"The Importance of Being Earnest": A Critique on Society's Norms of Marriage

As Paige previously mentioned, the full title of this play is "The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People." And what an appropriate title. For my post, I would like to discuss the triviality of marriage, as seen in "The Importance of Being Earnest." More specifically, I will explore how the play is a critique of society's norms of marriage. As we discussed in class on Monday, Cecily uses a variety of props to prove that she is engaged. These props, which consist mostly of material items, serve as a social function because they are bits and pieces of evidence. However, the fact that the props are mostly material things could be a jab at society's view towards marriage, where the emphasis is placed on the size of one's ring, for example, as opposed to the actual relationship. Furthermore, Cecily falls in love with Algernon after she hears people talking about him, stating that "a man who is much talked about is always very attractive." This statement further exemplifies how society's view on marriage is superficial; in Cecily's case, meeting a person
is not required to fall in love.

As seen in Act I, Lady Bracknell worries about what her daughter's marriage will look like in society. Instead of being concerned with her daughter's happiness, Lady Bracknell interviews Jack, questioning him about the most absurd things, and keeps a list of potential suitors. In Act III, Lady Bracknell declares that she is against long engagements, saying that they "give people the opportunity of finding out each other's character before marriage" which she believes is "never advisable." To today's audience, this kind of thinking seems odd. Isn't it beneficial and practical to know and understand the person who you are marrying? This statement serves as a jab at society's need for fast marriages, as opposed to long engagements. In a way, this statement demonstrates that knowing a person is hardly the most important factor in a marriage.

As Act II demonstrates, it is important to Cecily to have a ring so she can show off her taken status. She is primarily concerned with signalling to other people that this relationship has gone on. Both of these characters exemplify the emphasis society places on the outward appearance of a marriage. The amount of letters one has received, the way a marriage looks to others, or the name of the person you are engaged to are all such trivial matters when it comes to the institute of marriage. But as Wilde demonstrates, these matters are important to society and its views on marriage.