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This article lists different etiquettes and manners not only for social instants but for bathing as well. I thought that adding having rules for bathing was weird and funny. I'm glad they added it.

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There were countless rules of social manners and etiquette during the Victorian Era (1837-1901), though they now may seem a bit old-fashioned.

To guide the uninitiated, Thomas E. Hill compiled a list of dos and don'ts in his Manual of Social and Business Forms, first published in 1875. Here are some of our favorite practices of social etiquette from the Victorian Era.(Note: Requires a sense of humor!)

Hygiene Etiquette

Bathing: "Upon arising, take a complete bath. A simple washing out of the eyes is not sufficient. The complete bathing of the body once each day is of the utmost importance. Not more than a quart of water is necessary, preferably rainwater."

Hair: "The head should be washed occasionally with soap and water. When the hair is inclined to be harsh and dry, a moderate application of bear's grease or other dressing should be used."

Skin: "Beware of exterior applications of cosmetics. Instead, once every two or three months, take a teaspoonful of powdered charcoal mixed with sweetened water or milk. This will prove efficacious in making the complexion clear and transparent."

Kissing: "Upon the meeting of intimate friends, among ladies, at the private house, the kiss as a mode of salutation is yet common; but this is a custom which ought to be abolished for physiological and other reasons."

Social Etiquette and Manners

Bowing: "A gentleman should not bow from a window to a lady on the street, though he may bow slightly from the street upon being recognized by a lady in a window. Such recognition should, however, generally be avoided, as gossip is likely to attach undue importance to it when seen by others."

Dignity: "To greet someone by saying 'Hello, old fellow' indicates ill-breeding. If you are approached in this vulgar manner, it is better to give a civil reply and address the person respectfully, in which case he is quite likely to be ashamed of his own conduct."

Small talk: "No topic of absorbing interest may be admitted to polite conversation. It might lead to discussion."

Conduct to avoid at the ball: "No gentleman should enter the ladies' dressing room at a ball."

Card-playing: "If possible, do not violate the rules of the game and do not cheat. Should you observe anyone cheating, quietly and very politely call it to his attention, and be careful that you do not get excited. People who experience ill-feeling at the game should avoid playing."

Marriage: "Anyone with bright red hair and a florid complexion should marry someone with jet-black hair. The very corpulent should marry the thin and spare, and the body, wiry, cold-blooded should marry the round-featured, warmhearted, emotional type."

Husbands: "Always leave home with a tender goodbye and loving words. They may be the last."

Train travel: "People with weak eyes should avoid reading on trains, and those with weak lungs should avoid talking."

Street etiquette: "When crossing the pavement, a lady should raise her dress with the right hand, a little about the ankle. To raise the dress with both hands is vulgar and can only be excused when mud is very deep."

Want more folklore? Check out 100 Ways to Avoid Dying or learn some Herbal Folklore!

Do you know of any other Victorian Era traditions or etiquette? Let us know in the comments!

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There were countless rules of social manners and etiquette during the Victorian Era (1837-1901), though they now may seem a bit old-fashioned. To guide the uninitiated, Thomas E. Hill compiled a list of dos and don'ts in his Manual of Social and Business Forms, first published in 1875.

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This video has 6 crazy and/bizarre rule from 1868. It shows this rules in a way that keeps your interested, is fun, and has "top tier" acting. My favorite rule is rule number 3. Its not a rule that doesn't really make sense, and his acting was great.

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6 Victorian Etiquette Rules YOU Didn't Know About! | British History

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A Victorian Woman explains what life was like...

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A Victorian Woman explains what life was like...

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This woman is 108 years old, and started her own beauty business in Paris and London during the Victorian time period. In the video she mentions that now, everything is changed when it comes to women and the expectation that they had. Starting a business now is hard for anyone, men and women alike. Then, women were not allowed to work or even step foot into a school to get an education. Florence also mentions the style, and how women showing their ankle can be considered scandalous.

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Victorian women | Life in Victorian times | 108 year old woman | Money Go Round | 1977

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The Upper class, Middle class, and the lower class

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The Upper class, Middle class, and the lower class

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This site does a great job of explaining what life was like in each three classes; the upper class such as the royals, the officers and lords. The middle class, merchants and shopkeepers, and bank accountants. Then finally the lower class, people who would take any job they could get their hands on as most were unskilled in any type of job.   It also goes into working conditions of  the classes and how people treated each other based on what class you were in. This still can be relatable today as people with a lot of money tend to look down on or ignore those with little.

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The appearance in the Victorian Era had a very unique and polished type of clothing style. Everyone had a British culture and loved to show off their attire. The rich and the poor were expect to look alike, which was "impractical" and some of the clothing styles they wore was very uncomfortable. The women wore long dresses with bonnets to complement the outfit. They would also wear long boots that would lace up to support their ankles. The men would wear suits with a waistcoat and trousers. They would have a top hat to go along with each suit they wore and also they would have a cane to go along.

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The Victorian fashion era began with Queen Victoria's reign in 1837 and ended in 1901, upon her death. It marked a pivotal time in Britain's history and around the world. In fashion, the Victorian era is an elaborate display of class, wealth, beauty, and purpose for women and men. The layers of dress and suiting required for poor and rich alike were impractical, sometimes even uncomfortable, but always beautifully fashionable. Victorian fashion began with large dresses, poke bonnets, and modest coverings for the ladies, all while men displayed color, pattern, and rigidity in their attire. By the end of the era, a simpler silhouette was making waves, leading the next Edwardian generation to new freedoms in life and fashion.

To summarize Victorian fashion, nearly 70 years of clothing styles, in one article would be a daunting task (not to mention very long read). Instead, the following links will guide you to many articles about specific years, general styles, or accessories that make up Victorian fashion. The purpose is not only to educate about (mostly upper class) Victorian fashions, but to give you practical tips, links, and purchasing options for creating your own Victorian costume.

