Double Life In The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde

The Two Sides of Every Coin Greg Kinnear, an American actor, said, “We all have to lead double lives, not just celebrities. The face we put on publicly with our jobs and certain situations. I think that's part of the human condition.” Commonly, when one thinks of double lives, he/she thinks of a person living under different identities and new names; however, this quote implies that living a double life can be as simple as having a public persona and a private one, and is practiced by everyone. The play, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, through the use of psychoanalytic theory and character, shows that one must live a double life in order to uphold a respectable reputation. There are several characters that prove this as they

This is portrayed in Lady Bracknell who changes her behaviour depending on who it will be observed by. Her life seems to be dictated by her social image, yet in private, she is more crude or politically incorrect. She says to her nephew, Algernon, “Never speak disrespectfully of society, Algernon. Only people who can’t get in do that” (Wilde 47). Lady Bracknell places a great amount of emphasis on society’s expectations. This is proven through her process of determining an acceptable suitor for her daughter, which puts importance mainly on the suitor’s background and status to ensure that he has “social possibilities". In contrast, her attitude towards the ill, such as how she believes they must choose to stop wavering between life and death and just pick one, is something that would make the public question her morals. To maintain her respected reputation, Lady Bracknell wears a public persona that fits the expectations of Victorian values. In contrast, Algernon lives a double life through a new identity. He states, “I have invented an invaluable permanent invalid called Bunbury, in order that I may be able to go down into the country whenever I choose” (Wilde 6). Algernon has obscene opinions about his relatives and dislikes

Hence, he must be careful with his public image, so that neither he nor his ward is perceived negatively by society. Despite this, Jack is still young and, through his id, desires to indulge in the pleasures of life. Therefore, as Freud suggests, Jack’s ego seeks to balance the demands of both his id and superego. It does so by inventing the character of Ernest Worthing through whom Jack lives vicariously. In comparison, this theory can also be applied to Wilde as history reveals that Wilde had lived a double life, himself. In one of them, he pursued a career in literature and was married, with two sons (bbc.co.uk). In the other, he was the lover of Lord Alfred Douglas (bbc.co.uk). Wilde was a celebrity in London during his time, and he is well known for his works to this day. He was a respected and honorable man in his society through his success, and he got to enjoy life’s sensations through his affair. Wilde’s affair with Douglas is brought forth to the public in a trial where he tries to sue Douglas’ father for accusing Wilde of being homosexual; however, Wilde loses and is sent to prison for gross indecency (bbc.co.uk). In “De Profundis”, a letter to Douglas, Wilde writes, “[my mother] and my father had bequeathed me a name they had made noble and honoured, not merely in literature, art, archaeology, and science, but in the public