Act I
Lady Bracknell's famous outburst: 'A handbag?' upon learning Jack was found in a cloak-room at Victoria Station.
Read in Books4Free →The Handbag and Jack's Origins
From The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Lady Bracknell's horrified interrogation of Jack about his parentage, culminating in her incredulous exclamation 'A handbag?', is one of the most iconic moments in English comedy. Jack's discovery as a foundling in a handbag at Victoria Station drives the plot's central mystery.
Act I
Lady Bracknell: 'To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.'
Read in Books4Free →Act III
Miss Prism recognizes the handbag, revealing Jack's true identity as Algernon's elder brother.
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