Throughout Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest- various different literary devices are very effectively and skillfully used. Most of these literary devices create a sense of comedy in the book. One that especially puts a light hearted tone into the reading is the inverted logic, which almost every character is guilty of using at one time or another. Just when you think you know what a character is going to say, they react completely opposite and change everything.
The strongest user of inverted logic has to be Lady Bracknell. A mother is supposed to instill logic and reasoning into her child, she is supposed to steer her back on track when she goes astray. In scene 1, this is exactly what looks to be happening. Gwendolen has just been engaged to Jack, but she is under the impression that his name is Ernest. She is jumping into something that isn't real and it looks as though her mother is about to butt in and stop it. "In the carriage, Gwendolen!- says Lady Bracknell as she kicks out her daughter in order for her to question her fiancé. She starts off, "Do you smoke?- When Jack replies "Well, yes, I must admit I smoke- you would expect Lady Bracknell to scold him or show some .
sort of disapproval. But instead, she replies, "I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind. There are far too many idle men in London as it is."" This is a perfect example of inverted logic. The readers view of the character Lady Bracknell is changing and quickly. Maybe she is not the logical reasoning one we accepted her to be. But she does not stop there. "I have always been of the opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing. Which do you know?- she asks. "I know nothing, Lady Bracknell- Jack replies. Again, at this point you would expect her to show some sort of negativity based on the fact that her daughter is marrying someone that knows "nothing-.
