The Universal Humor of Oscar Wilde

Known as the best dramatic masterpiece penned by Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest offers a unique social commentary applicable not only to the Victorian society but also to the world at large. Through the literary usage of blatant epigrams, absurd paradoxes, and illogical statements, Wilde brings forth the familiar, universal aspects of humor that one can easily identify in real life, regardless of time or culture.

As the master of epigrams, Wilde does not stop at merely being witty; he treats them with utmost candor. Algernon's statement about relatives, whom he considers to be "a tedious pack of people... haven't the remotest knowledge of how to live nor the smallest instinct about when to die", illustrates Wilde's candor in its most blatant manner (Wilde 15). Algernon's complaint immediately calls to mind the image of bothersome relatives who badger other family members for money. Here, the epigram demonstrates the decadence of kinship, a type of social disintegration that manifests in all societies. Another blatant epigram, again voiced by Algernon, states that "the only way to behave to a woman is to make love to her, if she is pretty, and to someone else, if she is plain" (16). The indirect attack, which lends to the comedic effect, targets the superficial and lustful men who place face value and personal pleasure above all else in their relationship with women. Unfortunately, such men-like the pesky relatives-never die out.

Wildean paradoxes operate on the basis of humor that pokes fun at ungracious behaviors of certain people in society. Though Algernon's statement "it is awfully hard work doing nothing" seems absurd, the paradox rings true when one takes into account the indolent, parasitic aristocrats who live off their inheritance money (Wilde 17). They engage in absolutely no productive activity, which they happily consider a fitting occupation, since they cannot stoop to the level of servants by working. Neither sparing the upper-class nor the feminine sex, Wilde proceeds to mock the aging women who deny their true age. According to Lady Bracknell, "no woman should ever be accurate about her age. It looks so calculating" (49). The paradox effectively conveys humor through its portrayal of women who have a perpetual dread of admitting their age; so that even when they do speak the truth, it seems manipulated and false. Encountered and experienced by people across cultures, this age-denial mentality among women still persists unto this date.

Similar to the paradoxes and epigrams, Wilde's illogical statements serve the purpose of satirizing conventional societal values. In the words of Cecily, "an engagement is hardly serious if it hadn't been broken off at least once" (Wilde 33). Rationality dictates that one should not treat any engagement with slight. However, with this unorthodox statement, Wilde intends to satirize the conventional mold that most romantic novels emerge from. To qualify as serious, the engagement must be voided initially and able to endure until the end-as a testimony to the power of love. Another conventional social trend subjected to mockery arises when Lady Bracknell orders Jack to "acquire some relations as soon as possible...make a definite effort to produce at any rate one parent of either sex before the season is over" (15). Under this statement, all natural order of life goes awry because a person supposedly can "produce" parents and "acquire" relatives at will. Nonetheless, in a superficial society that requires the existence of a family for the sole purpose of display and background check, the illogic becomes a common practice. Individuals who eagerly pursue wealth or social status often have no qualms about employing others to act as their relatives-another form of social decadence among people that Wilde implies.

Humor is only funny when one can relate to it. Knowing this rule of thumb, Wilde incorporates the universal, comedic aspects from real life, adds in his own witticism, and creates a play that transcends beyond time and society.

Works Cited

Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest.