Timeless message of equality in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde satirizes Victorian society. His characters' witty epigrams provide light comedy that masks the underlying theme of criticism of the Victorian way of life. Wilde's effective use of humor diffuses the tense theme of his work. In a Victorian society that emphasized progress, it was precarious for artists like Oscar Wilde to express a flawed interpretation of life in nineteenth-century England. Wilde's attack on the ethics of his age is an attempt to fulfill the author's prophecy that art has the power to dictate life, not simply imitate it (614-615). In an era when the world measured progress in empirical research, Wilde chose to use the English language rather than the scientific method as a means to transform society. The Importance of Being Earnest satirizes two major social constructs: social class and gender relations. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde mocks the upper class characters to bring about a change in the social construct of the class system. Is Wilde satirizing the upper class? pompous attitude, ideas of progress and emphasis on seriousness. Wilde identifies the pompous attitude of the upper class by creating characters with distorted perceptions of their self-importance in society. When the servant Lane says there were no cucumbers in the market, ?[n]even for ready money? (8), Algernon seems surprised that his wealth has not given him any chance of obtaining cucumbers compared to the common man. Algernon's subordinate view of Lane also symbolizes his arrogance. At the beginning of the story, Algernon wants to talk about himself with Lane, but... middle of paper... art impacts life instead of simply imitating it. Wilde was at the forefront of a movement of artists that deflected the boundaries of the scientific method to reform society. As The Importance of Being Earnest continues to thrive many years after it was written, Wilde's message of equality between social classes and genders transcends generations. Oscar Wilde managed to transform the landscape of art and society. Works Cited Keach, William, John Richetti, Bruce Robbins, and Carol Moulton, eds. Adventures in English Literature. Toronto: Holt, Rineheart and Winston, 1996. 599-615. Kishlansky, Mark, Patrick Geary, and Particia O'Brien. Civilizations in the West.New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers, 1998. 839-843.Wilde, Oscar. The importance of being serious. New York: Dover Publications, 1990.1-54.