In The Importance of Being Earnest, Jack and Algernon clearly have a preoccupation with food. In this lesson, you explored the deeper meaning of this preoccupation. Using what you learned in this lesson and what you have read in the text, discuss how food serves as a symbol for obedience to impulse and the pursuit of pleasure. How does this symbol help Oscar Wilde to comment on and satirize society?
Do not restrict your discussion to your reading for this lesson; include Acts I and II in your analysis and commentary.
To discuss how food serves as a symbol for obedience to impulse and the pursuit of pleasure in The Importance of Being Earnest and how this symbol helps Oscar Wilde to comment on and satirize society, we first need to analyze the actions and conversations involving food in the play.
Throughout the play, characters, particularly Jack and Algernon, display a notable preoccupation with food. They often engage in discussions about meals, indulge in excessive eating, and use food as a means to satisfy their desires. This preoccupation can be seen as a symbol for the characters' obedience to their impulsive desires and their relentless pursuit of pleasure.
Both Jack and Algernon display a lack of self-control when it comes to food. They frequently indulge in eating, treating mealtimes as opportunities to indulge their senses rather than mere necessities for sustenance. This excessive consumption represents their unrestrained pursuit of pleasure. For example, in Act I, Algernon fills his pockets with muffins from the tea table, capturing his disregard for social norms and his single-minded focus on gratification.
The symbol of food helps Wilde comment on and satirize society in several ways. Firstly, it serves as a critique of the Victorian upper-class society of the time, which was known for its rigid adherence to etiquette and restrained behavior. By contrasting the characters' insatiable appetites with the decorum expected of them, Wilde mocks the societal expectations and exposes the hypocrisy of the aristocracy.
In addition, the characters' obsession with food reflects a broader theme of triviality and superficiality in society. While the characters engage in trivial conversations about meals, the play satirizes the shallowness of their concerns, highlighting the emptiness of their lifestyles and their lack of substance. This is particularly evident in Algernon's famous line, "I hate people who are not serious about meals. It is so shallow of them."
Furthermore, the symbol of food also reflects the characters' pursuit of pleasure at the expense of sincerity and genuine emotional connections. Throughout the play, the characters use deception and elaborate schemes to pursue their desires. Food becomes a means through which they can momentarily satisfy their impulses, highlighting their lack of authenticity and their flawed priorities.
In conclusion, the symbol of food in The Importance of Being Earnest represents obedience to impulse and the pursuit of pleasure. Through the characters' preoccupation with food, Wilde satirizes the societal expectations of the Victorian upper-class, criticizes their triviality and superficiality, and exposes their lack of sincerity. By examining the actions and conversations surrounding food in the play, we can understand the deeper meaning behind this symbol and its role in Oscar Wilde's commentary on society.