After coming to this realization, we are able to disregard the characters’ artificial natures and finally conclude that Jack is moral and Algernon is immoral solely on the basis of their personalities, rather than on any degree of artificiality they display. It then aims to demonstrate that artificiality should be morally neutral because every human being is required to be artificial in life. The first goal is to establish Algernon and Jack as opposite characters who are both artificial because they both put on a performance, or pretend to be Ernest. It explores the idea of performance, specifically, how the main characters’ personalities both change and remain unchanged within these performances. This paper links Oscar Wilde‘s play, The Importance of Being Earnest, to aestheticism, the movement to which Wilde belonged. Can you forgive me?” -Jack Worthing, Act III I could deny anything if I liked.” -Jack Worthing, Act II “In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.” – Gwendolen Fairfax, Act III “Gwendolen, it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth. Aestheticism, Performance and The Importance of Being Earnest
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