Contrary to the stereotypical woman of Victorian culture, both female characters Gwendolen and Cecily become instigators of love, from influencing marriage proposals to composing their own letters to 'love of their lovers. Gwendolen asserts her frankness in romantic matters when she exclaims to Jack who is hesitant to propose, “I fear you have had very little experience in how to propose” (Powell, 132). Not only do women have a distorted view of marriage and their responsibilities within that relationship, but men do too. Algernon says of proposals: “I don't really see anything romantic about proposing. It's very romantic to be in love. But there's nothing romantic about a permanent proposal. Well, you can be accepted” (Ericksen, 150). He clearly has a distorted view of marriage. When it comes to Lady Bracknell, her view of marriage is mostly about money and sometimes social respectability. When he questions Jack about the potential of marrying Gwendolen, he focuses on characteristically irrelevant characteristics. Lady Bracknell says of Jack's confession about his tendency to smoke: “I'm glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind” (Greenblat, 539-540). He continues to care about things like his knowledge, education, finances, and family