The Importance of Being Earnest and the Victorian Era

When reading The Importance of Being Earnest which was written and takes place in the Victorian Era, research on the Victorian Era helped me understand more of what happens in the book. One example of this is the relationship between Lady Bracknell and her daughter Gwendolen. When researching, I found out that it was mainly up to the mother to teach the daughter. This information helps when understanding lines that Gwendolen says like when she says that her mother raised her to be shortsighted as well as the relationship between them in regards of Gwendolen wanting to marry Jack.

Lady Bracknell's thoughts on Gwendolen's engagement to Jack are also easier to understand with previous research. Marriage in the Victorian Era was pretty much only to improve your social standing. Though Jack is wealthy and has been raised in a wealthy family, Lady Bracknell refuses to allow Jack and Gwendolyn to marry because he does not know who his family is since he was found in a handbag. To Lady Bracknell it doesn't matter that they want to marry, family is too important to her and she does not want someone in her family who has unknown lineage.