Victorian Research

My research of the Victorian Age helped my understanding of the gender roles in the book, The Importance of Being Ernest. The roles are suggestive toward women meaning that they are supposed to be properly feminine. In the Victorian Age women were supposed to teach the children how to play their role in life, and they had to educate them. Women were supposed to be silent in public and obiedient to their husband. And above all they had to have alot of manners and be proper, even if fighting. Men, however, were the strong, brave people that protected their families. Marriage back then was thought of unimportant. Algernon says that marriages are made in heaven.

Miss Prism, although not the actual mother of Cecily, taught Cecily Germen, and how to be properly feminine, and to always be polite. Men, for women's daughters, they wanted them to be born from a wealthy family and to not be "bad". Lady Bracknell questions Jack about where he came from. where he was born. and who were his parents. Since he was not born into a wealthy family, Lady Bracknell found him unsuitable for her daugther. She wants her daughter to be wed into a wealthy family. Miss Prism does not want Cecily to marry Algernon because she has the impression that he is a bad person and is not good enough for Cecily.