My first foray into the world of historical costuming began with the Victorian era at a ball where ladies danced in the most elegant hooped dresses I have ever seen. From that moment on, I was hooked. My quest to make my own Victorian gown for the next ball began with a pattern, some fabric, and not nearly enough research since I ended up creating an 18th century (1780s) dress! My research and writing here at VintageDancer is my attempt to curb those beginner pitfalls while being mindful of budget, time, and ability constraints.

New articles are always in progress and questions are welcomed. On to the Victorian fashion!

Victorian Fashion Dresses

*** Shop Victorian era dresses and costumes - Ready made and some made to order costumes online.

Victorian Outerwear & Underwear

Victorian Shoes

***Shop Ladies Victorian boots and shoes - Boots and shoes for any budget

Victorian Women's Hats

*** Shop Women's Victorian hats - Ready made hat forms, decorated hats, bonnets, patterns

Victorian Accessories

Victorian Beauty - Hairstyles, Makeup

Victorian Men's Fashion Guides

Victorian Men's Fashion - An overview of men's Victorian era fashion

Victorian Men's Fashion guide - A guide to creating the Victorian look with new or repro men's clothing

Victorian Mens Shoes - Learn about Victorian style boots and shoes for men and the best reproduction men's shoes

Victorian Formal Wear - A guide to the history of Victorian men's formal wear with recommendations on how to pull off the Victorian look with modern clothing.

Victorian Costumes - Shop Victorian men's Halloween costumes with classic characters such as Rhett Butler, Sweeny Todd, Sherlock Holmes, Scrooge

Victorian Children's Fashion

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The Victorian fashion era began with Queen Victoria's reign in 1837 and ended in 1901, upon her death. It marked a pivotal time in Britain's history and around the world. In fashion, the Victorian era is an elaborate display of class, wealth, beauty, and purpose for women and men.

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What is Satire? This video gives an upfront guide for both teachers and students to understand the subject. 

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What is Satire? This video gives an upfront guide for both teachers and students to understand the subject. 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io58hl1Z0TY

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is Satire?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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During Victorian times they had a "marriage season" where relationships would began to plan for their future. In 1823the legal age to get married was 21 years old for both men and women, but after a man could marry someone as young as 14 and 12 years old without parental consent. Marriage back then you would call illegal in today's age. They also had sets of rules on what you can't and can do like; you could not marry a dead wife's sister because they found it illegal but you can marry a first cousin. Marriage was very important to their storyline. Marriage went by one class, meaning you couldn't marry at upper class or underclass it had to be within your class only.

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In the Victorian era there were rules to follow about marriage. There was a "marriage season" where many relationships had been put in place with a plan to the future in which was beginning a serious journey with marriage being the ultimate goal.

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This picture shows a woman in the home doing house chores and taking care of her child. Women were expected to care for the home and, as you can see, there is no man to be found. Women made the home, while men made the money. Men had higher expectations given to them to be the "bread winner" and provide, which is still a stereotype today. Women are still seen as inferior to some and some say we should be left in the kitchen. Times have changed, but mindsets have not.

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I chose this picture because I liked it. I liked how the two gentleman are standing and the women's outfit. I also like how it is portraying one of the rules of etiquette and manners.

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This video goes into the history of the making of the classes and the many jobs of each class, and the differences of each class. As well as how Victoria made these classes in order to keep the higher ups in power.

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I picked this photo because it really describes how the classes worked and how the lower class really struggles to live.

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Each individual had their own idea of what it meant to actually be earnest, to where they are willing to pay "any price". They would over work themselves, get multiple jobs, change their wardrobes in order to obtain the expectations of being earnest or at least look like it. 

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Each individual had their own idea of what it meant to actually be earnest, to where they are willing to pay "any price". They would over work themselves, get multiple jobs, change their wardrobes in order to obtain the expectations of being earnest or at least look like it. 

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https://www.bachelorandmaster.com/globaldrama/satire-in-importance-of-being-earnest.html

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In this play The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde satirized the Victorian age. By making a mockery of the Victorian ideals, Wilde threw a satirical spotlight on the Victorian age as a whole. The Victorian society fell in a passionate love with the idea of earnestness. The idea of living in an earnest manner was the topmost ideals of the Victorian society. Earnestness was held as the virtue sublime in the Victorian society.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

The society was so attached to the fake ideals of earnestness that it was ready to pay any price for it. This frenzied and frantic thrust towards the ideals pressurized individuals to live a double life. People became double dealers in an attempt to live life earnestly. The late nineteenth century British people gradually became hypocritical in their fashionable and faddish struggle to obtain the ideals of earnestness. This line of rush for the earnest life made people compromise with anything. Ugly, selfishness, unnecessary pride, false sense of self-worth and dangerous haughtiness developed as evils which corroded the simple charm and unspoiled nature of people. The Victorian society was outwardly flowery. It was artificial and hollow within.

The upper middle class haughty and arrogance nature is critiqued by Wilde. Lady Bracknell arrogantly dismisses Jack's proposal to Gwendolen. Her haughty manner makes an appearance when she interrogates Jack whether he is really qualified to be her son in law or not. To the utter shame of the readers, she had kept all the bio-data and testimonials of those who dared to propose to Gwendolen, but proved unqualified suitors for her daughter. It is really unbecoming of lady Bracknell to take such a complete control over her daughter's right to choose a suitable life friend. This haughty trend available in the upper middle class people is critically exposed by Wilde in this play.

