Read the excerpt from Act I of The Importance of Being Earnest.Jack. I have lost both my parents.Lady Bracknell. To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.

Lady Bracknell responds to Jack’s loss with an absurdly practical judgment, as if losing both parents were a careless mistake. The contrast between a serious subject and her detached, judgmental tone creates humor. So the exchange makes the scene more humorous, not more serious or confusing.

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