inspires absolute confidence. The moment Algernon first mentioned to me that he
had a friend called Ernest, I knew I was destined to love you."
"Conniver" [Gwendolen to Jack 10] Jack asks if Gwendolen would not
love him if his name were not Ernest. Gwendolen starts speaking deliberately
smooth and calculated almost too much so to be believable. She is telling him it
is of no matter because his name is Ernest; therefore, she dances around the
question. She is trying to cover up the fact that if his name were not Ernest
she would not even take a second look at him. Quote: [Glibly]. "Ah! That is
clearly a metaphysical speculation, and like most metaphysical speculation has
very little reference at all to the actual facts of real life, as we know
them." "Oppressor" [Gwendolen to Lady Bracknell 12] After Jack
has proposed to Gwendolen, her mother returns to the room and instead of
allowing Jack to stand Gwendolen does so and informs her mother of their
engagement. Gwendolen takes control of the situation first. Gwendolen is
physically restraining to Jack. She is verbally leashing to her mother, Lady
Bracknell. Quote: "Mamma! [He tries to rise; she restrains him.] I must beg
you to retire. This is no place for you. Besides, Mr. Worthing has not quite
finished yet." "Critic" [Gwendolen to Cecily 37] Gwendolen has
come to the country house to surprise Jack. She meets Cecily first. They are
exchanging polite insults to each other. Cecily is basically saying; if it looks
like a duck and walks like a duck, it must be a duck. Cecily believes that
Gwendolen has tricked Ernest to marry her. The fact is Algy is pretending to be
Ernest and is whom Cecily is engaged. Jack is whom Gwendolen is engaged to and
Jack is also pretending to be named Ernest. Gwendolen has just learned of the
engagement between Ernest and Cecily and they are becoming engaged in a polite
grit your teeth argument. Gwendolen lets Cecily know she obviously was raised in
an improper style. Quote: "I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade.
It is obvious that our social spheres have been widely different."
"Caregiver" [Gwendolen to Cecily 39] Jack has told the ladies he
doesn’t have a brother named Ernest. Cecily tells Gwendolen; her Ernest is Uncle
Jack. That means that neither of the women is engaged to man named Ernest.
Ironically after all the jealousy between the women they now have a common cause
and unit. After Gwendolen and Cecily find out they has been lied to, they
embrace and Gwendolen tells Cecily she will care for her like a big sister.
Quote: "You will call me sister, will you not?" Cecily Cardew
"Deviant" [Cecily to Miss Prism 21] Miss Prism has just called for
Cecily to come over and do her lessons. Cecily is talking with Miss Prism about
her lessons. She tells Miss Prism that she doesn’t want to do her German for she
will look ordinary. She doesn’t want to look like everybody else. She is being
vain about her looks. Quote: "But I don’t like German. It isn’t at all a
becoming language. I know perfectly well that I look quite plain after my German
lesson." "Loner" [Cecily to Miss Prism 22] Cecily thinks Miss
Prism could reform Jack’s brother, Ernest. Cecily begins writing about Ernest in
her diary. Cecily uses her Diary as her Bunbury. Cecily’s sole companion is her
diary she puts everything in it she lives her life in the pages. She wishes to
remember her every detail of existence. Quote: "I keep a diary in order to
enter the wonderful secrets of my life. If I didn’t write them down I should
probably forget all about them." "Dreamer" [Cecily to Algernon
32] Jack has demanded Algernon leave, but he has no intention of leaving.
Algernon has asked Cecily to marry him. She begins to tell him they are already
engaged and have been for some three months. She gives him the account of their
lives thus far as lived in her dairy a far cry from reality. She has lived out
their relationship in her diary. She has dreamed up the man that now stands in
front of her. The only problem is that Algy is pretending to be named Ernest.
Quote: "On the 14th of February last. Worn out by your entire ignorance of
my existence, I determined to end the matter one way or the other, and after a
long struggle with myself I accepted you under this dear old tree here?"
"Conformist" [Cecily to Gwendolen and then Algernon 43] Gwendolen and
Cecily have learned that neither of them is engaged to a man named Ernest.
Gwendolen and Cecily enter the house they are waiting for the men, Algernon and
Jack, to enter. Gwendolen tells Cecily what to do and she follows her cue. The
men finally enter. They have agreed not to speak first but Gwendolen does so and
Cecily praises her then addresses Algernon also. Quote: "Gwendolen, your
common sense is invaluable. Mr. Moncrieff, kindly answer me the following
question: Why did you pretend to be my guardian’s brother?" Miss Laetitia
Prism "Traditionalist" [Miss Prism to Cecily 21] Cecily is watering
the flowers. Miss Prism calls Cecily in to do her lessons. Miss Prism feels
Cecily should not do manual labor that is not for ladies to do but for servants.
Quote: "Cecily, Cecily! Surely such a utilitarian occupation as the
watering of flowers is rather Moulton’s duty than yours?"
