Read the excerpt from Act III of The Importance of Being Earnest. Jack. That is very generous of you, Lady Bracknell. My own dec
ision, however, is unalterable. I decline to give my consent. Lady Bracknell. [To Cecily.] Come here, sweet child. [Cecily goes over.] How old are you, dear? Cecily. Well, I am really only eighteen, but I always admit to twenty when I go to evening parties. Lady Bracknell. You are perfectly right in making some slight alteration. Indeed, no woman should ever be quite accurate about her age. It looks so calculating . . . [In a meditative manner.] Eighteen, but admitting to twenty at evening parties. Well, it will not be very long before you are of age and free from the restraints of tutelage. So I don’t think your guardian’s consent is, after all, a matter of any importance. Jack. Pray excuse me, Lady Bracknell, for interrupting you again, but it is only fair to tell you that according to the terms of her grandfather’s will Miss Cardew does not come legally of age till she is thirty-five. In this excerpt, the Victorian social code that stresses the importance of manners is most reflected through Jack’s words when he addresses Lady Bracknell. Lady Bracknell’s words when she commends Cecily for lying. Jack’s actions when he declines to consent to the marriage. Lady Bracknell’s actions when she speaks in a “meditative manner.”
The Victorian values are also called the Victorian morals and they describe the values prominent during the reign of queen Victoria. When we talk today about the Victorian morals we mainly thing about the low tolerance of criminal activity, repressed expression of sexual desires and a strict social moral code.
That social code is clearly seen here in Jack's words to Lady Bracknell. His sentences are polite which is seen in their structure as they are long and purposely filled with phrases that are there to indicate the politeness of his statements, like "Pray excuse me" followed with an apology for interrupting. <span />
To test your new-found knowledge here are some sentences to practice with. Fill in the blank! A) I can't afford this purse! It I won't be able to pay my rent! B) His birthday was supposed to be a surprise! I can't believe you
