Social Commentary in Oscar Wildes Work

One of the most difficult obstacles a playwright has to overcome is finding a way to engage and interest their audience to their piece. Often having to deal with such problems such as boredom, inattentiveness, or just a general lack of interest, playwrights often invent dramatic devices that entice and entertain their audiences. An example of this is the character Lane in Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Not only does he portray …showed first 75 words of 422 total…

…showed last 75 words of 422 total…produces some humor in the audience, it is interesting to note that Algernon’s perceptions of his servant are so different from how Lane is portrayed in the piece. Lane allows the audience to see how warped high-class perceptions are of society. In the end, Lane is less of a servant to Algernon, and more of a servant to the audience, for he allows them to see things the way they really are in society.