"Director" [Miss Prism to Cecily 21] Cecily has just been tending to
the flowers. Once Miss Prism has gotten Cecily to come over and sit down, she
puts Cecily in order to do her lessons. Miss Prism tells Cecily what she is to
do in her studies. As her teacher she must direct her education. Quote:
"Your German grammar is on the table. Pray open it at page fifteen. We will
repeat yesterday’s lesson." "Curmudgeon" [Miss Prism to Cecily
22] Cecily is saying she thinks Miss Prism can reform Jack’s brother. Miss Prism
thinks the idea of turning over a new leaf is absurd. She is skeptical that it
can be done. Quote: "?I am not in favour of this modern mania for turning
bad people into good people at a moments notice. As a man sows so let him
reap." "Critic" [Miss Prism to Cecily 22] Miss Prism has written
a novel herself. Later we find out that her novel is the key to Jack’s true
identity. When Miss Prism was younger she was caring for an infant, when she
accidentally switched the baby with the book. She placed the infant in her
handbag and the novel in the baby carrier. The infant was Jack, whose real name
is Ernest. Miss Prism sees no reason for Cecily to have a diary; she has nothing
good enough to write about. Quote: "You must put away your diary, Cecily. I
really don’t see why you should keep a dairy at all." Rev. Frederick Canon
Chausable "Caregiver" [Chausable to Jack 26] Jack comes in dressed in
funeral garb. Jack is using the dress as a lie to eliminate his brother, Ernest.
After Jack tells everyone his brother is dead, Chausable as a priest gives
comfort to Jack. This is a need for priest to allow others to unburden their
grief on them. Quote: "Mr. Worthing, I offer you my sincere condolence. You
have at least the consolation of knowing that you were always the most generous
and forgiving of brothers." "Critic" [Chausable to Jack 27] Jack
says his brother will be buried in Paris. Chausable is horrified and feels that
Jack’s brother was crazy. The Victorian attitude toward Paris is that it is a
place of ill repute. Algy is pretending to be Jack’s brother Ernest to deceive
Cecily. Quote: "In Paris! [Shakes his head} I fear that hardly points to
any very serious state of mind at the last?" "Deviant" [Chausable
to Lady Bracknell 50] Lady Bracknell accuses Chausable and Miss Prism of having
more than a platonic relationship. She thinks that there are more intimate
issues. Chausable is outraged by the implications. He declares that he is a
traditional man of God. Chausable shows his unique individuality to Lady
Bracknell. Quote: "I am a celibate, madame." Theme The Importance of
Being Earnest is encompassed in the keeping up of social morals at all costs.
The characters continually lie to keep an indignant moral high ground. They feel
that without lying they would be unable to achieve their pleasures of life. Two
men, John Jack Earnest Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, use the deception [a
Bunbury] that both their names were Ernest, in order to secure marriage to the
women they love, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. Then there is the ultimate
unraveling of their lies, which still ends in their impending nuptials. John
Jack Ernest Worthing comes to town to get away from his responsibilities in the
country, his ward Cecily Cardew, and to see Gwendolen Fairfax, whom he wishes to
propose marriage. In order to come to town he has invented a wayward brother
named Ernest. He has committed the Bunbury that he has come to see his brother,
Ernest, who doesn’t exist. He wishes to enjoy the pleasures before attending to
his guardian duties. Jack is proclaiming his love for Gwendolen when Algy
interrupts with a giggle. Jack wants to know why. Algy is thinking of Bunbury.
Algy has been listening in on Jack and Gwendolen’s conversation. Through the
conversation he has found out where Jack lives in the country. He has secretly
written down the address. The Bunbury he is thinking about is that he is going
to the country house as Ernest to meet Cecily. Algernon has asked Cecily to
marry him. Cecily tells him they are already engaged and that it is written in
her diary. Cecily uses her Diary as her Bunbury. She has dreamed up the man that
now stands in front of her. The only problem is that Algy is pretending to be
named Ernest. Jack admits to Gwendolen and Cecily that he has no brother at all
and never did. The fact is Algy is really his brother, as he will find out
later. Algy and Jack have both pretended to be named Ernest to marry the ladies.
Now the lies have unraveled. The lady’s figured out that neither of them will
marry a man named Ernest and they are both quite mad. The women leave the men
alone in the garden. Jack says this must be Algernon’s idea of a Bunbury and
Algernon feels this is the epitome of bunburying. This is Algernon’s greatest
legacy. Quote: "yes, and a perfectly wonderful Bunbury it is. The most
wonderful Bunbury I have ever had in my life." In the end, it is shown that
there is more truth in many of the characters’ lies than they knew. When Cecily
tells Algy that she and he are already engaged and have been for some three
months. She gives him the account of their lives thus far as lived in her dairy.
She has lived out their relationship in her diary. She has dreamed up the man
that now stands in front of her. Miss Prism has written a novel herself. Later
we find out that her novel is the key to Jack’s true identity. When Miss Prism
was younger she was caring for an infant, when she accidentally switched the
baby with the book. She placed the infant in her handbag and the novel in the
baby carrier. The infant was Jack, whose real name is Ernest. Jack’s parents are
really Algernon’s parents also. This means that every time Jack came to town to
see Algy he really was seeing his wayward brother. With the truth exposed it
also means that Algernon was only lying to Cecily about being named Ernest,
because he truly is John Jack Ernest Worthing’s brother. Being earnest is being
truthful. The quote that entails this ideal is on pg. 40 [Algernon to Jack]
"Well, one must be serious about something, if one wants to have any
amusement in life. I happen to be serious about Bunburying?"