... , Jack finds out that he is the son of Lady Bracknell's sister and older brother of Algernon. Then, to everyones surprise, both Algernon and Jack find out they are named Earnest because their father in the military was named Earnest. The play ends on a peaceful note and they live happily ever after. One major theme in The Importance of Being Earnest is the use of satire. Throughout the play, the word earnest serves a double meaning. It's used as ... a male name and also to be serious or honest. The characters lied to be earnest, but in fact, they weren't lying at all because in the end, ...

• Word Count: 1981
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

Wilde's genre of choice for The Importance of Being Earnest is the Victorian melodrama, or "sentimental comedy," derived from the French variety of "well-made play". In the Victorian era, wives, daughters and sisters were left at home all day to oversee the domestic duties that were increasingly carried out by servants. In The Importance of Being Earnest, however, this is not always the case, as gender role reversal is a common theme throughout the play, which ... naturally leads to comedy, as during the Victorian Era in the Aristocratic part of society, gender roles were very firmly set, so ...

• Word Count: 2043
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... , money outweighs age. Too often one can see an old millionaire with a nice looking twenty five year old wife. The next theme that people can associate with today's world is the acts and reputation of society. In the play, and in the society, people only married within their classes because marriage to a lower class would be frowned upon. Jack is egger to marry Gwendolen, but her ... saying "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine- comes in play here because when people do that, they often do not think about the long term consequences and how it can affect other people. Overall, The I...

• Word Count: 1242
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School