Question

Why is Cecily nervous about meeting Jack’s brother Ernest?

• A. Because he’s wicked
• B. Because he’ll find out about their engagement
• C. Because she’s afraid he’ll look different from other people
• D. Because she’s afraid he’ll look just like everyone else

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Because he’ll find out about their engagement

• Cecily is nervous about meeting Jack’s brother "Ernest" because she has been romantically infatuated with him for a long time—even though he doesn’t actually exist.

• Since Jack has frequently mentioned his troublesome "brother" Ernest, Cecily has developed a romantic fantasy about him.

• She has even written imaginary love letters to herself from Ernest and has engaged herself to him in her diary, despite never having met him.

• When Algernon arrives at Jack’s country house pretending to be "Ernest," Cecily is excited and nervous because she believes she is finally meeting the man she has dreamed about.

• This situation is a key part of Wilde’s satire on love and romance, showing how Victorian ideals of courtship are often based on illusion rather than reality.