The expectations and inequalities of the British upper-class are brought to the forefront when Mrs. Arbuthnot is forced to set her impeccable reputation aside for the sake of an important opportunity presented to her son, Gerald. Oscar Wilde's plays have been widely commended for their wit and biting satire of British social customs. Plays like A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest solidified Oscar Wilde's position as one of the most talented dramatists in the Victorian period.