HOW IS CLASS DIVISION PRESENTED IN ‘THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST’
In ‘The Importance of being Earnest’, Wilde uses his characters to present differences
between the classes, especially the superiority and self-importance of the upper classes.
Firstly, Wilde uses descriptions of settings and places within the play to reveal even more
about both traditional views on social status, and his own.
Similarly, he uses descriptions of his characters behaviour to portray class differences, and a
closer analysis of this behaviour reveals a better insight into society and its morals of Wilde’s
time.
Firstly, Wilde uses settings to reveal differences between the classes, even those between
the upper classes and the aristocracy. Wilde describes Algernon’s flat in Act 1 as being “the
room is luxuriously and artistically finished”. From the play’s exposition, we see Algernon
and the world he lives in is one that is opulent and expensive, and this is the world that
Wilde knows, so the descriptions are realistic and intricate. Algernon’s flat is in London, and
Wilde moved there in 1879, from Oxford. Algernon’s flat is used as a backdrop for
insouciance, and the audience has a butler and other accruements of lavish lifestyle. It is a
place he can exert his power and authority, which can be seen in the scenes with Jack where
Algernon says, “Please don’t touch the cucumber sandwiches.” He has power over Jack as
they are in his house. The world Wilde describes is the world he knows. In many
productions, especially in the 1890s, the set design of the flat in the older and larger London
theatres, was “sumptuous” and the lavish and extensive design reflected the world Wilde
was describing and embodied it. Jack’s country house is described as an “old-fashioned one,
full or roses”, and called the “Manor House”. The fact the house is old indicates the heritage
and history involved, usually associated with that of the upper classes, particularly the
aristocracy. Similarly, the ‘Manor’ aspect of the name adds an element of grandeur to the
building. Although the house is in the countryside - typically it was the city that was
associated high society – the place is still established as a place for the upper classes. In the
tea scene, Gwendolen says to Cecily, “I am glad to say I have never seen a spade”. Her
pleasure at this indicates her pride at being of a higher status than Cecily, and she is also
shown as belittling Cecily for this reason. Gwendolen stablishes her authority over Cecily in
this manner. In the original manuscript, this tea scene was originally set inside, but it being
set outside means Wilde can show the differences between the two social spheres of the
two girls. Furthermore, Gwendolen associates the countryside with ruralness, lower classes,
and thinks it is harder to exist there. She says, “no idea there was anything approaching
good taste”. In contrast, Cecily sees the city as “extremely vulgar”; she associates it with
aristocratic snobbishness, and through their different viewpoints, and this paradox Wilde
presents upsets the characters alignment of the city with sophistication, and the country
with poor taste. The paradoxical places represent a means of fantasy and escape, such as
Jack escaping from his life and responsibilities in the countryside to go to the city, and with
Algernon vice versa. Similar to in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, another of Wilde’s works, the
main character inhabits two settings, the ‘decrepit’ East end of London, paired with the
wealthy West end. The two settings allow Gray to live a double life, similar to Jack and
Algernon, where one life is free from responsibilities, and the other having more set morals
and ideals. However, Jack in particular is shown to have the same questionable morals in
both places, which shows Wilde’s opinion that Victorian upper class maintain the same
values wherever they are, they are so ingrained within the society. Finally, Wilde wrote,
In ‘The Importance of being Earnest’, Wilde uses his characters to present differences
between the classes, especially the superiority and self-importance of the upper classes.
Firstly, Wilde uses descriptions of settings and places within the play to reveal even more
about both traditional views on social status, and his own.
Similarly, he uses descriptions of his characters behaviour to portray class differences, and a
closer analysis of this behaviour reveals a better insight into society and its morals of Wilde’s
time.
Firstly, Wilde uses settings to reveal differences between the classes, even those between
the upper classes and the aristocracy. Wilde describes Algernon’s flat in Act 1 as being “the
room is luxuriously and artistically finished”. From the play’s exposition, we see Algernon
and the world he lives in is one that is opulent and expensive, and this is the world that
Wilde knows, so the descriptions are realistic and intricate. Algernon’s flat is in London, and
Wilde moved there in 1879, from Oxford. Algernon’s flat is used as a backdrop for
insouciance, and the audience has a butler and other accruements of lavish lifestyle. It is a
place he can exert his power and authority, which can be seen in the scenes with Jack where
Algernon says, “Please don’t touch the cucumber sandwiches.” He has power over Jack as
they are in his house. The world Wilde describes is the world he knows. In many
productions, especially in the 1890s, the set design of the flat in the older and larger London
theatres, was “sumptuous” and the lavish and extensive design reflected the world Wilde
was describing and embodied it. Jack’s country house is described as an “old-fashioned one,
full or roses”, and called the “Manor House”. The fact the house is old indicates the heritage
and history involved, usually associated with that of the upper classes, particularly the
aristocracy. Similarly, the ‘Manor’ aspect of the name adds an element of grandeur to the
building. Although the house is in the countryside - typically it was the city that was
associated high society – the place is still established as a place for the upper classes. In the
tea scene, Gwendolen says to Cecily, “I am glad to say I have never seen a spade”. Her
pleasure at this indicates her pride at being of a higher status than Cecily, and she is also
shown as belittling Cecily for this reason. Gwendolen stablishes her authority over Cecily in
this manner. In the original manuscript, this tea scene was originally set inside, but it being
set outside means Wilde can show the differences between the two social spheres of the
two girls. Furthermore, Gwendolen associates the countryside with ruralness, lower classes,
and thinks it is harder to exist there. She says, “no idea there was anything approaching
good taste”. In contrast, Cecily sees the city as “extremely vulgar”; she associates it with
aristocratic snobbishness, and through their different viewpoints, and this paradox Wilde
presents upsets the characters alignment of the city with sophistication, and the country
with poor taste. The paradoxical places represent a means of fantasy and escape, such as
Jack escaping from his life and responsibilities in the countryside to go to the city, and with
Algernon vice versa. Similar to in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, another of Wilde’s works, the
main character inhabits two settings, the ‘decrepit’ East end of London, paired with the
wealthy West end. The two settings allow Gray to live a double life, similar to Jack and
Algernon, where one life is free from responsibilities, and the other having more set morals
and ideals. However, Jack in particular is shown to have the same questionable morals in
both places, which shows Wilde’s opinion that Victorian upper class maintain the same
values wherever they are, they are so ingrained within the society. Finally, Wilde wrote,
