Introduction
Oscar Wile terms The Importance of Being Earnest, a trivial comedy for serious people. Wilde's term is itself a pun. A pun is a literary device which creates a humorous effect by the use of the word which has a fleet of different meanings. In the play, Wilde puns through the word "Earnest" as the meaning of honest and "Ernest" as a masculine name meant "Serious" in German. The name, Ernest is manipulated by Jack and then Algernon to serve for their purpose. [Let's find out why in detail]
Jack's Younger Brother Ernest
Jack fabricates his younger brother named Ernest to successfully woo Gwendolen. Why does Jack fabricate his second brother? Because Gwendolen is extremely obsessed with the name. She says, "It is a divine name. It has a music of its own, …. It produces vibrations." So Jack, in the disguise of Ernest meets Lady Bracknell to get the hand of Gwendolen but the Lady shows her dislike for the name. The Lady is more serious about the three Cs, (Class, Cash and Character). She questions him about his orphanage and parental identity. So, that is how Jack's un-"earnest" act (deceitful action) serves nothing to him other than complicating the plot. Jack decides to kill his fictitious brother Ernest as soon as he learns Cecily's interest in that name.
Algernon's Ernest
Algernon's future soul-mate is also profoundly devoted herself to name that sounds like "E[a]rnest". "It had always been a girlish dream", says Cecily "of mine to love someone whose name was Ernest. There is something in that name that seems to inspire absolute confidence." Why does Cecily say so? Gwendolen answers on Cecily's part, "He is the very soul of truth and honour. Disloyalty would be as impossible to him as deception. " [Spoiler Alert! The article on bard.org by KELLI FROST-ALLRED states that these lines were uttered by Cecily to describe the honest trait of Ernest. However, this dialogue is uttered by Gwendolen in the play, not by Cecily. I am totally confused in interpreting Cecily's opinion. This is a contextual error. If you can correct this, kindly correct me in the comment section below]
Algernon, having known Cecily's obsession, he also devises another fictitious brother named Ernest. He terms this dishonesty as "Bunburing". But Algernon's plan goes flat on him and he, along with Jack, resort to Dr. Chasuble to get themselves Christened to the name "Ernest" so that their beloveds may not reject them. Eventually the truth is revealed which startles the girls for a moment but they forgive their lovers after realizing 'honesty' in the hearts of Jack and Algernon. [Happy ending! But this play offers more than just merely a story. ]
A Trivial Comedy with Serious Satire
It is evident by the subtitle of the play that Oscar Wilde did not mean his play to be only remembered for its comic setting. This trivial comedy is a serious satire on sham Victorian moralities. Wilde, through his comical and satirical tone unveils the hypocritical as well as hateful attitude of the shallowness of the Victorian people. Take Lady Bracknell's blunt comments on her visit to her neighbour Lady Harbury, who "looks quite twenty years younger" since "her poor husband’s death". Then the play moves on and every character's distorted ambition is revealed. Wilde, through such "trivial" story, gives the lesson that honesty, no matter how small it is but it is the best policy.
Conclusion
Wilde, himself concludes the whole debate stating the theme of the play to Robert Ross as thus, "That we should treat all trivial things in life very seriously, and all serious things of life with a sincere and studied triviality."
Sources, References and Suggested Readings
- https://brainly.in/question/14301963?fbclid=IwAR1MsiJGeQfQLEp5wOSdCvc96gYlBoCjyZtVNyfuzaiwuCMeIzf51akZdRc#readmore
- https://www.indiastudychannel.com/resources/111841-The-Title-The-Importance-Being-Earnest.aspx?fbclid=IwAR3MDXbvR4rrNy6FZ97DwtcrYaq6Gq-dkB1F843hlQ80M-WFCeqFVhF_iks
- https://www.bard.org/study-guides/the-importance-of-the-importance-of-being-earnest
- https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/importance-of-being-earnest/analysis
- https://www.behindthename.com/name/ernest
- https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-is-the-meaning-of-the-title-the-importance-371568?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=02be3b8b2153a2a6a7f6f67ccb5905dbddf668d0-1595309625-0-AYxijvRs5twzgN0sDqHwUf0Az41_TfI582zuC_rOv0g3A4XQoaErY4bkbOdd9ro81XlwomLI7To8deDv72zuSA0GrDzNnhOCOsUtT3dyR0VJPtPHL95ZV87JZF2GwebJprBHq2meMWb_aLVcPxuwGZvt5_vo8vVOsTJUzULaoEEIfxZYJf1gLREXGCAZMqezM5xf7oC4gzjQSCyhldKtmcYLKNtm8SSqIvuJHprJb1YsB_GQPn_5bcF8RM6JN_zHXSytZIUENY7-r-uagTb0iUo6i2BWN7Oyp0BEwHCA5hc08PVfLv7pVtBwWvjleRCY45XvLUtnbZzHpenBeQkdt-qihMo3luP0DpUChwq9IfphyKTC4R-dHEiQk3LLZQMU1Rn8SNSoo8LB4VGgYS5AjuuiQH3FjBH36nVLIs3aZjCH
- https://www.gutenberg.org/files/844/844-h/844-h.htm