In the play two characters are shown putting the virtue of earnestness on the pedestal. Jack Worthing and Algernon are those characters who are obsessed with the name earnestness. Jack lives in a country house. He knows it clearly that modern Victorian lady in urban society falls quickly in love with a man named Earnest. But he had a country name Jack. So to arrest the love of an urban lady Jack took another fictitious name Earnest and went to London. This kind of hypocritical life of Jack is an example of double life. Why Jack took the name Earnest? The answer is an urban lady loves only those whose names are Earnest. Because Victorian society permitted youths to lead a double life, Jack chose that name. The faddish cult of living an earnest life was on the rise in the Victorian society. Therefore Jack engaged in the cult of Bunburying. With the name Earnest Jack went to town to meet his friend, Algernon. He met Gwendolen. Gwendolen knew his name was Earnest. She fell in love with him on the spot. From Gwendole's behavior, readers come to know how ridiculous the Victorian society had become. What can be more ludicrous than the statement of Gwendolen, who says, "I love you because your name is Ernest?" What kind of love, it is whose foundation is not devotion on the part of lower but a mere verbal charm of name? What does the society get from those people who fall in love out of the magical, charm of name only? Jack, and Gwendolen alone are not accountable for the shallowness and artificiality that degrades the society. It is the then Victorian society which made room for youths to run after a depthless and essence-less life. Her mad thirst for love based on the charming name earnest made Gwendolen's love substance-less. Jack's hypocritical style of living in town by the fictitious name earnest made him a double dealer. Jack became liar in the process of living an earnest life. He told his ward, Cecily that his brother named Earnest lives in town, he falls sick, so he has to visit him in town.

In the same and a similar way, Algernon took a false name earnest, and went to the village to earn the love of Cecily. Algernon had known that Cecily loves Jack's fictitious brother named Earnest. So Algernon went to meet her under the impression that he is Jack's brother.

Both man and woman became the victims of hypocrisy, and the vice of double dealing. These evils persisted in Victorian society. Particularly, the upper middle classes were encumbered by the folly of rushing for the hollow ideals of earnestness. Both Jack and Algernon represent the upper middle class. Their lives were full of vices and follies.

Oscar Wilde has attacked the Victorian age for its attachment to loveless life. The love defined by the Victorian society was devoid of love. In the play Wilde shows Jack and Algernon are being in loveless love with Gwendolen and Cecily respectively. Even Gwendolen and Cecily love their respective lovers for their noble names Ernest only and not for them. We are ashamed to hear such a declaration of love. Love for the name of beloved and not for him/her become the driving principle of youth. This love devoid of emotional depth is satirized by Wilde in the play.

In the play we find Gwendolen following the dictates of the fashions. In this direction of obeying the sovereign tyranny of the fashion she lost even a remnant of courage to assert her will. This ludicrous plight of Gwendolen can be seen in her submissive reactions to every word of her mother.

The Victorian morality is slightly hinted at by Wilde in a satirical manner. Dr. Chasuble's relaxed concentration on Sermon reveals his loose preoccupation with moral consciousness. The moral consciousness of the Victorian people can be known a bit from the religious commitment of Dr. Chasuble. Chasuble is the sort of priest who gives sermons repeatedly with a view to satisfy the moods of the attendants. Instable moral consciousness of Dr. Chasuble reflects from his surrender to the affections of Mrs. Prism. From Chasuble's moral predicament readers come across the satirical standpoint of the dramatist regarding the wavering moral faith in the Victorian society. Life in Victorian society was full of hustle and bustle. People were anxious. Much more business kept people confined in their own privacy. The deeply hidden anxiety made Victorian people absent-minded. Miss Prism is a victim of Victorian absent-mindedness.

The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest as a Comedy of Manners Dramatic Technique in The importance of Being Earnest The Changing Status of Women in The Importance of Being Earnest

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A Satire on the Victorian Age in The Importance of Being Earnest

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In this play The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde satirized the Victorian age. By making a mockery of the Victorian ideals, Wilde threw a satirical spotlight on the Victorian age as a whole. The Victorian society fell in a passionate love with the idea of earnestness.

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Women and Men had one main goal in life...

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Women and Men had one main goal in life...

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Women in this Victorian time period were expected to marry and learn about the business of their husbands and be involved. Education was not allowed outside of house chores and their children. Even when a maid was present, they were not expected to do house work, but had to be "ignorant" and act a certain way to appease their husband. Even though women had a prevalent role in society, men were also expected to live up to the standards that society gave them. They were expected to have material success and to disassociate from life in the home. Gender roles today are still similar, but now the parents being absent from the home is highly frowned upon and gender roles are slowly being pushed back from society.

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Felicia Appell

During the Victorian era, men and women searched for an ideal relationship based on the expectations of a demanding society. After reading the researched expectations of men and women of the Victorian era and relating them to Wilde's two works, readers can acknowledge the effect the expectations have on these characters; especially the men. Analyzing the characters in Oscar Wilde's works show how the expectations of society effects the characters' behavior and their reaction to society's ideals.Oscar Wilde examines the impact of Victorian society's unrealistic expectations on the individual in The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray, showing how rejection, whether from a potential partner or society as a whole, can lead to deceit and engaging in a double life in order to satisfy conventions.

During the Victorian era, men and women searched for an ideal relationship based on the expectations of a demanding society.If a man or woman did not posses the qualities desired by the Victorian society, the opposite sex may have dismissed the person as an unsuitable mate. Oscar Wilde examines the impact of Victorian society's unrealistic expectations on the individual in The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray, showing how rejection, whether from a potential partner or society as a whole, can lead to deceit and engaging in a double life in order to satisfy conventions.

