What is the central premise of the play regarding Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff's lifestyles?

• A. They live double lives through deception to avoid social obligations.
• B. They reveal their secrets to society to gain approval.
• C. They abandon social obligations and become hermits.
• D. They pursue wealth through public performances.

Answer: (A)

Two characters in The Importance of Being Earnest cultivate secret identities to dodge the expectations and duties of upper-class society. Jack Worthing keeps up an alter ego, "Ernest," in the city to enjoy the freedoms he can’t have in the country, while Algernon Moncrieff invents a fictitious invalid friend named Bunbury to excuse himself from social obligations. Their double lives are all about deception to avoid responsibilities like marriage, social scrutiny, and rigid etiquette, not about confessing secrets or seeking wealth. The humor comes from how theatrical and self-serving these performances are, revealing how empty and performative some social norms can feel.

That’s why the best choice centers on living double lives through deception to sidestep obligations—it captures the play’s satirical core about identity, disguise, and the social games people play. The other ideas don’t fit: they don’t aim to reveal truths to society, they don’t abandon obligations entirely, and they aren’t about pursuing wealth through public performances.