1
Mr.Beerman
AdvancedPlacementEnglishLiterature
March25,2016
TruthLeadstoDestruction
Duringthelatenineteenthcentury,theworldwasfilledwithalifethatconsistedof
secrets,disguises,andfalseidentities.Thiswascreatedbecauseitwastheonlyformof
protectionthatpeoplehadfromsociety.Socialrulesduringthenineteenthcenturywere
extremelytraditionalandnothingelsewasconsideredtobesociallyacceptable.OscarWildewas
onewhowastrappedinaworldthatwouldneveraccepthimifhistruthwastoberevealed.The
reasonforWilde’ssecretsstemmedfrom“sodomywasacrimepunishablebydeatheitherby
hangingorburning.WhiletherestofEuropeslowlydecriminalizedsodomyduringthelate
eighteenthearlynineteenthcentury,Englanddramaticallyincreaseditspersecutions(Byrne)”.It
wasextremelydifficultforsomeonesowellknowninsocietytoexposethetruthbecauseserious
consequenceswouldfollow.ThroughOscarWilde’splayTheImportanceofBeingEarnest,
Wildeapplieshisreallifestrugglesintoacomedicplaythatwascreatedtosatisfytheupper
crustofsociety.Interestingly,theupperclassreallyenjoyedOscarWilde’sworkeventhough
theydidn’tgrasptherealconceptbehindit.OscarWildeappliedasmallportionofhistruthin
hisplay,butdisguiseditwithawordcalledbunburying.Bunburyingdidnotonlydisguise
Wilde’sactionsinhisplay,butithadadeepermeaning.Bunburyingbecameamaskthatwas
usedtohideanunwantedidentityfromtheworldinordertoprotectthelifeandreputationofan
individualbecausetruthoftenleadstodestruction.
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Inthebeginningoftheplay,BunburyingisintroducedasAlgernon’salterego.Later,it
wasdiscoveredthatthetermwasusedwhenAlgernonpretendedtobesomeonehewasnot,
whichgavethistermadeepermeaning.ThiswasessentialforAlgernonintheplaybecausewith
thisfalseidentity,hewasacceptedbyCecily.HavingafalseidentityintheplaygaveJackand
Algernontheabilitytobecomeclosetothepeopleoftheupperclassbecausewithoutthisfalse
identify,JackandAlgernonwouldnotbeconsideredsociallyacceptable.Forexample,Algernon
explainsbunburyingas“ThisghastlystateofthingsiswhatyoucallBunburying,Isuppose?
Algernon.Yes,andaperfectlywonderfulBunburyitis.ThemostwonderfulBunburyIhave
everhadinmylife(Act2)”.TheabilitytobunburywaspreferablebecauseitgaveAlgernonand
Jackopportunitiesthattheydidn’thavewhentheywerepurelybeingthemselves.Itgavethem
theabilitytomeetnewpeople,itgavethemabetterimage,andmostimportantly,theywere
consideredverypopularinsocialsettings.Anotherreasonwhybunburyingwassoimportantfor
AlgernonandJackwasbecauseitgavethemtheabilitytobecomesurroundedbypeoplesuchas
LadyBracknell.LadyBracknellistheepitomeofsomeonewhoWildehadtoprotecthimself
fromduringhistime.Shewasextremelyrudeandonlycaredaboutwealthandherrolein
society.Shehadverystrictandtraditionalstandards,andsomeonelikeJackWorthingwouldnot
beenoughtomarrysomeonelikeGwendolyn,LadyBracknell’sdaughter.Jackwasnot
consideredassomeoneofgreatwealthandneitherwasAlgernon,butwhentheydisguised
themselveswiththenameEarnest,itgavethemsomesortofpower,butonlyforashortperiod
oftime.