Women in the Victorian society had one main role in life, which was to marry and take part in their husbands' interests and business. Before marriage, they would learn housewife skills such as weaving, cooking, washing, and cleaning, unless they were of a wealthy family.If they were wealthy, they did not always learn these tasks because their maids primarily took care of the household chores.Typically, women were also not allowed to be educated or gain knowledge outside of the home because it was a man's world.One critic, Richard D. Altick states, "a woman was inferior to a man in all ways except the unique one that counted most [to a man]:her femininity.Her place was in the home, on a veritable pedestal if one could be afforded, and emphatically not in the world of affairs" (Altick 54).Patriarchal society did not allow women to have the same privileges as men.Consequently, women were ascribed the more feminine duties of caring for the home and pursuing the outlets of feminine creativity.

Innocence was what he demanded from the girls of his class, and they must not only be innocent but also give the outward impression of being innocent.White muslin, typical of virginal purity, clothes many a heroine, with delicate shades of blue and pink next in popularity.The stamp of masculine approval was placed upon ignorance of the world, meekness, lack of opinions, general helplessness and weakness; in short, recognition of female inferiority to the male (Petrie 184).

Just as men had expectations for the ideal Victorian women, the women and the rest of society had expectations for the ideal Victorian man.Ingrid Ranum's article discusses the modern Victorian language and the roles of both women and men.When discussing men and masculinity, she quotes scholar John Tosh: "'Becoming a man,' Tosh claims, 'involved detaching oneself from the home and its feminine comforts' and achieving 'a level of material success in the wider world' including 'the recognition of manhood by one's peers'" (Ranum 242).In other words, men not only had to gain women's respect before marriage, but they also had to impress the rest of society and their male gender.Men became victims of social pressures because their peers scrutinized their success.Michael Patrick Gillespie, author of " The Picture of Dorian Gray: 'What the World Thinks of Me,'" states, "throughout the nineteenth century certain values-duty, respectability, commercial success, middle-class morality-occupied a central position in the Victorian consciousness" (Gillespie 5). Victorian men were not only competing for respect within their own sex, but they needed to impress the women too.If they were not married, it depicted that they were not fully masculine because they did not have a family to support.Supporting a family was a sign of true success within the male sex; he continues to quote Tosh stating:

At the same time, however, 'only marriage could yield the full privileges of masculinity.'According to Tosh, 'To form a household, to exercise authority over dependents, and to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining and protecting them-these things set the seal on a man's gender identity'.Those household responsibilities-protecting, providing-are traditional and reinforce homosocial recognition and economic success. (Ingrid 242-43)

Prescribing the notion that women were born to dream of marriage, Cecily and Gwendolyn, from The Importance of Being Earnest, are caught up in the fantasies of the perfect marriage to the perfect earnest husband.Cecily and Gwendolyn are fixated on the name Earnest, almost as if it were an obsession; it is the ideal name for their future husbands.They are determined not to marry a man unless he is called Earnest because they believe a man with this name will automatically live up to the name's expectations of being serious, honorable, and moral.According to Walter E. Houghton, author of The Victorian Frame of Mind, there are two ways one can be earnest: intellectually and morally."To be earnest intellectually is to have or to seek to have genuine beliefs about the most fundamental questions in life" (Houghton 220).In other words, men in Victorian society needed to understand the conventions of life and not make mistakes people have in the past.They need knowledge on how to live a successful life.Houghton states: "To be earnest morally is to recognize that human existence is not a short interval between birth and death...but a spiritual pilgrimage from here to eternity in which he is called upon to struggle with all his power against the forces of evil..." (Houghton 221).A man should be able to live a moral life and recognize the differences between right and wrong.He must also live a spiritual life with God and stay true to his beliefs of purity and honesty.

In Wilde's play, he comically satirizes the name "Earnest," through the portrayal of two deceitful men whom the women fantasize as being ideal men worthy of marriage.These two men claim to live up to the Victorian ideals, but then live another life outside of the community to escape the society's pressures. Henceforth, in the play, the men fall under the pressure of women and Victorian ideals rather than staying true to their identity and personalities.

The pressure from the Victorian society influences the way Cecily and Gwendolyn view men.They dream of the prefect man to take them as their wife, and they believe it is the only way to satisfy the dream of marriage that Victorian women dream of since infancy, according to Petrie (Petrie 180). As they dream of the perfect man, Gwendolyn and Cecily have adopted the Victorian concept of the perfect man to shape their expectations of their potential husbands.Alan Ackerman argues the dangers in ideals, such as the ideal of a name: "'The false ideal[s] of our time' are shown to be disastrous in nearly every one of Wilde's plays.'Ideals are dangerous things,'"(Ackerman 142).While the ideal of a name may not cause physical danger, it may affect a couple's relationship emotionally because of the temptations to live up to the expectations of the partner.

Jack reveals a secret of his identity to Algernon in Act I.He admits he is known by two different names-he is known by Jack in the country and Earnest in town.He has always told people that he has a troublesome little brother by the name of Earnest; therefore, he uses him as an excuse to go into town whenever he wants to ( Importance Location 92). Algernon then reveals to Jack that he has done something similar by creating a man who lives in the country by the name of Bunbury who is in very bad health, and he must take care of him.This gives him an excuse to go to the country whenever he would like ( Importance Location 101).By creating fictional characters in the country or in town, Jack and Algernon are able to escape the ideal Victorian life and enjoy their time alone without the distractions from society.They do not have the constant worry of pleasing others.When they are in their "happy place," they only worry about pleasing themselves.When the two men make their confessions, it proves that Jack and Algernon are not earnest because they have not been honest to anyone. Consequently, the men fail to live up to the women's ideals because they have been lying to people about where they are going and why they are going to either the town or the country.An earnest person would not create fictional characters and places just to get away from the people and certain parts of their lives, but the men do because they need an escape from the Victorian society and its ideals that they must live up to.

