The article explores Oscar Wilde's portrayal of a food crisis in his play "The Importance of Being Earnest," framed within the context of the Great Hunger in Ireland. Wilde contrasts the trivial concerns of the English elite with the severe reality faced by the Irish poor during the famine. By depicting exaggerated distress over non-existent cucumber shortages, Wilde critiques the disconnect and indifference towards genuine hunger, reflecting societal attitudes that blame the impoverished for their plight while elevating economic principles above humanitarian needs.
Wilde's play cleverly trivializes the food crisis by contrasting the distress of the upper classes with the real-life horror of the Great Hunger in Ireland.
The disconnect between serious hunger and comedic trivialization reveals how the privileged dismiss the plight of the impoverished and the deep-rooted societal neglect.
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