Which character conducts the interrogation that reveals Victorian social priorities in marriage?

• A. Algernon Moncrieff
• B. Lady Bracknell
• C. Jack Worthing
• D. Cecily Cardew

Answer: (B)

The question tests recognizing how Wilde uses a character to reveal Victorian marriage norms. Lady Bracknell takes on the role of gatekeeper, interrogating Jack Worthing when he seeks to marry Gwendolen. Her probing touches on origin, parentage, wealth, and social connections, delivering sharp, satirical lines about what counts in a marriage from a social standpoint—names, lineage, and financial security—more than love or personal affinity. This interrogation makes the era’s priorities clear: marriage is a social transaction governed by status and propriety, with respectability and inheritance taking precedence over genuine affection. While other characters contribute to the satire—Algernon with his witticisms, Jack as a suitor, Cecily as the ward—the person who embodies and exposes these norms through questioning is Lady Bracknell.