Jack (John) Worthing and Algernon Moncrief are two very
different men, but they share more than either would probably want to admit. To answer
your question, Jack would like to think that he is more serious and more
upstanding than Algernon. He thinks that hispretending to be Ernest in
town in order to escape the moral example he must set in the country is different from
what Algernon calls Bunburying. But Algernon is right -- Jack is a confirmed
Bunburyist. Both men have created a persona that allows them a ready excuse to get out
of obligations they would rather not endure.
In this same
vein, Jack lives a more serious life. Jack lives his life
knowing that he has obligations to others, while Algernon lives entirely for amusement.
He is always eating. He goes to the country and meets Cecily just because he heard she
was pretty and knew that it would drive Jack completely crazy to have "Ernest" come to
visit.
Jack is, at least in Act 1, more
genuinely interested in marrying. Algernon says absolutely nothing
positive about marriage -- in fact many of his best lines are insulting the
institution. Interestingly though, once he meets Cecily, he is completely caught up in
the idea and fights for the right to marry (of course, her wealth may play no small part
in that).
Jack has no family connections in
high society, while Algernon is the nephew of a Lord and Lady. Jack
does have wealth though. Algernon is broke. They seem to
be friends for what each can offer the other -- Algernon introduces Jack to all the
right people while Jack picks up the tab for dinner.
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