Who is Gwendolyn Hackworth from The Diamond Age, or, Young Lady's Illustrated Primer and what is their importance?

Gwendolyn is John Percival Hackworth's wife and the mother of Fiona. She lives with her husband and acts like a loving wife, abiding by the Victorian rules of marriage. However, when her husband is sent away to Vancouver and she loses contact with him for an extended period, she divorces him. She takes her daughter and moves to Seattle—a city which is, ironically enough, located not very far from Vancouver, Canada.