In The Importance öf 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 th 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 Il in your analysis and commentary.
In "The Importance of Being Earnest," Jack and Algernon's obsession with food serves as a symbol for the indulgence of desires and pursuit of pleasure. This symbol helps Oscar Wilde to satirize society by highlighting its superficiality, hypocrisy, and the ultimate futility of certain societal norms.
Throughout the play, both characters frequently reference food and use it as an excuse for their actions or as a means to satisfy their immediate desires. For example, Algernon invents a fictional friend named "Bunbury" whom he uses as an excuse to escape to the countryside whenever he wants to avoid social obligations. He even jokes that he would like to have been christened "Ernest" because it sounds like "earnest," but also because it sounds like "sausages." These instances show how food becomes an instrument to give the characters a sense of freedom and enable them to resist societal constraints.
Food also represents their disobedience to societal norms and expectations. Both Jack and Algernon frequently fabricate stories and create false identities, all the while indulging in their desires. For instance, Jack's alter ego "Ernest" serves as an outlet for him to act irresponsibly and pursue pleasure without consequence. His infatuation with Gwendolen, shown through his deceptive actions, highlights the characters' inclination towards self-gratification and the disregard for societal conventions.
Furthermore, the symbol of food helps Wilde to satirize society by emphasizing the superficiality and hypocrisy of the upper class. The characters' constant consumption and fixation on trivial matters like cucumber sandwiches and muffins reveal the triviality of their concerns. The pursuit of pleasure becomes a central focus for them, overshadowing more meaningful or profound aspects of life. Their preoccupation with food serves as a metaphor for their shallow desires and priorities, reflecting the misguided and materialistic nature of society at that time.
Additionally, this symbol helps Wilde to mock the strict social etiquette and moral standards that were prevalent in Victorian society. The indulgence in food, which is often associated with impulsive actions and lack of self-control, symbolizes the characters' rebellion against strict societal expectations. Through their interactions with food, the characters subvert the establishment, revealing the hypocrisies and double standards that exist within rigid social constructs.
Overall, Oscar Wilde's use of food as a symbol for obedience to impulse and the pursuit of pleasure serves as a powerful tool to satirize society. By showcasing the characters' preoccupation with food, he exposes the superficiality, hypocrisy, and the emptiness of the Victorian upper class and its unwavering adherence to societal conventions. This symbolizes the futility of conforming to societal expectations and invites the audience to reflect on the absurdity of societal norms and the importance of genuine human connections and values.