By the end of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, has Jack learned the importance of being Ernest, earnest, or both?
I think Jack has learned both. By the end of the play, Jack understands the importance of being Ernest, the man, because, in learning that his real name actually is Ernest, Jack acquires a family and status that he previously lacked. This family and status pave the way for Jack's marriage to his cousin Gwendolyn. Jack has also come to understand the importance of being earnest, the virtue, because it is ultimately by being himself—instead of pretending to be his brother, Ernest—that puts him in a position that allows him to marry Gwendolyn. Lady Bracknell was unwilling to allow her daughter to marry Mr. Ernest Worthing, but she becomes quite willing to let Gwendolyn marry Mr. Ernest Moncrieff, her sister's son. In the end, being earnest allows Jack to find his way to being Ernest, which enables the play's happy and hilarious end.
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