Every line, character, and setting in The Importance of Being Serious aims to support Oscar Wilde's desire for social change. The Importance of Being Earnest was written in the late Victorian era. During this period, social classification was taken very seriously. This could affect working and living conditions, education, religion and marriage. Wilde explores issues of social class and turns it into a comedic play. He humorously criticizes Victorian morals and attacks the society of luxurious living. The audience becomes self-aware as the characters reflect on themselves. Plays like this are successful because of where the writers come from and the experiences they have had. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde satirizes Victorian society and the ironic differences between the lower and upper classes. The Importance of Being Earnest satirizes the lives of the rich. Is it possible that Oscar Wilde contradicted himself? Wilde was born in 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. His mother, Jane Rancesca Agnes, was a writer and his father, Sir William Robert Wills Wilde, was a surgeon. To answer the question, Wilde was definitely upper class. After attending Trinity College, he continued his studies at Magdalen College, Oxford. After settling in London, he wrote his first collection of poetry. He was “…deeply affected by beauty and lived and dressed flamboyantly compared to the styles and mores typical of the Victorian era” (Merriman). He was described as charming and witty. These qualities were manifested when he created The Importance of Being Earnest in 1895. Like most of his works, this piece “…deeply reflects his own personality and the necessities…… of middle of paper…. .., CD "Oscar Wilde". The Literary Network. Jalic INC., 2008. Web. April 3, 2012..Parker, Oliver, Dir. The importance of being serious. By Oscar Wilde. 2002. Miramax 2002.DVD.Raby, Peter. The Cambridge Companion to Oscar Wilde. Cambridge, UK: CambridgeUniversity Press, 1997. Print. Thienpont, Eva. “From the faltering arrow to the pistol shot: the importance of being serious.” » Cambridge Quarterly 33.3 (2004): 245-255. International Humanities completed. Internet. April 9, 2012.Wilde, Oscar. The importance of being serious. Ed. Michael Gillespie. New York: Norton Critical Editions, 2006. Print. Woods, Robert. The Demographics of Victorian England and Wales. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Web.