Read the passage from The Importance of Being Earnest . Gwendolen: Let us preserve a dignified silence. Cecily: Certainly. It’s the only thing to do now. [Enter Jack followed by Algernon . They whistle some dreadful popular air from a British Opera.] Gwendolen: This dignified silence seems to produce an unpleasant effect. Cecily: A most distasteful one. Gwendolen: But we will not be the first to speak. Cecily: Certainly not. Gwendolen: Mr. Worthing, I have something very particular to ask you. Much depends on your reply. Wilde uses the exchange between Gwendolen and Cecily to
Answer
A
explain the importance of romance in Victorian society.
B
show the superiority of women in Victorian society.
C
praise the strict social codes of Victorian society.
D
mock the formal courtship rules of Victorian society.
Explanation
Gwendolen and Cecily try to maintain a “dignified silence,” as etiquette might require, but quickly admit that the silence feels unpleasant. Gwendolen then breaks it by saying she has something important to ask Mr. Worthing. This comic contradiction makes fun of the formal rules and rituals surrounding Victorian courtship, so the answer is “mock the formal courtship rules of Victorian society.”
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