Question

and the one charm of marriage is that it makes a life of deception absolutely necessary for both parties. i never know where my wife is, and my wife never knows what i am doing. when we meet - we do meet occasionally - we tell each other the most absurd stories with the most serious faces. my wife is very good at it - much better, in fact, than i am. but when she does find me out, she makes no fuss at all. i sometimes wish she would; but she merely laughs at me.\
\i hate the way you talk about your married life, henry,\ said basil hallward. \i believe that you are really a very good husband, but that you are thoroughly ashamed of your own virtues. you are an extraordinary fellow. you never say a moral thing, and you never do a wrong thing.\
how does wilde develop lord henrys character in this excerpt?
choose 1 answer:
a wilde contrasts lord henrys and hallwards assessments of lord henrys actions to reveal that lord henry is more moral than he claims to be.
b wilde uses lord henrys clever statements to reveal deeper insights about life, suggesting that beneath lord henrys casual remarks lies a profound desire to understand lifes complexities.
c wilde emphasizes lord henrys playful mockery of hallwards marriage, which subtly masks lord henrys desire for a meaningful relationship of his own.
d wilde highlights lord henrys joyful statements about his married life, implying that lord henry is hiding

Explanation:

• Option A: Lord Henry describes his marriage with deception, but Hallward says he's a good husband who's ashamed of his virtues. The contrast shows Henry is more moral than he claims.
• Option B: Lord Henry's statements about marriage are not "clever" insights into life's complexities, but rather playful descriptions of his marriage, so B is incorrect.
• Option C: The excerpt is about Lord Henry's own marriage, not mocking Hallward's, and there's no mention of his desire for a relationship, so C is wrong.
• Option D: Lord Henry's statements about marriage are not "joyful"—he talks about deception, and there's no implication of hiding a secret, so D is incorrect.

Answer:

A. Wilde contrasts Lord Henry’s and Hallward’s assessments of Lord Henry’s actions to reveal that Lord Henry is more moral than he claims to be.