The Importance of Being Earnest | Lady Bracknell’s snobbery

The Importance of Being Earnest | Lady Bracknell’s snobbery

Q. Write a brief note on Lady Bracknell’s snobbery from The Importance of Being Earnest.

Answer: Lady Bracknell is a notable character in Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest. She is portrayed as the most prominent and memorable character. She is often regarded as the embodiment of the aristocracy of the Victorian era. She holds the tradition of aristocratic snobbery to dedicate the social affairs and marital prospects of the young generations of the Victorian era.

One of the clearest examples of Lady Bracknell’s snobbery is her interrogation of Jack Worthing. He proposes to her daughter Gwendolen to marry. At this moment, Lady Bracknell does not express joy or even basic acceptance of the proposal. Rather, Lady Bracknell puts a series of invasive questions about Jack’s background and social standing.

She also is appalled to learn that he was found in a handbag at a railway station as a baby. She declares that such a circumstance is always an indication of a good deal of trouble in the neighborhood.

Lady Bracknell is always obsessed with Jack’s family history and social background. This obsession reveals her deep seated belief that one’s worth and eligibility as a marriage partner is inextricably tied to their lineage and class status.

She is often found completely indifferent. She thinks of the possibility of her daughter's marriage. She thinks that someone of unknown or humble origins could not be a suitable match for her aristocratic daughter. Therefore, she empathetically states “the line is immediatement drawn.”

Lady Bracknell’s snobbery extends beyond her judgment of Jack’s background. It is to be noted that, Algernon is a well-known young man of London high society. He is also a wealthy and reputed person. Therefore, when Algernon later reveals that his friend Bunbury is, in fact, a fictional invention, Lady Bracknell's response is noticeable.

She mentions: “I am glad to hear it. Marginal existence belongs to the ordinary, indecipherable kind of person with no name, no position, and no sense of morality.” Algernon has been using him as an excuse to avoid social obligations. Here, we see Lady Bracknell’s utter disdain for those who belong to lower social and lack of manners and morals.

It is important to note that Lady Bracknell’s snobbery is not just a personal whim, but it is a reflection of the broader class consciousness and social prejudices of Victorian society. As a member of the aristocracy, she sees it as her duty to uphold the rigid social hierarchy. She makes sure that her daughter can marry into a ‘right’ family.

Her obsession with social background and wealthiness of a person indicates the uniqueness and superiority of the upper classes.

In fact, Lady Bracknell's snobbery functions as a social commentary on the absurdities and hypocrisies of the Victorian high society. Thus, Oscar Wilde uses the Bracknell's character to expose the vanity, politeness and obsession of the British aristocracy. Lady Bracknell’s firm belief in her own superiority and her inability to see beyond the constraints of her class make her a quintessential figure of Wildean social critique.

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