Read the passage from The Importance of Being Earnest. Wilde uses the exchange between Gwendolen and Cecily to Gwendolen. Let us preserve a dignified silence. Cecily. Certainly. It's the only thing to do now. [Enter Jack followed by Algernon. They whistle some dreadful popular air from a British Opera) praise the strict social codes of Victorian society. O show the superiority of women in Victorian society. mock the formal courtship rules of Victorian society. O explain the importance of romance in Victorian society. Gwendolen. This dignified silence seems to produce an unpleasant effect, Cecily A most distasteful one Gwendolen. But we will not be the first to speak. Cecily. Certainly not. Gwendolen Mr. Worthing, I have something very particular to ask you. Much depends on your reply. ​