"My ideal has always been to love some one of the name of Earnest.There is something in that name that inspires absolute confidence.The moment Algernon first mentioned to me that he had a friend called Earnest, I knew I was destined to love you." ( Importance Location 166)

Gwendolyn does not care who a man is; as long as his name is Earnest, she will marry him.It is the ideal she has grown up with, and she will firmly stay true to her expectations of her potential husband.She implies that she was destined to love Jack solely because his name meets her ideals.According to critic Russell Jackson's article, "The Importance of Being Earnest," "Gwendolyn announces, and proceeds to enunciate the reduction to absurdity of such notions:that marriage with a man called Earnest can be a goal in life" (172).Gwendolyn does not even love Jack for who he is as a person; she loves him simply for his name.She loves the idea of loving a man accepted by society because his name is Earnest, but not the actual personality Jack holds. In effort to reveal his true self, Jack tries to hint that his name is not Earnest by asking her what she thinks of the name Jack, but Gwendolyn says,

Jack?...No, there is very little music in the name Jack, if any at all, indeed.It does not thrill.It produces absolutely no vibrations... I have know several Jacks, and they all, without exception, were plain. Besides Jack is a notorious domesticity for John!And I pity any woman who is married to a man called John.She would probably never be allowed to know the entrancing pleasure of a single moment's solitude.The only really safe name is Earnest. ( Importance Location 175-184)

Even when Jack tries to admit his real name, Gwendolyn becomes lost in her ideals of a fantasized husband named Earnest and discourages Jack from confessing his real name.She uses the knowledge that she has learned from the Victorian society to judge whether someone by the name of "John" or "Jack" would be a suitable husband for her, and in doing so, she manipulates Jack into hiding his identity out of fear of losing Gwendolyn.He believes the only way Gwendolyn will accept him is to say his name is Earnest.Ultimately, Gwendolyn could be the instigator for Jack's continuing hypocrisy because she forces him to believe that she would never have the slightest interest in him unless he meets her ideals.

For Cecily, the potential became a reality.When Algernon proposes to Cecily, she replies, "You silly boy!Of course.Why, we have been engaged for the last three months" ( Importance Location 504).She continues to tell him about the fantasy relationship that she has imagined for them during the past months.Cecily creating a fantasized relationship only proves that society's ideals and expectations influence the way men and women view their potential mates.Because Cecily is caught up in the ideals, Algernon continues to play along with it even after knowing how deeply deluded she has become.Cecily's delusion is companied by the fact the women have the ideal of the perfect husband with the perfect name.Jack and Algernon are too scared to confess their true identity fearing rejection from women and society. Not only would they admit they are liars, but it would mean they do not live up to the name Earnest, and the girls would break off the engagements.Moreover, through gossip, word will spread that these two men are deceitful, and their chances with their ideal women will be hindered.

Because the Gwendolyn and Cecily do not have knowledge of the men's deceit, both women are happy that they have found a man whose named Earnest, but "this instance by making idealism consist in wanting to marry a man called Ernest, and self-righteous indignation is briefly mocked when the two girls declare that they have been deceived by Jack and Algernon" (Jackson 166).Wilde comically mocks the women for only wanting to marry based on the ideal of a man's name being Earnest.Throughout the whole play, Gwendolyn and Cecily are completely oblivious that their men are living double lives to escape from their ideal.They are exposed to the deception their men have been undertaking later in Act Two when they are talking to each other about their men.Gwendolyn describes Jack with the name Earnest: "Earnest has a strong upright nature.He is the very soul of truth and honor.Disloyalty would be as impossible to him as deception" ( Importance Location 572).Gwendolyn believes if a man has the name Earnest that his personality will live up to what the name means.The two women fight with each other about who is actually marrying Earnest, and Jack and Algernon enter the scene.

He replies, "I could deny it if I liked.I could deny anything if I like.But my name certainly is John.It has been for years."( Importance Location 627-35).

Here, Jack still holds on to the women's ideals, and tries to be what the women want instead of his true self.He wants to fulfill Gwendolyn's expectations, even if that includes lying about his identity.Jack's comment by itself shows that he truly is not earnest. He admits that he has lied, but underneath the words, it shows that he would be willing again in order to live up to the expectations Victorian society has for men.Cecily's comment, however, reveals the true irony of the scene:"A gross deception has been practiced on both of us" ( Importance Location 631).Taken together, the two passages reflect Jack's character and signify irony.Wilde is using satire here because the women have been looking for a man who is both named Earnest and lives up to the name, but neither one of these men do.Jack tries to make it seem that in order to keep from doing something terribly wrong he had to lie to Gwendolyn, but he is now choosing the honorable way out and confessing his lie.In doing so, he is practicing the "earnestness" that the women find ideal in a man.

Jack and Algernon knew Cecily and Gwendolyn would not marry them unless their names were Earnest; therefore, they had to pretend they were really called by this name and consequently put their relationships in danger because of dishonesty from the beginning of the relationship.The men were set up for failure and a deceitful relationship from the very start. Relationships rarely work when the dishonesty card is played, but the men still lied in order to live up to Gwendolyn and Cecily's ideal men.These women, who have learned ideals from the Victorian society, successfully influenced Jack and Algernon.If Cecily and Gwendolyn accept them, it means that Victorian society would be accepting them as well.As a result, Jack and Algernon were forced into living a double life to satisfy themselves, their women, and Victorian society.