BunburyingwasnotonlyprevalentinthelivesofAlgernonandJack,butitwaskeyto
Wilde’slifeaswell.JackandAlgernonarecharactersthathavebeenthoughttoresembleOscar
WildeandLordDouglas.ThisshowsthatWildecontributedaspectsofhislifeinThe
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ImportanceofBeingEarnest.Contributinghiseverydaylifeintheplay,Wildegavesocietya
partofhimthatwastrue,buthehadtoindirectlypresenthistruthtosociety.Thereasonfor
Wilde’screationofbunburywasvitalbecauseitwasprevalentinhiseverydaylifebecausehis
trueselfwasnowherenoclosetobeingsociallyacceptable.Peoplelookedathiswork
differentlyandtheyquestionthewayheusedthewordsbunburyandearnest.Somepeople
thoughtthatWildewassendingasecretmessagewithstating“Was‘Earnest’acodewordfor
‘homosexual,’givinganextraspecialmeaningtotheplay’sconcludingline,“I’venowrealized
forthefirsttimeinmylifethevitalimportanceofbeingEarnest”?Forthatmatter,was
“Bunburying”adoublepunforsodomy(Bates)”.Wildeestablishedasecretunderlyingmessage
inhiswork,buthiswholelifewasasecretidentitythatcouldnotbeexposed.Theclosestway
Wildecouldexposehistruthwaswithhisplay,whichwashardforhimgivingthefactthathis
beliefsandperspectiveswereillegalduringthattime.TheonlythingthatWildeknew
throughouthislifewasthathewaswrongandhehadtohidewhohewas,sothatisexactlywhat
hedidwithwritingtheplay,hehidhistrueidentityintheplaywhichwashisformofusinghis
mask.
Wildehadtousehismaskinordertoprotecthimself.ThelastthingWildewantedtodo
wasruinhisnameandhissuccesswithintheelitegroupsofsociety.“Wildewasarich,
glamorous,aristocraticcelebrity,famousforhiswitandfunnyplays”(Elfeinbein).Wildehadan
outstandingreputationthatwaswellknownandwellliked,yetWildeknewthatifhismaskwas
takenfromhim,hispowerandhisfamewouldbedestroyed.Wilde’suseofhismaskcreatedhis
reputationofbeingknownasthe“toastofthetown”andheestablishedasimilarparallelinThe
ImportanceofBeingEarnest.Intheplay,AlgernonandJackputontheirmasksbypretendingto
beEarnest.PretendingtobeEarnestgavethemtheopportunitytobewithCecilyand
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Gwendolyn,butGwendolynandCecilyweresimplyinlovewiththenamethatAlgernonand
Jackintroducedthemselvesas.ConnectingthisideatoWilde’slife,itseemsasifWildefeltasif
peoplewerejustinlovewithhisnameandthefamethatcamewithhisnamebecausenoone
trulyknewwhoOscarWildereallywas.Wildeknewthatifitwasn’tforhismask,hewouldn’t
havebeensuchasuccess.NotonlydidthemaskprovideWildewithfameandprotection,butit
alsogavehimtheabilitytosurvive.
SurvivalwasahugeaspectofWilde’slifebecausebeinggaywasasin,andifsomeone
wasgay,theywouldbeimprisonedorexecuteddependingonthecircumstances.Themaskwas
essentialforWildebecauseitprovidedhissecurity,survivalandhisfame.InTheImportanceof
BeingEarnest,Wildeputssomeofthehardshipsofhislifethatrevolvearoundbeing
homosexual,butinterestingly,hethrowshisrealityintoaplay,somethingthatistheoppositeof
realism.Wilde’sonlysenseofrealitywasinaplay,somethingthatismeanttobecompletely
unrealisticanditwasusedforentertainment.Wilde’smaskishisplayinthesensethatThe
ImportanceofBeingEarnestbroughthimfameanditkepthissecretshiddensothatthecommon
manwouldn’tbeabletounderstandtheunderlyingmessagesthatwerepresented.Unfortunately,
notallsecretscanbehiddenforeverandWilde’smaskwastakenfromhim.InTheImportance
ofBeingEarnest,cucumbersandwichesplayapivotalroleinthefactthattheywerethereason
thatresultedinWilde’sdownfall.“Pleasedon’ttouchthecucumbersandwiches.Theyare
orderedspeciallyforAuntAugusta”(Act1).AuntAugustawasapartoftheuppercrustof
societyandthecucumbersandwicheswerespecificallymadeforher.Thisshowsthatthe
cucumbersandwichesrepresenttheupperclassofsociety.Theupperclassofsocietywaswhat
broughtWilde’sreputationdownbecausenotonlywasWildegay,buthewasalsooneofthe
mostfamouspeopleofhistimeandthatwasunacceptableforsocietytoallowthattohappen.
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WhentheelitefoundoutaboutWilde’smask,thefirstthingtheywantedtodowasdestroyhim,
andthattheydid.
