Why else does Jack want to get rid of his 'brother'?

• A. Cecily is getting to be interested in him.
• B. He wants to marry Gwendolen without competition.
• C. The 'brother' is ruining his social plans.
• D. He wants to claim the inheritance now.

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how deception and romance drive Jack’s choices. Jack has invented a pretend brother named Ernest to fuel his social life and to lure Cecily with a name and persona she finds appealing. He wants to get rid of the fake brother because Cecily is growing genuinely fond of the Ernest image he’s created. Her interest in him as a person who embodies the qualities she imagines in Ernest makes the ruse both valuable and precarious: if the brother remains, the truth could come out or the fantasy could be threatened, and that would jeopardize Jack’s chances with Cecily. So, removing the brother is a way to protect the illusion that attracts Cecily and to keep his budding romance on track.

Other motives in the play aren’t as directly tied to the moment when Cecily’s feelings are in play; the scene centers on how Cecily’s interest in the Ernest persona motivates Jack to clear the way for his deception to work and, ultimately, for him to pursue marriage with Cecily.