The Importance of Being Earnest Group

Question:

gardensalsa
gardensalsa
Student
High School - 10th Grade

Why has Jack kept his life in the country a closely guarded secret from Algernon?

Rate question:

Posted by gardensalsa on Monday April 20, 2009 at 8:02 PM and tagged with algernon, jack, the importance of being earnest.

Answers:

  1. writergal06
    writergal06 Teacher

    eNotes Editor

    Jack keeps two different personae, Jack and Ernest. He is Jack in the country and Ernest in the city. Jack is very responsible, the care-taker of a young lady, and very wealthy. Ernest is carefree, frivolous, and impetuous. Jack doesn't want Algernon to know about his double life, otherwise it might lose its appeal. Wilde is using this to create a sense of irony and satire, mocking the dutiful attitude of Victorian society.

    Rate answer:

    Posted by writergal06 on Tuesday April 21, 2009 at 4:58 AM

  2. herappleness
    herappleness Teacher
    Graduate School

    eNotes Editor

    As for "why" he decides to be "Jack in the country" and "Earnest in the city" from his friend Algernon whom also happens to be "Algy in the city who Bunbury's in the country" is nothing but the author's own personal contempt to the hypocrisy of Victorian society and their plentiful double-lives. In the story, as it is, it comes as a surprise in a way to the reader to realize that, after their extended friendship, Algernon knew nothing of "Jack" and Earnest knew nothing of Bunbury, which leads us to realize that the two had a quite shallow relationship, much like those of Victorian, upper class Londoners at that time. 

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/importance-being

    Rate answer:

    Posted by herappleness on Tuesday April 21, 2009 at 7:38 PM