SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE (THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING Essays

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE (THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST) The title of Oscar Wilde's most successful play The Importance of Being Earnest follows an English tradition of using multiple meanings of a word. In this play the word earnest has been used differently. The word "earnest" means honest", and "truth ful" and the name "Ernest" is the name of the alter ego that main character Jack Worthing uses to slide away from respo nsibilities. The reality is, however, that nobody in the play seems to be very "earnest" as it is. Algernon proudly and blatantly lies just about everything under the sun while Jack criticizes Algernon. This, he does while Jack ALSO lies about this so-called bad brother named Ernest whom he has to rescue all the time by going to the city and staying there paying for all his follies. On one level, you may say that the characters are not "earnest" in their behaviors; that they are all frivolous and irresponsible. On another level, each of the characters is precisely earnest in following their convictions. Cecily is adamantly earnest in having fallen in love with her guardian's rascally brother Earnest who lives and causes trouble in London. Gwendolyn is earnest in her conviction that she could never love anyone not named Earnest. Algernon is earnest in his need to be free to escape to the leisure of the country as a Bunburyist . John Worthing is wholeheartedly earnest in his ploy of escaping the tedium of the country by having an irresponsible brother named Earnest living in London who needs care. T he title of the play reflects that there is something valuable and even honorable about being "earnest", or honest , because when you are truthfull and serious about your belief you can earn respect and love of others. So being earnest makes you respectable and loveable among people.