Original artwork, not a still
ALGERNON. The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility! JACK. That wouldn’t be at all a bad thing.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Algernon claims that complicated truth keeps life interesting and makes modern literature possible. Jack’s reply punctures the defence with a dry suggestion that losing such literature would be welcome. The exchange turns an elegant generalisation into an opportunity for a dismissive joke about books.
Context reviewed
