Essay Double Lives in Victorian Literature - 1407 Words

The existence of a â€Å"dark double† abounds in many literary works of the Victorian Era. These â€Å"dark doubles† are able to explore the forbidden and repressed desires of the protagonist, and often represent the authors own rebellion against inhibitions in a morally straight-laced societal climate. The â€Å"dark doubles† in these stories are able to explore the socially unacceptable side of human nature, and it is through these â€Å"dark doubles† that many of the main characters (and through them, the reader), are able to vicariously explore and experience the illicit, forbidden, and often exciting underbelly of what was considered deviant behavior. The accepted â€Å"normal† behavior that strict Victorian social protocol†¦show more content†¦For most of the play, Jack is Jack, not Ernest, and when the lies and deceit finally catch up to Jack, who needs to make his â€Å"brother† Ernest disappear, and at the same time, become a man named Ernest, one feels both amused and confused at the hypocrisy surrounding these strange events. Wildes implications are clear when we discover that Jacks real Christian name is in fact Ernest John. Although Jack felt societal pressure to create the persona of Ernest, they are still the same man, having to hide his identity while fulfilling hidden desires does not change that. The irony here is that Jack needed Ernest, or at least the name of Ernest, to exist in order to achieve the respectable, socially acceptable life that the â€Å"good† side of his persona aspires too. Like much of Wildes work, the play ends on a witty and humorous note, with Jack telling his beloved Gwendolen, â€Å" it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth† (720). Jack understands the hypocrisy he has tried to undermine by becoming Ernest while in London, that by pretending to have this irresponsible and unsavory brother, he has flaunted the hypocrisy of the Victorian social structure and has also become a hypocrite himself. His â€Å"dark double†, Ernest, has allowed him to relinquish the responsibilities of his life as a properShow MoreRelatedThe Influence Of Victorian Society On Relationships And Marriage1642 Words   |  7 PagesThe Influence of Victorian Society on Relationships and Marriage Marriage was of utmost importance during the 1830’s to the 1900’s. The â€Å"ideal† relationship had been searched for by both men and women using the standards that the commonwealth had created. 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