Ernest This shows their love is based on something trivial Wilde mocks the shallow and foolish nature of upper-class romance Marriage as a Social Tool Marriage in the play is shown as a social contract Love is less important than wealth and family Lady Bracknell is the strongest voice here She rejects Jack when she learns of his mysterious background In Act I she says To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune to lose both looks like carelessness Her words are comic but also cruel Marriage here is not about feelings but about social status and security Hypocrisy and Double Identity Wilde also exposes hypocrisy in upper-class life Jack and Algernon both create false identities Jack pretends to have a wicked brother named Ernest In Act I he admits I have always pretended to have a younger brother of the name of Ernest Algernon invents a sick friend called Bunbury to escape duties Both characters represent how upper-class men avoided responsibility with lies This highlights the false appearances behind their polished manners The Ridiculousness of Social Etiquette Victorian society was full of silly manners Wilde shows this through comic situations Even food becomes part of social battles In Act II Algernon says My duty as a gentleman has never interfered with my pleasures in the smallest degree This reveals the selfishness of upper-class gentlemen Their so-called duty is only a mask Wilde mocks how small habits and false rules seemed more important than honesty or kindness Obsession with Wealth and Class The play also criticizes the obsession with money Lady Bracknell first disapproves of Cecily as a match for Algernon She thinks Cecily is not wealthy enough But when she learns Cecily has a large inheritance she quickly changes and supports the marriage In Act III she exclaims A hundred and thirty thousand pounds And in the Funds Miss Cardew seems to me a most attractive young lady now that I look at her Her change shows how love and family mattered less than wealth Wilde reveals the materialistic values of the upper class In short Wilde presents Victorian upper-class society with laughter in The Importance of Being Earnest He shows their superficial marriages false identities and obsession with wealth The play is both comic and critical Wilde entertains but also exposes the emptiness of social values through sharp wit and humour