Login or Sign Up
Menu
Ask a New Question

In Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest, he uses satire to criticize Victorian society’s emphasis on Manners/ Etiquette. Wilde satirizes the rigid rules of etiquette and behavior in the society of his time, highlighting the absurdity and superficiality of these social norms. For example, when Lady Bracknell interrogates Jack about his parents and upbringing, she states, “To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness” (Wilde 7). This quote satirizes the aristocratic notion of lineage and social standing, showing how trivial factors such as parentage are given undue importance. This emphasizes Wilde’s criticism of the superficiality of manners and etiquette in Victorian society. Additionally, when Algernon jokingly remarks, “All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his” (Wilde), Wilde is mocking the societal expectation for women to conform to certain roles and behaviors, based on their upbringing. This further highlights Wilde’s satirical critique of the limitations imposed by Victorian manners and etiquette. Clearly, Oscar Wilde uses satire in The Importance of Being Earnest to point out the ridiculousness and constraints of Victorian society’s emphasis on manners and etiquette.

Dumb this down please

In The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde makes fun of how Victorian society cares too much about behavior and manners. He pokes fun at the silly rules people must follow and how they judge others based on superficial things like family background. He also jokes about how women are expected to be like their mothers, while men get to be themselves. Wilde uses humor to show how ridiculous and restrictive these societal expectations can be.

AI still detected and make sure I still have all the required parts

In Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest, he uses satire to criticize Victorian society’s emphasis on manners and etiquette. He jokingly points out how people in that society care too much about behaving correctly and following strict rules. Wilde makes fun of how trivial things like family background are seen as important, and how women are expected to be like their mothers. He uses humor to show how silly and restricting these societal expectations can be.

Thank you so much!

You're welcome! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.