How is Jack’s identity revealed in “The Importance of Being Earnest?”

Answer

How is Jack’s identity revealed in “The Importance of Being Earnest?” [NU: 2016, 22] ★★★   

Oscar Wilde’s (1854–1900) play “The Importance of Being Earnest” (1895) is full of comedy and secrets. The biggest secret is Jack Worthing’s real identity. From the start, Jack himself does not know who he truly is. This mystery is solved only at the end of the play.    

Jack’s Uncertain Birth: Jack tells Lady Bracknell in Act I that he was found as a baby in a handbag at Victoria Station. He says,

 “…I don’t actually know who I am by birth.” 

He was discovered inside a handbag at Victoria Station. Thomas Cardew later adopted him. This uncertain origin makes Lady Bracknell reject him as Gwendolen’s suitor.

Miss Prism’s Mistake: The mystery is solved in Act III. Miss Prism confesses that years ago she made a mistake. She says, 

“I left it in the cloak-room of one of the larger railway stations in London.” 

She mixed up a baby and a handbag while caring for the child. This shocking truth connects Jack’s past to the present.

Lady Bracknell’s Revelation: Lady Bracknell recognizes the story and reveals that Jack is the lost son of her sister. She declares in Act III,

 “You are the son of my poor sister, Mrs. Moncrieff, and consequently Algernon’s elder brother.” 

At once, Jack’s true birth is revealed. He belongs to the same respectable family as Algernon and Gwendolen. His real name is also Ernest, which solves the comic problem of names.

In short, Jack’s identity is revealed through Miss Prism’s mistake and Lady Bracknell’s recognition. Wilde uses this comic discovery to resolve the plot and to highlight class, birth, and appearances.