In the end, with Jack's
famous last line, "Now I know the vital importance of being earnest," he seems to
imply that one only needs to be earnest when it actually suits one's purposes. Jack was only
accidentally honest. If he had known his true parentage, this would still
not have satisfied his need to escape his gentleman's life and behave illicitly from time to
time. Look at his brother, Algernon: he had to invent a permanent invalid named Bunbury just so
he would have an excuse to get out of family engagements. Therefore, Jack would likely still
have been dishonest.
Furthermore, if Jack had known his true lineage, then he
never would have become Cecily Cardew's ward. If he had not invented a fictitious brother,
Algernon could not have pretended to be him, and this would have left Jack without his love. It
is the end that justifies the means in this play, and when all the lies happen to add up to a
truth, the ending results in happiness for everyone. However, almost
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