Because Gwendolyn and Cecily caught the men living their double lives, the men are forced to repent and prove to the women that they still meet their Victorian expectations.Russell Jackson states "confession and absolution are sublimely easy" (168).The women forgive Jack and Algernon easily because they both come up with the idea of the men being Christened "Earnest;" hence, living up to the ideals of society.Even though the women find a way to resolve the problem of the men not being named "Earnest," they still forgive the men without a fight when they should be angry with them for the act of deceiving.The men were not honest, and were not living up to the meaning of the ideal name; therefore, the women should have made the men prove themselves worthy of marriage instead of forgiving them so easily.If the men truly met the Victorian expectations, they would be able to convince the women with evidence instead of changing their names through a Christening.Wilde is satirizing earnestness in this scene because the women do not make the men prove themselves. Gwendolyn and Cecily still swoon over them and want to get married even though the men are not truthful and moral like an earnest person should be, according to Houghton.It provides comedy to the audience because it proves that the expectation of a man having a certain name is more important than the man holding the qualities that name means.

Wilde also uses the idea of a double life in a darker setting in the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Dorian Gray is the ideal man in the Victorian society with youthfulness, beauty, and wealth."He has a simple and beautiful nature," ( Picture Location 194) according to the painter, Basil, who is inspired by him.Dorian Gray is accepted by both women and men in society because he was attractive and wealthy, which meant he was a great prospect for women.Since marriage was a true sign of masculinity (Gillespie 5), men respected him as well because he was living up to the Victorian expectations of men.One of the men that admires and respects Dorian is Basil, and he describes Dorian:

He was certainly wonderfully handsome, with his finely curved scarlet lips, his frank blue eyes, his crisp gold hair. There was something in his face that made one trust him at once.All the candour of youth was there, as well as all youth's passionate purity.One felt that had had kept himself unspotted from the world ( Picture Location 212).

Men in the novel respect Dorian because women are attracted to him.Because women are attracted to him, it implies that he will be a prospective partner in marriage. Once married, he would be able to support a wife and live up to the Victorian expectations of providing for a wife and family, which also gained the respect from men's fellow peers.Lord Henry also discusses Dorian's beauty with Dorian outside in the garden praising his beauty and youth, but also warns him that it does not last forever and Dorian should enjoy it while he has it: "You will become sallow, and hallow-cheeked, and dulled-eyed.You will suffer horribly...Ah! Realize your youth while you have it" ( Picture Location 301-11).Dorian Gray has been blessed with the ideal image of a male in Victorian society.Lord Henry wants Dorian to embrace his beauty as a gift, which he should use to his advantage.

How sad it is!I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful.But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day in June...If it were only the other way!If it were I who was to always young, and the picture that was to grow old!For that-for that-I would give everything!Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give!I would give my soul for that! ( Picture Location 356).

Dorian's double life is a little different than Jack and Algernon because Dorian is not after a specific partner, but Dorian still is affected by the relationships he has with others, which reflects his view on society as well as how society views him.He falls for Lord Henry's philosophy on beauty and seeking out pleasure.He is first exposed to Lord Henry's influence while his portrait is being painted.Lord Henry says, "Nothing can cure the soul but the sense, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul" ( Picture Location 282).In this statement, Lord Henry conveys that the soul and the senses work together to please one another.He believes in feeding the senses pleasure, and in doing so, the soul will feel pleasure as well.

While they are at Lady Agatha's house, Lord Henry speaks of his philosophy, stating that everyone should spend their time appreciating beauty, youthfulness, and acting this way for pleasure:"To get back one's youth, one has merely to repeat one's follies" ( Picture Location 555).According to Lord Henry's philosophy, in order to stay youthful, one must act young, and live life as the youthful would.As Lord Henry spoke of his philosophies, "Dorian Gray never took his gaze off him, but sat like one under a spell, smiles chasing each other over his lips and wonder growing grave in his darkening eyes" ( Picture Location 572).Dorian does fall under his spell, and he begins to live a youthful life and admiring his own beauty and trying to avoid becoming old.By taking advantage of his gifts and living by Lord Henry's philosophies, he can easily be accepted by the Victorian society.If he refuses, society would dismiss him, and he would never be considered as a prospect for marriage or never viewed as a respectable man by his male peers because he would not be living by the Victorian expectations.

The Victorian society is influenced by the depiction of an ideal love affair through the productions of Shakespeare, which is where Dorian falls in love with the actress, Sibyl Vane.Dorian becomes captivated by Sybil, believing that he is in love and that people will know her someday because she is a genius ( Picture Location 630).Lord Henry replies, "My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex.They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly.Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals" ( Picture Location 630).Lord Henry imparts to Dorian the Victorian concept that women are inferior to men and have their own purpose in the society.He continues his analysis of women by stating:

Ultimately, there are only two kinds of women, the plain and the coloured.The plain women are very useful.If you want to gain a reputation for respectability, you have merely to take them down to supper.The other women are very charming.They commit one mistake, however.They paint in order to look young...As long as a woman can look ten years younger than her own daughter, she is perfectly satisfied. ( Picture Location 630)

As Lord Henry describes to Dorian, women must be able to make a man look respectable, and have their place in society.In addition, women are made to look young and pretty.Women are not there to work or take place in intellectual conversations; their job is to simply be an accessory for the male and help him gain a reputation.According to Richard Altick's book, Victorian People and Ideas, "the female brain was not equal to the demands of commerce or the professions, and women, simply by virtue of their sex, had no business mingling with men...There was something unpleasant, even alarming, about strong-willed women who insisted on using their minds (Altick 54).A woman obtainable to knowledge was unacceptable, and men dismissed any woman who held any sort of knowledge because it did not meet the Victorian expectations of women.They were seen as inferior to men, and they were not to hold the same knowledge as them.Their responsibilities and knowledge were of the home and femininity.If Sibyl is really a genius, she would not fit the Victorian ideal woman, and she would not be an acceptable partner for a relationship, which would explain why Lord Henry tries to turn Dorian away from her.She does not represent the typical and ideal woman to pursue; therefore, Dorian must not even show interest in her.