DestructionwassomethingthatwasverysuddenandunexpectedforWilde.Hewas
ruinedduringhistrialbecauseheknewthathislifewouldnolongerbethesame.Duringthe
trial,“In1895,aLondonjuryfoundOscarWildeguiltyofviolatingSection11oftheCriminal
LawAmendmentAct.Forhiscrime,Wildespenttwoyearsinprison”.Wilde’sdestruction
didn’tstemfromthefactthathewasnolongerthe“toastofthetown”,butthatfactthathelost
everyonethattrulylovedandmostimportantly,understoodhim.Histruthwastakenawayfrom
himandsowashishappiness.ThisresultedinWildebeingalonewhichiswhatcompletely
destroyedhim.Beingalonewashisdestructionbecausebeinghomosexualautomaticallyisolated
alargeamountofpeopleandWildegotatasteofrealityandwhatitwasliketotrulybewhohe
was,whichwasalone,andinprison.ThiswasdramaticforWildebecauseonedayhewasoneof
themostfamouspeopleinEngland,andthenext,hewaslockedinsideofaprisoncell.After
beinginjailfortwoyears,Wildeclaimedthathecouldnolongerproduceanymoreofhiswork.
Thiscouldhavebeenbecausehehadnoonetowriteforbecausehisboyfriendwouldnolonger
agreetoseehimafterhiswasimprisoned,or,itcouldhavebeenbecausethethrillofdiscreetly
sendingmessagesthroughhisworkswouldhavebeendiscoveredinaninstantbecauseWilde’s
maskwasrevealedtotheworld,andtherewasnopointofproducinganymorework.
Ifitwasn’tforWilde’swork,andmostimportantlyBunbury,Wilde’slegacywouldn’tbe
asgreatasitistoday.Wildebroughtadifferentperspectivetohissocietythattheyonce
appreciatedbutafterdiscoveringthetruth,theyhadtopretendnottoappreciatehisabilities.
Truth,andWilde’smaskplayedahugeroleinhislifeandhetiredtohideitbecausehewas
forcedto.WhenWilde’smaskcameoff,Wildesawthisassomethingextremelynegative
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becausehewasexposed,butwhatifanissuelikethiswasneverrevealedtotheworld?We
wouldstillbelivinginaworldthatimprisonspeoplefortheirsexualityandtheirbeliefs.Society
wouldn’thavecometotherealizationthatpeoplearehidingfromtheworldbecausetheyare
scaredandthattheycouldpotentiallybedestroyed.Themoresocietyisexposedtothetruth,the
moreitbecomesnormalandthatishowsocietylearnsandcopeswithdifferencesintheworld,
bylearningandunderstanding,notbyimprisonmentanddeath.Wildecreatedafoundationthat
provedthatanyone,nomatterwhatranktheyhaveinsociety,orwhotheyloved,hasthe
opportunitytobecomesuccessful.Sincethen,societyhasbeenpresentedthoseideasandhave
slowlyadaptedtothem.BecauseofWilde,societycannowstarttosay“NowIunderstandthe
ImportanceofBeingEarnest”(Act3).
OurworldhasbecomeextremelyprogressiveeversinceWilde’stime,andunfortunately,
hehadtoliveduringatimewheresecrecyandfalseidentitywastheonlychanceofsurvival.For
ashortperiodoftime,Wildeintegratedsomeofhistruestrugglesintohisworkandthisresulted
inhisextraordinaryfame.Today,WildeisnotonlyfamousbecauseofhisplayTheImportance
ofBeingEarnest,buttheunderlyingmessageshiddenwithinit.Today,wearelearninghis
struggleandhisfamousworkasoneunit,showingthatsocietyisacceptinghimforwhohewas.
Overall,truthdestroyedWilde,buthisdestructionbecameoneofthereasonsforour
progression.
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WorkCited
Bates,Robin."TheVitalImportanceofBeingGay."BetterLivingthroughBeowulf.N.p.,27
June2011.Web.28Mar.2016.
Elfenbein,Andrew.“OntheTrialsofOscarWilde:MythsandRealities.”BRANCH:Britain,
RepresentationandNineteenth-CenturyHistory.Ed.DinoFrancoFelluga.Extensionof
RomanticismandVictorianismontheNet.Web.[Here,addyourlastdateofaccessto
BRANCH].
Nelson,Max."SufferingIsOneVeryLongMoment."TheParisReviewRSS.N.p.,n.d.Web.28
Mar.2016.
Wilde,Oscar.TheImportanceofBeingEarnest.NewYork:DoverPublications,1990.Print.
"Wildelibeltranscript."Wildelibeltranscript.N.p.,n.d.Web.28Mar.2016.