Question

In the play 'The Importance of Being Earnest,' what are the four main characters' relationships to reality, and how do they cope, romanticize, or escape from it? Name each character and explain what they do.

a) John - Reality escape, Algernon - Reality cope, Gwendolen - Reality romanticize, Cecily - Reality escape
b) John - Reality cope, Algernon - Reality romanticize, Gwendolen - Reality escape, Cecily - Reality cope
c) John - Reality romanticize, Algernon - Reality escape, Gwendolen - Reality cope, Cecily - Reality romanticize
d) John - Reality escape, Algernon - Reality romanticize, Gwendolen - Reality escape, Cecily - Reality cope

Answer 1

The main characters' relationships to reality in 'The Importance of Being Earnest' are: John escapes from reality, Algernon romanticizes his escapades, Gwendolen romanticizes her vision of love, and Cecily escapes through fantasy.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, a Comedy of Manners that satirizes the aristocracy, the four main characters have distinctive relationships with reality. John (Jack) Worthing uses the fictional brother Ernest to escape from reality and his responsibilities. When he is in the country, he is responsible Jack, but in town, he is the profligate Ernest, allowing him to indulge in a double life. Algernon Moncrieff, Jack's friend, also leads a double life by inventing an invalid friend, Bunbury, which allows him to romanticize his escapades under the guise of concern for his friend's health. Gwendolen Fairfax, who is fixated on the name Ernest, romanticizes her vision of love, demonstrating a detachment from the realistic aspects of a relationship. Lastly, Cecily Cardew, Jack's ward, escapes from her mundane life by fantasizing about a romance with the non-existent brother Ernest, whom she has never met.