Food is the world's safe home. First, food is what keeps the body in working order. Behind the scenes, food creates an industry unlike any other. From diners to fishermen, from bakeries to slaughterhouses, the food is known to everyone. Oscar Wilde exploits this universal knowledge of food to create the gripping social satire known as "The Importance of Being Earnest." Wilde skillfully brings readers into a new world of secrecy, fantasy, and power through the need to eat. As the era of the “New Woman” begins, Oscar Wilde uses food to introduce his playfully disgusted opinion on women's freedom, while simultaneously alluding to the struggle to be accepted in this never-before-seen society. In the opening pages of “The Importance of Being Earnest,” the reader has the pleasure of participating in the preparation of cucumber sandwiches for Lady Bracknell's arrival. The metaphor “as beautiful as a cucumber” shows great relevance in the work. Cucumber sandwiches are a basic necessity required for tea time in upper class society. They aren't substantial enough for a meal but are expensive as a snack. Therefore, only “cool” people typically serve them. Cucumber sandwiches are arbitrarily discussed when Algernon is eating but refuses to allow Jack to eat any. This event shows the competitiveness of both male characters. Algernon devours the plate of sandwiches showing signs of being extremely stressed. When Algernon asks Jack to stop eating Gwendolen's bread and butter, marriage is discussed, suggesting Algernon's jealousy of Jack. Algernon's stress is invariably sexual frustration. While Algernon and Jack compete for power, Lady Bracknell arrives demanding her pre-ordered snack. In response,...... half of the paper......penalized. By introducing specific comic characters, images, and events, Wilde creates a hilarious work that can be seen by many. Starting from the simple, carnal need for food and imbuing it with multiple meanings, Wilde demonstrates that he has talent. Wilde is unimpressed by society and shows this by revealing the loss of intuition, happiness, and identity during the domination of women. In reality, an apple and a muffin are both food, and a man and a woman are both people. So separation is necessary. Food may be what goes into your mouth, but words that reveal your true self are what comes out. Food isn't always what it seems. Works Cited Wilde, Oscar. “The importance of being serious”. Elements of literature: narrative, poetry, theatre. Eds. Robert Scholes, et al. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press, 2010. 1022-1065. Press.