The Importance of Being Earnest

by Oscar Wilde

There is probably no better work to evoke book club discussion than Oscar Wilde’s famous satirical play The Importance of Being Earnest. The extreme characters as well as the situation are the source of humor as Wilde mocks the customs and manners of Victorian England. In our discussion we examined parody, satire, and sarcasm, when each is appropriate, and their potential hurtful nature. We also talked about what constitutes humor.

Wilde’s characters border on the absurd. The women are fluff, the men are profligates who nevertheless think highly of themselves, and no one tells the truth. In fact, the lies that both male protagonists have told are the basis of the humorous confusions in the story. Jack lives in the country, but pretends to need to go frequently to the city because of a younger brother named Ernest who gets into scrapes. When he is in the city, Jack goes by the name of Ernest. Jack’s friend Algernon wants to meet Jack’s ward so he goes to Jack’s house as Ernest. It just happens that Cecily, Jack’s ward, and Gwendolen, Jack’s fiancee agree that they could only love someone whose name is Ernest. The two young ladies’ diaries are a source of amusement as the events in the diary are fictional. For example, Cecily records the marriage proposal of Algernon as Ernest, their breakup, and subsequent reunion even though they have never met.

The Importance of Being Earnest was first presented on February 14, 1895. It continues to amuse audiences today in live theater presentations and in a number of video productions.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Drama, Satire

Publication:  February 14, 1895—original production

      March 1, 1997—Project Gutenberg

Memorable Lines:

The amount of women in London who flirt with their own husbands is perfectly scandalous. It looks so bad. It is simply washing one’s clean linen in public.

I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.

Cecily: That certainly seems a satisfactory explanation, does it not?  Gwendolen: Yes, dear, if you can believe him. Cecily: I don’t. But that does not affect the wonderful beauty of his answer. Gwendolen: True. In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.