Oscar Wilde Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Oscar Wilde - Essay ExampleI. Importance of being Earnest The splendor of being Earnest revolved around a man named shit Worthing, who was leading a double life in order to get outdoor(a) from the societal pressures of acting a certain way. His alter ego was named Earnest and he hid his personality from others by telling that Earnest was his unruly younger brother. Although, a dramatic turn of events reveal that he had been unconsciously playing out the truth all his life, but Jacks charade depicts the hypocrisy that pervaded the amphetamine class English society and depicted the double standards within the society. His friend dubs Jacks habit as Bunburying and when he soon follows suit, Jack comments, This downhearted state of things is what you call Bunburying, I suppose? (Wilde 367) Jack was discovered in a handbag stowed away in the cloakroom of the London Railway station, wholly to be discovered by a wealthy man named Thomas Cardew. Cardew adopts Jack and gives him the name Worthing. ... According to Walter E. Houghton, Earnests character was indeed Jacks bridge to understanding other facets of life, which is nearly impossible within the confines of the moral code set by the Victorian society. Hence, it can be postulated that Jacks alter ego was a way for him to venture and discover the intellectual and moral side of humanity. Houghton further notes that the name Earnest tardily evolved not only as a name of the character, but he also took the form of an ideal characteristic that was sought in every separate that centered on the integrity of ones character. It can be concluded from Houghtons hypothesis that Jack was playing the part of Earnest in order to unlock the secret to a successful life. Houghton further elaborates that human life is not simply a journey from the soil of the living to the realm of the dead, but indeed it involves the individual actually exposing themselves to all aspects of the society to help strengthen their resolve agains t the forces of evil (Houghton 221). Although, the men are not completely fearful when it comes to their alter-ego and they spin an intricate web of lies in order to get the attention of the women they love, but the men are not intrinsically evil. As a social occasion of fact, both Jack and Algernon were simply escapists, who wished to use Earnests name in order to get away from the societys pressure. It was a act for the protagonist and donning it allowed him to get the sense of freedom that he had always craved for (Adams 183). When Jack is not roaming the streets of London under the name of Earnest, he is seen as a dignified gentleman. He is depicted by Wilde as