Comparing and Contrasting Two Versions of The War of the Worlds — Unit test
Question 16 • DBN LA 8-CR
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.
Answer
A
praise the strict social codes of Victorian society.
B
show the superiority of women in Victorian society.
C
mock the formal courtship rules of Victorian society.
D
explain the importance of romance in Victorian society.
Explanation
Gwendolen and Cecily decide to maintain a “dignified silence,” but the men’s whistling makes the silence awkward and unpleasant. Their exaggerated politeness and formal behavior are presented humorously, poking fun at the strict conventions surrounding courtship. Therefore, the passage mocks the formal courtship rules of Victorian society.
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