Consider the theme of marriage; by using textual evidence, create an argument stating what Wilde is trying to say about marriage and why he might be saying this.
Consider the theme of marriage; by using textual evidence, create an argument stating what Wilde is trying to say about marriage and why he might be saying this.
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The Importance of Being Earnest Theme of Marriage
The big question The Importance of Being Earnest raises is whether marriage is pleasurable or a restrictive social duty. In general, the older generation thinks of marriage as a means to an end, a way of maintaining or bettering your social position. If you want to get married, you submit to an interrogation: "State your name, rank, and serial number." The number that matters in this case, however, is your income; you better have bank. You also need to have an acceptable title, along with the parents to prove it. The hot-blooded youngsters think they are interested in love. One of the huge ironies in the play – and what makes it a satire of Victorian society – is that, in the end, nobody really breaks the rules. They color within the lines, and marry exactly the type of person their society are expects them to.
Source(s): http://www.shmoop.com/importance-of-being-earnest/marriage-theme.html
shmoop has four pages of quotes on marriage with accompanying explanations. I have provided you with the link below;
Source(s): http://www.shmoop.com/importance-of-being-earnest/marriage-quotes.html
