Which statement best describes the handbag incident's role?

• A. It was a minor embarrassing moment with no lasting impact.
• B. It involved a failed attempt to mail a letter.
• C. It shows that Jack's origins are entirely unknown to Miss Prism.
• D. It connects Jack's origins to Miss Prism and the handbag incident.

Answer: (D)

The handbag incident functions as a crucial plot device that unlocks who Jack really is by tying his unknown origins to Miss Prism’s past. Because Miss Prism once had a baby in her care and, in a moment of distraction, placed that infant in a handbag, the audience learns that the infant found later—Jack—belongs to her circle of history. This revelation directly links Jack’s birth and authenticity to Miss Prism and her actions, explaining why Jack exists and how he ended up in the world Wilde satirizes. That connection between Jack’s origins and Miss Prism is what gives the incident its central importance, shaping the misunderstandings about identity and legitimacy that drive the play’s humor and development.