Research paper!!

Destiney Holbrook

Mr. Gowans

 LA 12

4/8/13

Earnestness vs. Seriousness!

 

Earnest- to be serious in intention, purpose, or effort.  I believe that earnestness is a very admirable trait. Why you ask? Well, l will tell you why.  If somebody is earnest, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are serious in everything in life. It means that they are “serious in intention.” So they are serious for a purpose. For example they put serious effort behind what they believe in.  I think anybody that puts effort into things they believe in deserves credit, because I know many people who don’t. There aren’t very many people in this world who do that anymore.  Now on another hand, this trait sometimes can be blown way out of proportion. Confused? Well, here is why I say that. Some people that are extremely “earnest” may take things too serious. So they may never know anything but seriousness. I am going to be completely and totally honest with you. I read this play, and was so very confused. I tried to re-read things, and took time to process them, but I still never got it. But here is how that ties in; I didn’t take it too serious! I know now that I should have, but I’m a senior in high school. We never take things serious until after we realize we needed to, so that is neither seriousness nor earnestness. That is called laziness.

 Earnestness is everywhere in life, people all over the world are serious in intention, and they put seriousness into everything they need to do. For example in the play the importance of being Ernest, there is a particular quote that stuck out to me. “Never speak disrespectfully of society, Algernon. Only people who can’t get in it do that.” (Wilde pg.90). I believe the reason that that particular quote stood out to me, is because, lady bracknall is indeed serious, but in a way she is slightly being funny.  This falls right into Earnestness. Why you ask? Well because she has seriousness behind her intention. Another quote that got me thinking is on the other term, Seriousness. “Whatever unfortunate entanglement my dear boy may have gotten into, I will reproach him with it after we are married.” (Wilde pg.73) Cecily had said that while having a “slight fight” with Gwendolyn. That is what would qualify as seriousness. She was completely serious when it came to her man. Wouldn’t anybody be?  I know when it comes to people trying to get on my man, for me it isn’t Earnestness I turn to, it is complete and total Seriousness.

 So in conclusion to this essay I think that Earnestness is a very admirable trait. I love the fact that you have the choice to be Earnest or be serious. So if you are faced with the choice to be serious in intention, or just plain out serious, choose what fits the situation best.  I mean say it to yourself. It sounds pretty freaking sweet... I am Earnest!

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on the Importance of Being Earnest.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2004. Web. 12 Apr. 2013.

Van Kirk, Susan. “The Importance of Being Earnest.” CliffNotes. 15 Apr 2013. Web. 15 Apr 2013.

Wilde, Oscar. The importance of being Ernest. The Simon& Schuster paperbacks edition. New York, New York. Simon & Schuster, 2005. Print.