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Difficulty: HardTextual Analysis of Prescribed Non-African Drama

Read the extract below from Oscar Wilde's prescribed Non-African drama, *The Importance of Being Earnest*, and answer the question that follows:

LADY BRACKNELL: [...] Cecily is not a girl with a fortune who can afford to waste her time in idle courtship.
JACK: I beg your pardon, Lady Bracknell, but Miss Cardew has a hundred and thirty thousand pounds in the Funds.
LADY BRACKNELL: [Suddenly interested] 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.

In the excerpt above, Lady Bracknell's sudden shift in attitude upon learning of Cecily's wealth primarily serves to expose which central thematic concern of the play?

  1. The mercenary nature and moral hypocrisy of Victorian upper-class marriage customsAnswer
  2. B
    Jack's tragic flaw of hubris in defying aristocratic social conventions
  3. C
    The dramatic irony arising from Cecily being secretly aware of Lady Bracknell's mercenary intentions
  4. D
    A somber and melancholy mood depicting the financial vulnerability of young women in Victorian England

Answer

The mercenary nature and moral hypocrisy of Victorian upper-class marriage customs
Lady Bracknell's sudden interest and change of heart immediately following the revelation of Cecily's £130,000 fortune explicitly demonstrates how financial considerations dictate social approval and marriage prospects in the Victorian upper class. Wilde uses this dramatic moment to satirize the mercenary motives veiled beneath aristocratic decorum.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the dialogue shift and stage direction in the excerpt
Lady Bracknell transitions instantly from dismissing Cecily to declaring her 'a most attractive young lady' immediately after hearing the sum 'a hundred and thirty thousand pounds'.
Identifying the trigger for Lady Bracknell's reaction reveals what motivates her character judgment.
2
Connect the character motivation to the broader thematic satirical context of the play
Oscar Wilde uses Lady Bracknell's blatant greed to satirize the Victorian aristocracy, which prioritized financial gain and social status over romance and personal virtue in matrimony.
Textual analysis in Non-African drama requires linking specific dramatic interactions to the author's overarching thematic critique.

Key Concept

Textual and thematic analysis of Victorian satirical drama
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Textual Analysis of Prescribed Non-African Drama

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