Akutagawa, Kesa and Morito - Essay Example

It seems from his arguments that marriage and morality are alternative beats of the same heart. Apparently marriage is being hailed as a respectable social relationship, but the ground realities are different. The demanding society acts as the vigilant guard over the male and female searching for a perfect bond. If during the personal interaction any one of them does not come up to the expectations of the other and opposite sex will dismiss the concerned individual as an unbefitting partner. Oscar Wilde scrutinizes the sway of Victorian society’s impracticable prospects on the concerned human being in The Importance of Being Earnest presenting how elimination process in marriage proposals whether from a potential partner or society as a whole, can end up with deception and practice of duplicity in life in order to meet the demanding conventions.

The Nature of Marriage Oscar Wilde, true to his genius and writing style creates deliberate confusion about the institution of marriage. The opening dialogue between Algernon and his butler Lane is a discussion between the two regarding the nature of marriage and they have arguments and counterarguments whether at the proposal stage of the marriage it should be considered as “business” of “pleasure.” Wilde is using the literary weapon of satire from the beginning itself, as the discussion is not between two intellectuals or philosophers but amongst two ordinary individuals.

Lady Brackwell considers the issue from the psychological point of view of the girl to be married. For her, it is the emotional issue. “Pardon me, you are not engaged to anyone. When you do become engaged to someone, I, or your father, should his health permit him, will inform you of the fact. An engagement should come on a young girl as a surprise, pleasant or unpleasant, as the case may be. It is hardly a matter that she could be allowed to arrange for herself . . .” (Act I) Lady Bracknell does emphasize the element of surprise but the real issue in her statement is something else.

It indicates that the girl to be married has no choice, as per the social traditions in the Victorian Age and as such the event of engagement may be pleasant or unpleasant for the girl, as she is not a party in the selection of her life-partner. The finalization of the marriage proposal is an elaborate process. All secular issues related to the suitability of the groom are taken into account as per the traditionalist approach and fascinations of the Victorian decorum most importantly like social standing, earnings and character.

The options are kept handy and Lady Bracknell has the list of prospective bachelors and a detailed questionnaire to which she questions Jack and they pertain to the expectations about the nature -and purpose of marriage. It is not an easy-going interaction for the prospective bachelor offering himself for marriage, and he has to go through an elaborate and intricate procedure of