal in mind. It seems as if he has pride in what he does. In Act 2, Algernon pretends to be Earnest. As both men are now pretending to be this ‘Earnest’, they have to invent more lies to cover the lies that were previously told. Gwendolen and Cecily realize that they are being manipulated by both of their lovers. Inevitably, in Act 3, Jack tells the truth, but Algernon continues to lie as he was unaffected by lying from the beginning.
Another depiction of someone living a double life is Batman. Bruce Wayne lives a separate life as a multibillionaire to the public but a crime-fighting vigilante at night. Batman is similar to Oscar Wilde’s “Importance of Being Earnest” by showing another representation similar to Jack and Algernon. Jack puts on a mask to find relief from the duties of life and to be the guy Gwendolen wants him to be. Algernon does it to be able to go into the country whenever he chooses. Batman puts on a mask to protect Gotham and to have an escape from running a multibillion-dollar corporation. However, all three characters are living a double life and believe that, despite the sacrifices, they are doing it for the greater good.
According to an article by Verywell, Morin states, “Peer pressure is the influence wielded by people within the same social group. It is also the term used to describe the effect this influence has on a person to conform to be accepted by the group. Often, peers are thought of as friends, but peers can be anyone of a similar status such as people who are the same age, who have the same abilities, and who share a social status”. Jack and Algernon had a significant degree of peer pressure in their life. Jack had been pressured to be good enough for Gwendolen and to uphold his duties as a guardian. Algernon had pressure to uphold a certain respectable image. If they cared less about the opinions of others, they would not have had to invent these other versions of themselves to express themselves freely. Both Jack and Algernon wanted to be accepted in many contrasting areas of their life, in the city and country, that they were lying to the people they cared about the most to find social and inner freedom. Peer pressure had a strong negative influence on both of their lives, almost destroying the very things they cared for.
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