Importance Of Being Ernest

All the Wrong Reason to Marry

The work that will be discussed in this essay is the "The Importance of Being Ernest" and it was written by Oscar Wilde. The topic of marriage in this play involves the manipulative desires and dishonest values of marriage. The female characters in this story including Cecily, Gwendolen, and Lady Bracknell are all guilty of scheming and controlling marriage. The desires and mentalities of these women are identical to the women of the Victorian Period. The men in this play are also guilty of the manipulative desires for marriage. Oscar Wilde's work is an aggression on Victorian Society because marriage was used as a social convenience. Oscar Wilde gives foreshadowing in the beginning of the play of what he has in mind about marriage. "Good Heavens! Is marriage so demoralizing as that?" (Wilde 1762) This essay will be proving the critique of marriage being used as a social tool.

During the Victorian Period, women did not have a choice of their role in society and there rights were very limited. The main factor was the lack of education that was available for women. The only education a woman could receive was to become a teacher or a nurse, but this extremely limited. The majority of women were taught to get married, have children, and be a housewife. Women were born and raised to have children, be a wife, and rely on men for everything and anything. Married during this time were controlled by there husbands because they had no rights. Issues regarding ownership of property and divorce were terrible for women giving them basically no rights. The desire of manipulating marriage in "The Importance of Being Ernest" is directly related to these factors. Oscar Wilde portrays his characters regarding these factors and has a point to teach his audience the flaws about marriage.

The characters in this work are all involved in manipulative desires regarding marriage. The main reason for marriage should be because of the affection, love and closeness you have for someone. On the contrary, the characters in this story all have uncharacteristic reasons for marriage. The women in this story who wish to marry are interested in their spouses solely because of their notorious backgrounds. Gwendolen is stimulated to marry Jack because he was found as an infant in Victoria Station and also because she adores the name Ernest. Cecily wishes to marry Algernon because of his notorious behavior and sinful reputation. These examples

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