What does Cecily use to prove her engagement?

• A. A diary
• B. A letter
• C. A ring
• D. A photograph

Answer: (A)

Cecily shows how a tangible record can embody a fake romance, turning imagination into “proof.” She has crafted a whole engagement with Ernest and treats her diary as the official record of that betrothal. When she needs to demonstrate that she is truly engaged, the diary is presented as the concrete evidence, containing entries and notes about their supposed plans. This choice highlights Wilde’s satire of social rituals, where documents and declarations pretend to settle love while masking playful deceit. Other items like a letter, a ring, or a photograph might symbolize engagement in general, but in this moment they don’t function as the proof Cecily relies on; the diary is what she uses to validate her engagement in her imagined world.