Read the passage from The Importance of Being Earnest. Jack: . . . Old Mr. Thomas Cardew, who adopted me when I was a little boy, made me in his will guardian to his grand-daughter, Miss Cecily Cardew. Cecily, who addresses me as her uncle from motives of respect that you could not possibly appreciate, lives at my place in the country under the charge of her admirable governess, Miss Prism. Algernon: Where is that place in the country, by the way? Jack: That is nothing to you, dear boy. You are not going to be invited . . . By refusing to let Algernon meet Cecily, what character trait does Jack display?
Jack refuses to tell Algernon where Cecily lives and says Algernon will not be invited. This shows that Jack is trying to keep Cecily away from Algernon, which most directly demonstrates protectiveness. The passage does not suggest that Jack is jealous or acting out of compassion or mischief.
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