The Passionate Celibacy of Bees

Being primarily acquainted with Oscar Wilde through his quotes, I was happy to find it was with good reason. The Importance of Being Earnest is a biting commentary on the Victorian era upper class with enough word play to keep attention for multiple viewings. Unwinding the meanings behind the dialogue is like watching beautifully wrapped presents being opened, even if the present itself is dull, insulting or both. The story is not tied specifically to the Victorian era, even though it is set in that period, the messages could be applied to the present; which helps explain its endurance as Wilde's most popular play.

Near the start, Miss Prism says she, "...is not in favor of this modern mania for turning bad people into good people at a moments notice." Only to have her go from good to bad to good again within moments notice. The other characters also go through such transitions. Toying with the good society ideal of marrying someone with the proper name or background, Gwendolen and Cecily desire to marry someone named Ernest. My immediate impression of both characters was that they were swallow and addle minded.  Reenforced by Gwendolen's mother, Augusta, when she says, "Fortunately, in England at any rate, education produces no effect what-so-ever. If it did it would prove a serious danger to the upper class."  Yet later, Gwendolen and Cecily are redeemed when they talk each other into keeping to their respective promises to marry, whether or not the name Ernest was involved.

Also, if the meaning of the word earnest is used instead of the proper name Ernest, then they are young women who want to spend the rest of their lives with someone named for having deep convictions and a promise of pleasant future events.

Augusta herself turns out to have come from a potentially "bad" place, as a dancer in a music hall, turned good at the moment of her marriage; even through the implied monocle popping news of her premarital pregnancy.

Given Wilde's classical education, I imagine there is a deeper meaning in Augusta's name, being the feminized version of the Roman Emperor Augustus. 

Looking at the original play, I notice that Jack goes from being Algy's older brother to his younger in the movie and I'm not quite sure what to make of that. This puts Algy near 38-39 years old, marrying a 18 year old girl. It remains unclear whether Algy's intentions are anything more than an attempt at gold digging, though Augusta comes around to approving his engagement to Cecily because Augusta had no fortune of her own before marriage.

The oscillations between good and bad people is further amplified by Augusta's hand hovering over the bell and drinking glass while interviewing Ernest-Jack. The arbitrariness of good society rules and the suitability of a person with a particular name or background is under intense focus.

Other flourishes of the 2002 version not found in the play include shared name tattoos. I think this is the film makers playing on Victorian era ideas about bondage and sado-masochism. As well as reenforcing Gwendolen's desire to marry someone named Ernest.

I'm sure there is something to be teased out of Miss Prism's name and her having written a "...three volume novel of more than usually revolting sentimentality." Earlier she says, "The good ended happily, the bad, unhappily. That is what fiction means." Foreshadowing the ending of the movie itself and making it unclear if someone ended being portrayed as bad, that they might have a bad ending once the story finished.