Because the play was written in the Victorian age, men were generally seen as having greater influence in most things compared to women. Men were valued on their intellect and judgment whereas women were attractions to men for their beauty and chastity. During this time, Wilde raised questions about gender roles using his play The Importance of Being Ernest. Specifically, Wilde used women such as Lady Bracknell, and put them in positions in power. He played around with stereotypical gender roles and wrote a play that defied social norms.
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With a rise in aestheticism women we're the only people who wore extravagant clothing, men did too. Maginnis agrees by pointing out instances in which Wilde depicted Algernon and Jack doing the same. "Wilde parodies this kind of excessive wardrobe extravagance in this exchange in the play, where we see the quantity of clothing Algernon requires for spending a week relaxing in the country." With an emphasis on fashion for both genders, men were seen in a less dominant perspective.
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