Although Lord Henry tries convincing Dorian not to pursue a relationship with Sibyl, Dorian disregards his advice and pursues the relationship anyway.Sibyl then falls under the typical female role in a Victorian relationship, swooning over Dorian and believing in their love and it being all that matters.Her mother disapproves of the relationship and believes Sibyl needs to focus on more practical matters such as fulfilling her performance contract to pay their debt.Sibyl, however, stands her ground: "What does money matter?Love is more than money...Prince Charming rules life for us now" ( Picture Location 810-19).She acts very similarly to Cecily when falling for the ideal Victorian man, but not to such an extreme.However, she does fall under the romantic love spell and fantasizes about her possible future just as Cecily dreamed of her love:

The girl laughed again. The joy of a caged bird was in her voice.Her eyes caught the melody and echoed it in radiance, then closed or a moment, as though to hide their secret.When they opened, the mist of a dream had passed across them... She was free in her prison of passion.Her prince, Prince Charming, was with her.She had called on memory to remake him. She had sent her soul to search for him, and it had brought him back.His kiss burned again upon her mouth.Her eyelids were warm with his breath." ( Picture Location 818-27)

Sibyl falls for the ideal Victorian man and categorizes herself with the ideal Victorian woman by fantasizing and wearing her heart on her sleeve.She also reflects on the principle that women expect men to take financial responsibility for them . When she says, "hide their secret" ( Picture Location 818), she is referring to the knowledge of Dorian's wealth and his duty as a man to care for her and her family.Since she has debt, according to Victorian conventions, Dorian will take care of her financially and provide for her once married.She knows that she is not wealthy, and secretly, she knows he will provide her a "fairytale" lifestyle compared to what she has now.Sibyl believes Dorian will live up to these Victorian expectations women have set for men.

Men had their expectations of women just as women did for men, and at first, Dorian believes that Sibyl possesses the characteristics of the Victorian woman.Dorian is excited to have his friends meet and see Sibyl perform on stage, but realizes her acting is not as good as usual and becomes heartbroken ( Picture Location 1141).While Dorian believes he was in love, he never did love Sibyl; he only loved the characters she became on stage, which were romantic dreamlike shadows of art.Dorian fell for the ideal woman instead of the real woman Sibyl was and realizes he only loved her beauty, her talents as an actress, and her emotions she portrays while on stage.Dorian rejects Sibyl's affection:

You have thrown it all away... What a fool I have been.You are nothing to me now.I will never see you again.I will never think of you.I will never mention your name... You have spoiled romance in my life.How little you can know of love, if you say it mars your art!Without your art, you are nothing. ( Picture Location 1177)

Just as the women in The Importance of Being Earnest, Dorian fell for a Victorian ideal of a gender.Because Sibyl did not obtain the characteristics he thought she held, he completely dismisses her just as Gwendolyn would have dismissed Jack if his name were not "Earnest."His dismissal of Sibyl proves that he was putting her beauty and his pleasure of her acting before the real purpose of falling in love.To him, it does not matter if it really is love; it is what she portrays and the pleasure she provides for him that matters.Since she does not meet Dorian or society's ideals of a woman, she is not a prospect for marriage.Dorian's cruel dismissal of his relationship with Sibyl and her death act as a catalyst in his double life.

Dorian Gray's double life is lived through his portrait throughout the novel; his sin and pleasures are lived through his every day life, but his sins and guilt live through the painting. When looking at the portrait, Dorian feels guilty about the sinful pleasures he commits based off of society's influence, just as Jack and Algernon were aware of their double lives in The Importance of Being Earnest.He sees changes in his painted face-"a touch of cruelty in the mouth" and wrinkles ( Picture Location 1222), which represent his guilt for his cruelty toward Sibyl after his outrage at the theatre."Pangs of guilt cause Dorian to swing between remorse and exultation throughout most of the novel" (Gillespie 18).Even though Dorian may feel guilty for his actions, he always seems to disregard his feelings and continues to cover up his feelings of guilt with more feelings of pleasure.

Dorian swings back and forth throughout the novel because of his desire for youth and pleasure, which is influenced by Lord Henry and the rest of the Victorian society.He lets pleasures get in the way of morality, resulting in his portrait becoming disfigured by his immorality.Dorian acknowledges his immorality and accepts the idea of his body staying young while his portrait continues to grow with sin because, "What did it matter what happened to the colored image on the canvas?He would be safe.That was everything" ( Picture Location 1448).The portrait aging and growing cruel facial expressions does not matter to Dorian as long as he is accepted by society.In the Victorian age, men wanted acceptance and respectability; it did not matter how they gained the respect.The blatant disregard for the means of attaining respect and acceptance led Dorian to practice Lord Henry's philosophy on staying youthful and pleasuring himself, but his guilt always lingered in the back of his mind when he looked at the portrait.

[He wraps it in a] large, purple satin coverlet heavily embroidered with gold, a splendid piece of late seventeenth century... It had perhaps served often as a pall for the dead.Now it was to hide something that had a corruption of its own, worse than the corruption of death itself-something that would breed horrors and yet would never die.What the worm was to the corpse, his sins would be in the painted image on the canvas.They would mar its beauty and eat away its grace." ( Picture Location 1607-16)

Even though Dorian is devoted to preserving his youthfulness and beauty, a part of him is ashamed of his sins of vanity.By hiding the portrait, no one but Dorian will be able to see the sinful life that he is living.On the other hand, the painting is growing in age and sin as a person would.Dorian is able to escape his life by allowing the portrait to take on the humanistic characteristics that he should be living.Because he takes on the portrait life, the portrait experiences his different attitudes his conscious feels.Gillespie explains this concept in his critical book on Dorian Gray:

By allowing the portrait to take on this role, Dorian continues to be accepted by society over the years. He is accepted because he is ever youthful, handsome, wealthy, and a respectable male by both men and women in the Victorian society.He meets the ideal characteristics Victorian women wanted men to be married to; therefore, making him a well suited prospect and a respectable man of Victorian society.

