In “The Function of Decorum Today: Manners, Moral Language, and Modernity in a Play by Oscar Wilde,” Mackie believes “that It's important to be serious that the display of decorum accomplishes more than an ironic mockery of the conventional moral shibboleths that the police enforce. Mackie states that Wilde uses behavior and speech relevant to Victorian culture. This has nothing to do with mockery, but rather respect for the culture and way the Victorians lived. The purpose of writing this piece was to show how different people celebrate life in a different way. One of the facets that Wilde wishes to describe is that of language. He believes that the characters converse in a stylized form of wit (Mackie 146). An example can be found on page 29 when Algernon asks Jack what he wants to do. Jack responds with “Nothing!” " and Algernon said, "It's awfully hard to do nothing. However, I don't mind working hard where there is no specific object.