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The Importance Of Being Earnest Rhetorical Analysis

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Throughout the story of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, Oscar pointed out many oblivious actions done by the characters. He constantly used the characters to exaggerate actions of our society today. Wilde uses exaggerations to show how the characters were unable to be a complete individual without the face of the strict social expectations influencing their actions. Everywhere in the society, they are all unable to make their own decisions, and it is very hard for them to be truthful towards who they are without societal norms interfering causing them to lose all individuality. Wilde uses reversal to show how the characters actions were completely insane since they were trying to accommodate societal expectations. Wilde shows …show more content…

Wilde exaggerated the thoughts of Algernon to emphasize that they are unable to decide on their own without thinking of what the society would do. Algernon said how girls are “never” attracted to who they marrying, inferencing that even if someone said they were attracted to their spouse, they would be lying since it goes against the societal norms. While Miss Prism and Chasuble were talking, they both agreed marriage isn't really about love because in marriage,“ No married man is ever attractive except to his wife.” Chasuble- “And often, I’ve been told, not even to her” (63). According to the society norms, it was very rare that a married couple were actually attracted to each other. The individuals couldn’t have gone against the society expectations so, without caring about what they really want, they followed the expectations and married whoever. This shows they could not make any individual life choices without thinking of what everyone else would have done. Not only are the social expectations based on love but also small, foolish details. As Cecily and Gwendolen first meet, Cecily offered her cake to eat …show more content…

He shows that people want to impress others so they lie regarding who they are, causing them to lose individuality. Since they couldn’t make their own decisions, they had to lie to exceed others expectations. Jack had to change his whole identity to fit in with two different types of society, “Jack in country and Ernest in the city” (33). Since the expectations in the city were so particular, people felt the need to change their whole identity to fit in with everyone. Jack didn’t have to change himself but he made the decision because no one who have liked him if they knew who he really was. Not only do individuals change to meet the higher class standards, but they also change to meet the needs of the average class. “You are my little cousin Cecily, I’m sure” (60). Algernon wanted to marry Cecily and the only way of doing that, he thought, was by making a second identity. The last example how Wilde used exaggeration to show individuals couldn’t make decisions without the impact of society is when Lady Bracknell constantly lied regarding Jack being apart her family. Jack has never known who his mother or father was. In act III, Lady Bracknell admitted to knowing Jack is Algernon's cousin:”Yes, I remember now that the general was called Ernest. I knew I had some particular reason for disliking the name” (108). Lady Bracknell had a sense

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