The Importance of Being E(a)rnest

I loved The Importance of Being Earnest. Perhaps it was because I actually understand what Wilde was trying to satirize. Or perhaps it was because I was comparing TIOBE to my Lit Circle book, Catch-22. Although I have mentioned this before, I did not like Catch-22 at all. Sure, I liked certain parts of the novel that I could actually understand and laugh at, but the overall structure of the novel confused me too much for me to completely understand Heller's satire. However, Wilde's style and structure, much more straightforward, was much easier to understand.
Something I wanted to comment on in TIOBE was Wilde's portrayal of women. There were four female characters throughout the play, whereas there were three male characters. That there were more female characters than male characters seems somewhat significant in that it emphasizes the contrast in power between the male and female characters throughout the play. The 4:3 ratio of women to men is significant in that the men, at first glance, seem to have more power over the women. After all, the play is set in Victorian society, a time when manners were king and men ruled over women. Both Jack and Algy seem to have power over Cecily and Gwendolen, at closer examination, the women have more power over their men than it initially seems. It is the women who persuade their men to even get another christening, who influence both Jack and Algy to become and remain Ernest, even if it means leading a double life and lying to both themselves and the women they love. Both women make the initial offers of marriage, acts that seem somewhat backwards in such a proper society as Victorian England. Cecily's imaginative stories in her diary--of her and Algy's engagement on Valentine's Day and of their broken and reformed engagement--serve to emphasize her power in her relationship with Algy. In hearing of her fantasy-filled stories, Algy does nothing but wholeheartedly agree with her, as if he takes her fantasy as truth.
I found it interesting that Lady Bracknell seems to also exude much power, particularly over Miss Prism. The two characters coming face-to-face surprised me a bit. Although Miss Prism seemed to have much power over Cecily in teaching her her lessons, she almost cowers in fear when Lady Bracknell enters the scene. Though this could be because of Miss Prism's past, I found it interesting that Lady Bracknell could have such a big effect on Miss Prism's disposition simply by being around her.
Although Algy often seems to take command of the scene in his blatantly true sarcasm, he almost cowers back into a shell when Cecily enters the scene. Though he maintains a certain wit, much of it transfers to Cecily as she playfully taunts him and he is unable to respond. He seems most comfortable around only Jack, as he freezes up when Lady Bracknell enters the scene as well.
Perhaps Wilde was commenting that men do not have as much as they seem to have...