It was common for the time to have your wife or husband picked for you. The process did not involve Gwendolen at all, in fact, it was believed that “an engagement should come on a young girl as a surprise,” (12 Act 1). Lady Bracknell already had Jack on her “list of eligible men” (12 Act 1) that could be considered as possible suitors for her daughter. Lady Bracknell sees it as important to interview Jack for the position of Gwendolen’s husband. Lady Bracknell is an example of the worst parts of high society. Insight and understanding are required in order to find thoughtful humor funny. Gwendolyn does not get much of a voice due to the fact that she is a girl and still in the care of her parents, though when she does speak it is shallow and trivial. Lady Bracknell and Algernon Moncrieff are completely immersed in the superficial ways of the leisure class. He does this primarily through irony and hypocrisy in the character’s dialogue and actions. In these scenes Jack Worthing decides to propose to Gwendolen and is then forced to endure questioning from Lady Bracknell. In an excerpt from The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde develops thoughtful laughter by mocking the societal values of the characters.
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