Final answer:
The correlation between Bunburrying and wearing social masks illustrates the theme of duplicity and societal facade, which is exemplified by the characters Jack and Algernon in Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Earnest' who invent alternate identities to escape social constraints.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correlation between "Bunburrying" and wearing social masks pertains to the theme of duplicity and the facade that characters create in society. This concept is explored in Oscar Wilde's play 'The Importance of Being Earnest,' where characters lead double lives for various reasons. The term Bunburrying is coined by the character Algernon to describe the invention of a fictional person, which provides an excuse to escape from social obligations and indulge in another life. In the play, both Jack and Algernon lead double lives: Jack is known as Ernest in the city and Jack in the countryside, while Algernon creates a fictional invalid friend named Bunbury, to have a reason to leave town whenever it suits him. These characters use these aliases as a mask to navigate through the constraints of their social worlds, highlighting the theme of wearing 'social masks'. The double lives of Jack and Algernon allow them to explore different aspects of their identities and escape the rigid Victorian social norms. They reveal much about character, motivations, and the societal standards of their time, suggesting that individuals often present different personas in different contexts to conform to the expectations placed upon them.