Who Lady Windermere is
Lady Windermere, whose first name is Margaret, is twenty-one and lives in fashionable London. She has been married to Lord Windermere for less than two years, and they have a baby son. As she prepares for her birthday ball, her husband gives her a fan bearing her name.
What Lady Windermere wants
Raised by a strict aunt, she wants a marriage and a world governed by clear rules. She believes a woman who has done wrong should neither be forgiven nor spoken to. Her certainty is sincere, but it leaves little room for circumstances she does not understand.
Lady Windermere and the others in the story
The Duchess of Berwick tells her that Lord Windermere visits Mrs Erlynne and gives her money. When Lady Windermere finds the payments recorded, her trust gives way to suspicion. Her husband's insistence that Mrs Erlynne attend the ball makes her feel further hurt.
How Lady Windermere changes
Lord Darlington challenges her strict judgments, while his compliments go beyond the bounds of friendship. At the ball, Mrs Erlynne's calm charm unsettles the picture Lady Windermere has formed of her. Her beliefs begin to face a personal test as pain and Darlington's attention draw her toward a dangerous choice.
Questions
Who is Lady Windermere?
Lady Windermere is Margaret, a young married woman whose certainty about right and wrong comes under strain.
Why does Lady Windermere suspect her husband?
She hears that he visits Mrs Erlynne, then discovers repeated payments to her in his account book.
How does Lady Windermere relate to Lord Darlington?
He is a witty friend who loves her and wants her to turn to him. She finds his talk amusing and shocking, but disagrees with his views on morality.
