How Does Wilde Show The Value Of Marriage

Oscar Wilde was born in the Victorian age and lived in a high-class family. Basically his purpose for writing this play was to mock the ignorance and arrogance of upper-class Victorian society, especially the values of marriage at the time. In Victorian times, the parents decided their child’s marriage. Lady Bracknell mostly valued Jack’s age, income and bloodline. “You can hardly imagine that I and Lord Bracknell would dream of allowing our only daughter ---a girl brought up with the utmost care---to marry into a cloak-room, and form an alliance with a parcel?” (Wilde, P995). What’s more, in order to marry Gwendolen, Jack should be a member of high-class and have a proper family. “The ‘better’ the marriage (money wise), the higher the possibilities.” (Ossa, enotes.com).
Lady Bracknell had a good marriage with a rich man, and her goal was to see her daughter do the same. She took out her “list of eligible young men” to see whether Jack had the qualifications to marry her daughter. “Through the figure of Lady Bracknell, Wilde manages to satirize the hypocrisy and stupidity of the British aristocracy.” (sparknotes.com). Gwendolen was in love with Jack; he was known as Ernest in town. “Gwendolen is fixated on the name Ernest and says she will not marry a man without that name.” (sparknotes.com). “No, thank you. Sugar is not fashionable any more.” “Cake is rarely seen at the best houses nowadays.” (Wilde, hoboes.com). In the movie, when Gwendolen was having tea with Cecily, Gwendolen acted so selfish. She took advantage of her high level in society. “She is sophisticated, intellectual, cosmopolitan, and utterly pretentious.”