Even though Dorian is accepted by the Victorian society, his portrait does show that he is guilty of immoral acts.When Basil views the painting, he cannot believe it is his painting because the man he painted was young and beautiful; this man showed age and ugliness.Dorian says, "It is the face of my soul" ( Picture Location 2137).Dorian is aware that he living two separate lives and understands that his sinfulness and guilt are living through the painting.Basil sees the portrait as a lesson to Dorian, and tries to convince him to live an honorable life without the vanity he possesses.He tells Dorian it is never too late to repent and ask for God's forgiveness, but Dorian does not want to listen to Basil and face repentance; therefore, "he rushes at him and dug the knife into the great vein that is behind the ear, crushing the man's head down on the table and stabbing again and again" ( Picture Location 2155).In an attempt to conceal his double life, Dorian kills Basil . He wants everyone in society to accept him for the beautiful, young man that he is physically, not the ugly and sinful man his soul conveys. After learning of Dorian's true nature, Basil could not accept Dorian as the ideal Victorian male; with his hypocrisy revealed, Dorian murdered Basil . If word were to get out about Dorian, other men and women of society would not accept him either.

He looked round and saw the knife that had stabbed Basil Hallward.He had cleaned it many times, till there was no stain left upon it.It was bright, and glistened.As it had killed the painter, so it would kill the painter's work, and all that that meant.It would kill the past, and when that was dead, he would be free. It would kill this monstrous soul-life, and without its hideous warnings, he would be at peace.He seized the thing, and stabbed the picture with it. ( Picture Location 3011).

In the end, the Victorian community learns that Dorian possessed a double life. When men entered his house,

they found hanging upon the wall a splendid portrait of their master as they had last seen him, in all wonder of his exquisite youth and beauty.Lying on the floor was a dead man, in evening dress, with a knife in his heart.He was withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of visage.It was not till they had examined the rings that they recognized who it was. ( Picture Location 3020).

Since acceptance was a main concern in the Victorian society, social conventions led men to live double lives in order to live up to the expectations of their peers and of women.Both men and women searched for an ideal relationship based on the expectations of the demanding society because they feared rejection from potential prospects and their peers.Oscar Wilde uses these expectations to create relationships reflecting the ideal Victorian relationship in his two works, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Work Cited

Ackerman, Alan."Form and Freedom in The Importance of Being Earnest." Approaches to Teaching the Works of Oscar Wilde. Ed.Philip E. Smith II.New York:The Modern Language Association of America, 2008. 142-50.

Gillespie, Michael Patrick. The Picture of Dorian Gray: "What the World Thinks of Me." New York:Twayne Publishers, 1995.

Petrie, Charles."Victorian Women Expected to Be Idle and Ignorant." Victorian England. Ed.Clarice Swisher.San Diego:Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000.178-87.

Ranum, Ingrid. "An Adventure In Modern Marriage: Domestic Development In Tennyson's Geraint And Enid And The Marriage Of Geraint." Victorian Poetry 47.1 (2009): 241-257. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.

Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest. Public Domain Books. Kindle.

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Public Domain Books: 1994. Kindle

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Felicia Appell During the Victorian era, men and women searched for an ideal relationship based on the expectations of a demanding society. After reading the researched expectations of men and women of the Victorian era and relating them to Wilde's two works, readers can acknowledge the effect the expectations have on these characters; especially the men.

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Certain trends are being followed even by the higher class to show what earnest should actually look like. Being earnest comes with being modest and proper. Everything must be done in a certain way. The focus becomes the income and the amount of money that is being made. Is it enough to take care of an individual or even two? 

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Certain trends are being followed even by the higher class to show what earnest should actually look like. Being earnest comes with being modest and proper. Everything must be done in a certain way. The focus becomes the income and the amount of money that is being made. Is it enough to take care of an individual or even two? 

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https://prezi.com/pxbjgfiwjiuq/satire-in-the-importance-of-being-earnest/

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Satire in The Importance of Being Earnest

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By: Olivia Jessup Act III Explanation: Here Wilde uses satire against Victorian society by changing the manner of Lady Bracknell so quickly. First, she is completely against Cecily marrying Algy until she learns of her inheritance where she changes her tune. She even goes so far

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What Dating Was Like In the Victorian Era

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The picture shown here displays the different time periods throughout the Victorian Era and the the clothing evolved, but yet stayed the same. The women had long and puffy dresses with bonnets to correlate with their dresses. The men had top hats to complement their suits and jackets.

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This video goes in depth of the evolution of women's fashion throughout the victorian era. It how the different dresses are unique in their own way, but they all were very similar.

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Who is Oscar Wild and what was his life like? This video provides a brief explanation of Oscar Wilde biography.

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Who is Oscar Wild and what was his life like? This video provides a brief explanation of Oscar Wilde biography.

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This article discusses Oscar Wilde's realtionship. What I found confusing about him is that he is married and had two children, but when he was away from home for work, he expres his personality , which is werid, he starts to deny it because he does not want to end his marriage . Why he did not admit his personlity eventhough he is known for his ignorance of people views

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THE SECRET LIFE OF OSCAR WILDE | Kirkus Reviews

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A tedious slog through the English author’s sexual romps at the expense of his literary achievements.

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This quote of his really drew me in because, looking through life now and during the Victorian era, nothing has changed in terms of the view on wealth and affluence. He was also known for his penchant for blowing money on his personal luxuries which I beleive this quote reflects