How does Jack describe Ernest as a method to get rid of him?

How does Jack describe Ernest as a method to get rid of him?

• A. Ernest is going to get a severe chill.
• B. Ernest will move away.
• C. Ernest will change his name.
• D. Ernest will be arrested.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is Jack’s use of a fake brother as a cover for his city life, and how he keeps Ernest out of his hair with a flimsy excuse. He tells people that Ernest is going to have a severe chill, presenting illness as the practical reason to keep Ernest away. This fits Wilde’s playful, satirical tone, using a light, everyday excuse to avoid trouble and maintain appearances. It’s a simple, believable reason that matches the era’s humor about propriety and illness being a socially acceptable excuse. Moving away, changing his name, or being arrested would be far more dramatic and don’t align with the easygoing, jokey way Jack handles Ernest’s interference in the plot. The chosen line embodies the humorous contrast between earnestness (the name) and the ease with which Jack sidesteps complications.

The main idea here is Jack’s use of a fake brother as a cover for his city life, and how he keeps Ernest out of his hair with a flimsy excuse. He tells people that Ernest is going to have a severe chill, presenting illness as the practical reason to keep Ernest away. This fits Wilde’s playful, satirical tone, using a light, everyday excuse to avoid trouble and maintain appearances. It’s a simple, believable reason that matches the era’s humor about propriety and illness being a socially acceptable excuse.

Moving away, changing his name, or being arrested would be far more dramatic and don’t align with the easygoing, jokey way Jack handles Ernest’s interference in the plot. The chosen line embodies the humorous contrast between earnestness (the name) and the ease with which Jack sidesteps complications.