The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wylde - 658 Words

Through the comparison of education of the upper and lower classes, juxtaposition is interlaced throughout ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. Lady Bracknell is the foremost character to portray this satirical technique, as she considers the upper class to be much more educated than the lower class, merely because of social status. â€Å"The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square.† Her saying this demonstrates how she considers the lower classes should remain ignorant, for if they did receive an education, they would try to overhaul the upper class, which, she believes, are educated. However throughout the play, the reader comes to comprehend that Lady Bracknell herself does not possess the intelligence or knowledge to be considered â€Å"educated,â⠂¬  which leads them to see that the divergence in education between the upper and lower class is rather minor, if there is any at all. Ensuing Lady Bracknell’s opinions, those of the lower class ought to lack the intellect of the upper class. Instead, a member of a lower class system, Miss Prism, is illustrated as being fairly intelligent related to the other constructs in the play. Miss Prism, a governess, has her knowledge recognised by her pupil, Cecily: â€Å"You know German, and geology, and things of that kind influence a manShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wylde757 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivia Comedy for Serious People Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is a satirical comedy, in which the characters create a double life to escape the burdens of the many social obligations imposed by late Victorian London society. The play repeatedly derides even the most sensitive social customs of the Victorian period, such as love and the institution of marriage. The protagonists, Algernon and Ernest, demonstrate Wilde’s suggestion of