Her mother would be happy if Gladys married a bankrupt aristocrat from Europe. So it's not about the money. Her dowry is clearly larger than the fortunes of many eligible men from New York. Bertha wants to reach a higher level so that her daughter becomes a countess or duchess, not just the wife of a rich man. After such a marriage Bertha's social triumph would be unconditional. So Gladys is very likely to marry a money hunter, even a noble one. But will her father allow her to cry in front of the altar as her prototype Consuelo Vanderbilt.
@@tracys169 This duke differs significantly from his prototype. Bertha found him pleasant and modest. So the probability of an unhappy marriage of Gladys is now very low.
You’re right, Bertha wouldn't have cared about Gladys' feelings if Gladys had ended up in a cold castle with a cold duke who only wanted her money. Bertha is not against Oscar because of his desire for money.
Yep, but elite/wealthy gay men at that time were socially condemned to these "lavender marriages": the alternative would be getting cut off from their inheritance/monthly living financial support, and bringing shame upon their families for being openly LGBTQI+. Not only that, but threats of violence/harm and not being able to support themselves. Thousands/millions of men throughout history had to live like this, due to persecution: Oscar is just doing what anyone in his situation would've done.
A male bachelor of his age, at that time in history, should've been married with children already. We already know he's not, because he's a closeted gay man, but he can't keep putting it off much longer in elite society: the rumors would've started flying like crazy about his sexuality. He needed a wealthy wife, to both support his lifestyle as the spoiled son of a wealthy widow, and simultaneously squash the rumors publicly. People still would've suspected and gossiped privately, but not openly. He needed a "beard", but the wife would live a lonely and sad existence in exchange for it. It's sad how many gay men entered into these marriages with the spirit of deception, and the innocent women who suffered in silence. Thankfully, people can live their lives openly in 2024 with whoever they choose, without the shame and the need for such "lavender marriages".
What a sleazy cad! He only wants her for her money! Oh yeah, Oscar might be able to fake it for awhile, maybe long enough to produce and heir and a spare. But, eventually, he would return to his own ways .... And it would be with men, not the servant girls. Or he might go half and half (Being with men and Gladys) Where would that leave poor Gladys?
I think that its hard to say what kind of husband he will be. It seems he aspires to be a good one. I suppose that it is all to be seen if he's capable of being a good mate to her despite his preferences
@@grittyfaithgrittyfacts Being the beard for the guy who marries you for your money is not something that I would wish on anyone be it Gladys in this TV mini-series OR a real woman! At the very beginning he tells his friend that he plans to marry for money. When he has a tiff with his friend; he tries to pick up a guy in a bar and gets beat up! NO THANKS!
@@here_we_go_again2571I think marriage was generally a prison for women back then. I guess that all Im saying is that it did not often occur for love. I believe that he might be marrying for money and be kind and fair to her as well. However, starting a marriage based on a fundamental lie about who you are is never a good idea. He is definitely a cad, but perhaps not a violent mean one.
Bertha wouldn't have cared about Gladys' feelings if Gladys had ended up in a cold castle with a cold duke who only wanted her money. Bertha is not against Oscar because of his desire for money.
Exactly, but this is the 1880's, and LGBTQI+ persecution/hate was a very real thing, long before the Stonewall riots. People knew it existed, but it was hidden behind closed doors and in "lavender marriages" in polite society. The gay revolution wouldn't come until almost a century later.
