status is more important than feelings A Dominating Mother Lady Bracknell is a very dominating mother She keeps control over Gwendolen s future and marriage She does not let Gwendolen choose for herself In Act she says When you do become engaged to someone I or your father should his health permit him will inform you of the fact This proves Lady Bracknell is a very commanding mother She believes parents have the right to decide their children's future Her style reflects Victorian society where children were often controlled by parents in matters of marriage and class Hypocrisy and Greed Lady Bracknell is also highly hypocritical She sets rules for others but breaks them when it helps her At first she rejects Cecily as Algernon s bride because she thinks Cecily is poor However when she learns that Cecily has a large inheritance Lady Bracknell suddenly becomes very supportive of the marriage She exclaims in Act III A hundred and thirty thousand pounds And in the Funds Miss Cardew seems to me a most attractive young lady now that I look at her This shows her greed She ignores her earlier objections when wealth appears Her hypocrisy adds comedy but also reflects Victorian selfishness Symbol of Victorian Society Lady Bracknell represents the absurd rules of Victorian society She respects money family names and titles above character In Act I her famous line proves this To lose one parent Mr Worthing may be regarded as a misfortune to lose both looks like carelessness This comment is cruel but very comic It shows the shallow judgment of her society Through her Wilde exposes how class and birth were valued more than honesty or love Source of Humor Although Lady Bracknell is strict she creates some of the funniest scenes Her seriousness makes her lines more absurd For example she questions Jack about his smoking and habits as if they are life-or-death matters Jack feels nervous and her stern style makes the audience laugh Even her cruel comments sound humorous because they are exaggerated Wilde makes her the symbol of social foolishness while also turning her into the play s comic star In conclusion Lady Bracknell is one of Wilde s greatest comic creations She represents Victorian society s shallow concern with wealth class and rules Her arrogance hypocrisy and strict views expose the absurdity of her age At the same time her words provide constant humor Through her Wilde satirizes the emptiness of the upper class with sharp wit