Short Answer 
Lady Bracknell’s dialogue illustrates how Victorian norms stripped young women of agency in marriage decisions, emphasizing parental control over their futures. Wilde critiques these rigid conventions through satire, highlighting the absurdity of treating engagements as surprises and questioning the wisdom of allowing others to dictate personal happiness.
Step 1: Understanding Lady Bracknell’s Statement
Lady Bracknell’s dialogue emphasizes that young women are not given the autonomy to choose their own partners. Instead, she insists that engagements should be a surprise to young girls, suggesting that their futures are controlled by their parents. This perspective reflects the societal norms of the Victorian era, where parental authority dominated personal choices in marriage.
Step 2: Critique of Victorian Social Norms
Through Lady Bracknell’s authoritative tone, Wilde critiques the rigid and often absurd social conventions surrounding marriage. Parents, like Lady Bracknell, dictate the terms of engagements, reducing the young women’s role to passive recipients of their marital destinies. The depiction of engagement as a ‚ÄöAusurprise‚ÄöAu highlights the lack of agency women had over their own lives.
Step 3: Satirical Commentary on Marriage
Wilde’s use of satire in Lady Bracknell’s words mocks the traditional views of marriage by suggesting that romantic love is irrelevant in the engagement process. The absurdity of claiming that a young girl should not organize her own future illustrates the ludicrous nature of societal expectations. This commentary invites readers to question the propriety and wisdom of allowing others to dictate personal happiness.