Algernon The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay

To be earnest, or to be sincere, genuine and real. Ironically, certain characters in the novel who strive to be respected as ones who are earnest are far from it. In Victorian society, certain ideals are valued more than others, especially when a woman is searching for a man to love. Fitting the molds of society as well as wooing the opposite gender are the two key reasons for being earnest in the play. Social conformity is something was not something that was only appreciated, it was expected in the realms of their society. The characters Jack and Algernon strive to be earnest in an abnormal sort of way. They create second lives, where they not use these lives to get out of certain situation, but they attempt to boost their nobility and self-righteousness.

Bunbury is perfectly invaluable. If it wasn’t for Bunbury’s extraordinary bad health, for instance, I wouldn’t be able to dine with you at Willis’s tonight, for I have really been engaged to Aunt Augusta for more than a week” (Wilde 35). Algernon’s statement reflects his exuberant and perhaps irresponsible attitude. Yet, he covers up these socially unacceptable traits with a second life. He can act irresponsibly without people questioning his ethics. He creates this life so that he can still be viewed as an earnest man, but gets to enjoy himself in a way that does not bore him. Jack also uses his second life to escape his responsibilities. He creates a life where he is free of caring for Cecily and can live a different life, “When on is placed in the position of guardian, one has to adopt a very high moral tone on all subjects. It’s one’s duty to do so. And as a high moral tone can hardly be said to conduce very much to one’s health or one’s happiness, in order to get up into town, I have always pretended to have a younger brother of the name of Ernest, who lives in the Albany, and gets into the most dreadful scrapes. That, my dear Algy, is the whole

According to Gwendolen, Jack who uses the name Ernest in the city, has the greatest name a man can have for her, “…my ideal has always been to love some one of the same of Ernest There is something in that name that inspires absolute confidence” (Wilde 50). Ernest is not Jack’s real name, at the time, but he is able to use this name and is effective in capturing a woman he is in love with, because of his second life. Algernon also gets his girl with the help of a fake identity. He pretends to be Ernest, and Cecily is in love, she loves the name so much that she goes on to say, “I pity any poor married woman whose husband is not called Ernest” (Wilde 128). Having a second identity is exceptionally beneficial for both men. They are able to live, still respected lives in the eyes of their family members. So, it is extremely significant that these men are Ernest, but also earnest. The name warrants respect because of the word. If an Earnest was seen as a liar or irresponsible, the name would not warrant the respect it gets. But men with the name Earnest value respect and power. Algernon and Jack act differently, more caring for their woman when they are in this different life that they have created. If other characters were asked in the book, they would both call Jack and Algernon earnest, because of the way they go about their lives in a manner that is socially acceptable. They are not aware of