of the name of Ernest This shows Jack s clever way of avoiding responsibility It also highlights Wilde s theme of hypocrisy and double life in Victorian society Jack s two selves create comedy but also confusion Jack s Love for Gwendolen Jack s role becomes more serious when he falls in love He loves Gwendolen Fairfax deeply But a problem arises Gwendolen insists she can only marry a man named Ernest She says in Act I The only really safe name is Ernest This creates conflict because Jack s real name is not Ernest Even Jack decides to kill off his imaginary brother He says to Algernon I am going to kill my brother Indeed I think it is high time that I did But Jack also faces Lady Bracknell Gwendolen s mother She asks about his background and rejects him In Act I Lady Bracknell says To lose one parent Mr Worthing may be regarded as a misfortune to lose both looks like carelessness This shows how society values family background over real love Here Jack s role is to expose the shallow values of marriage in Victorian society The Mystery of Jack s Birth Jack s biggest problem is his mysterious birth He was found as a baby in a handbag at Victoria Station This makes him unacceptable to Lady Bracknell She refuses to allow Gwendolen to marry him In Act I he admits to Lady Bracknell I don t actually know who I am by birth The mystery of Jack s birth becomes the heart of the story It connects the play with class prejudice The Revelation and Resolution The climax reveals Jack s true identity Miss Prism Cecily s governess once left a baby in a handbag at Victoria Station That baby was Jack Lady Bracknell recognizes the story and reveals that Jack is the lost son of her sister In Act III she declares You are the son of my poor sister Mrs Moncrieff and consequently Algernon s elder brother This revelation solves the problem of Jack s unknown birth His real name has also been discovered He finds his father s name was Ernest Jack happily says in Act III I ve now realised for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest This final twist connects his real name with the play s title It also joins love identity and comedy in one resolution In Conclusion Jack Worthing s role is crucial to the plot and themes in the play His double life his love story and his hidden identity drive the story forward Wilde uses Jack's character to satirize names class false appearances and shallow values of Victorian society