Existentialism and Oscar Wilde

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the idea of identity in Oscar Wilde's play, "the Importance of Being Earnest" and in other Victorian works, and questions whether the individual or society shapes essence. The writer further discusses Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialist philosophy and how it relates to Wilde's play.The paper also looks at works by other authors where the characters decide how to behave based on their social status.

From the Paper:

"The plot of Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest is much involved with questions of identity and toys with the meaning of identity, especially in terms of the social conventions of British Victorian society. Wilde is not normally thought of as an existentialist, but many of the concerns he raises in this play and some of his other works mirror concerns of the existentialists, including the issues of identity and authenticity."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Penguin Books, 1985.
• Dickens, Charles. Hard Times. New York: Penguin Books, 1969.
• Ericksen, Donald H. Oscar Wilde. Boston: Twayne, 1977.
• Grene, Marjorie. Introduction to Existentialism. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1959.
• Sartre, Jean-Paul. Existentialism and Human Emotions. New York: Carol Group, 1995.

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