How does Wilde use dramatic comedy to explore the gender roles of upper-class Victorians? Wilde effectively and regularly uses the typical conventions of dramatic comedy to present a plot in which the characters depart from a strict Victorian comedy society: especially regarding gender roles. Adhering to the conventions of a typical Comedy of Manners comedy, Wilde aims to comment on, and quite possibly mock, a civilization strongly concerned with appearances and upholding traditional values. It also firmly follows the codes of dramatic comedy by using comic inversions to create a sense of disorder and subsequently unease in audiences, particularly Victorian audiences. Wilde repeatedly questions the idea of ​​the roles of both women and men in the strict Victorian era and is shown both conforming to and subverting the different expectations of both sexes. Mostly, Wilde portrays our two male protagonists as, on the surface, high-class males. leading a stereotypical "bachelor" lifestyle, initially adhering to the male gender role. The first discussion we see between Algernon and Jack centers on the art of "bunburying", referring to a single male who is able to travel the country concocting an elaborate deception, while remaining respectable and conservative on the surface, a hobby in which both of our male protagonists participate. After Jack's admission that he pretends to have "a younger brother named Earnest," we learn that this excuse allows Jack to travel to town to socialize, leading a generally luxurious lifestyle, unknown to those who stay in his home of countryside, this plot point connects to a typical characteristic of a Manners' Comedy play, which is that the countryside was generally boring, while the cities were thriving. Jack's Life...... middle of document ......d: February 4, 2014) http://predoc.org/docs/index-10009.html (View date: February 4, 2014) http :/ /www.shmoop.com/importance-of-being-earnest/ernest-bunbury-symbol.html (View date: February 15, 2014) http://www.novelguide.com/the-importance-of-being -earnest/ essay-questions (View date: February 15, 2014) http://www.shmoop.com/importance-of-being-earnest/title.html (View date: February 19, 2014) http://www .sparknotes.com /lit/earnest/themes.html (View date: February 23, 2014) http://vanderlei.edublogs.org/the-importance-of-being-earnest/ (March 7, 2014) http:// www.humanities360 .com/index.php/grave-trivialities-the-use-of-comedy-in-the-importance-of-being-earnest-417/ (View date: March 22, 2014) http://pbsandwichofdoom .hubpages.com /hub/The-Importance-of-Being-Earnest-Close-Reading-a-Trivial-Comedy-for-Serious-People (View date: April 2, 2014)