The Importance of Being Earnest (A Trivial Comedy for Serious People) Oscar Wilde said "We should treat all the trivial things of life seriously and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality." This essay investigates how far "The Importance of Being Earnest" reflects this view on life. ... Earnest of the title is an adjective describing seriousness. Jack and Algernon are characters who lie in order to be Ernest, but in doing so they are not being earnest. ... Earnest as a noun means part payment made in advance to confirm a contract. ...

• Word Count: 2564
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School