The speed with which we allow and enable our world to change and adapt is often a common topic among people. When I think back to my childhood now it seems so old-fashioned and old-fashioned, and yet it was so little time ago; showing me how quickly they were developing as people and as a planet. In the Victorian era, when Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest was written and set, automobiles were just being discovered for the wealthy and railways were becoming a popular form of transportation. Nowadays the development of technology has allowed man to walk on the moon and we are able to fly to the other side of the world in just one day. The contrast between these two statements is so vast; it's hard to see how a person from either era could survive without truly struggling if their roles were reversed. While I'm not sure about Cecily and Gwendolen, I'm sure Jack and Algernon could survive and thrive in a modern city like London. Gwendolen represents the typical Victorian woman, always striving for ideals, attending classes and constantly looking for ways to improve herself. I think that although Gwendolen appears to the reader as independent and intellectual, she is also particularly naive and pretentious. This naivety is shown when he fixates on the name Earnest; the name is partly why she falls in love with Jack, believing he is actually someone he is not. She states that the name Earnest "inspires absolute confidence", leading her to become obsessed with finding a husband named that name, also stating that any other name simply wouldn't do and that she pities "any woman married to a man called John ” (15), solely because that is his name. Ignorance would simply not be found today, as people… middle of paper… survive in a modern city like London, but would initially struggle very much. and they would not be able to sustain themselves in such a demanding environment. Jack and Algernon, however, feel that they have the ability to survive and thrive in such circumstances, although double lives there would be substantially more difficult to achieve now as people they are much more wary and suspicious. I think Algernon in particular would thrive as I think the kind of character he portrayed as in the book would apparently take the opportunity to explore and learn more eagerly. It can be very difficult to predict how people will react when they find themselves in certain situations, but certain personality traits will always become glaringly obvious and useful, and Jack's intelligence and Algernon's intelligence are the main characteristics that I believe would allow them to survive . and prosper.