Question

Who does the baby turn out to have been?

• A. Gwendolen
• B. Algernon
• C. Cecily
• D. Jack

Answer 1

Answer:

D. Jack

• The baby turns out to have been Jack (John) Worthing, who is actually Lady Bracknell’s long-lost nephew and Algernon’s older brother.

• Miss Prism’s accidental mix-up—placing the baby in a handbag and leaving it at Victoria Station—led to Jack being adopted and raised by Mr. Thomas Cardew, who named him "Worthing" after the seaside town where he found the bag.

This revelation solves all of Jack’s problems:

• He is of noble birth, making him acceptable to marry Gwendolen.

• He is Algernon’s legitimate brother, allowing Cecily and Algernon’s engagement to proceed.

• He finally discovers his real name, which, in a perfect twist of irony, turns out to be Ernest all along—proving that he has been "earnest" (truthful) in name, if not in character.

This brilliantly ironic ending ties together Wilde’s satire, reinforcing the play’s theme of identity, deception, and the absurdity of social conventions.