Being Earnest Gender Roles

In the play, “The Importance of Being Earnest”, each gender role reflects on how much power the person has, like whether they are lower class or they are in the higher classes. In this play men have a greater impact or control than women do. Men are more acknowledged for their judgement while women were only acknowledged for their beauty. Oscar Wilde, the author of the play, makes people ask questions about gender roles in the Victorian Era because when he wrote some of the scenes, like the one with Lady Bracknell, she had more power because she was asking Jack all the questions and the only thing Jack got to do was to answer them. The play really described how women were treated in the Victorian era and how they had barely any freedom, (Shmoop Editorial Team). During this period of time the quality or aspect of life really depended on whether you were lower class, or poor, or you were aristocracy, or higher class. Higher class Victorians had an easy and effortless life. Lower class Victorians had a tough life. Higher class children got an education and did not have to work because they were born into a wealthy family. Lower class children were not allowed to go to school, had to work every day for very long hours, and since they did not have much money they did not have much food so

They controlled all decision making. Just like men had expectations for women, men had to gain a woman's respect before they got married. They were also independent and had more freedom than women. That meant they got to have a job, in fact supporting the family was a sign of true success to a man. Along with supporting the family, being able to succeed financially made a man respectable or honorable by other men. A man’s power is active and defensive. He is the “defender” in the family, he protects the family. Providing for a woman and a family were the ideals for men in the Victorian Era, (Appell,