Idealism and Realism in Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara
Submerged in their own ideas about idealism and realism, Barbara and her father Undershaft are at odds with one another in Major Barbara. In this Bernard Shaw play, minor characters are important in exemplifying these conflicting values. The moral perplexities of capitalism and charity are explored through the words and actions of Undershaft’s family, his future sons-in-law, and the common folks at the Shelter.
Thriving in the British upper class, Undershaft’s wife and son are well aware of Undershaft’s grip on Europe’s economy and government. Lady Britomart separates from her husband because he refuses to break the Undershaft tradition of training a foundling to succeed him in his arms business. Stephen does not comprehend this, and Lady Britomart attempts to explain her husband’s ways to her son: “Andrew did it on principle, just as he did every perverse and wicked thing on principle” (58). She also confides that she cannot tolerate her husband “preaching immorality while he practised morality” (59). After all, it is Undershaft who supports his family financially; however, it is also Undershaft who unashamedly laughs when others question him about his views on “right” and “wrong”. With high hopes for Barbara, Lady Britomart is disappointed that her daughter decides to join the Salvation Army: “Ever since they made her a major in the Salvation Army [Barbara] has developed a propensity to have her own way and order people about which quite cows me sometimes. It’s not ladylike” (61). Lady Britomart also comments on Barbara wanting to marry “a professor of Greek whom she has picked up in the street, and who pretends to be a Salvationist” (54), for ...
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...ey. This becomes too much for Barbara to bear: she takes off her badge and thinks that she may never be able to pray again. Bill’s taunt “Wot prawce selvytion nah?” (112) is quite right, for the common people cannot be saved simply by spiritual redemption at the Salvation Army – they need practical solutions such as jobs that will provide food and money for them.
Barbara’s Christian beliefs of “poverty and salvation” grapple with Undershaft’s gospel of “money and gunpowder”. Contributing to the moral debate are Undershaft’s family, his future sons-in-law, and the Salvation Army. Mingling idealism with realism, Major Barbara demonstrates that neither extreme is viable, for idealists often do not accomplish anything, and realists are too concerned with the practical.
Work Cited
Shaw, Bernard. Major Barbara. New York, New York: Penguin Books, 1980.
The power to tax is key to a successful government. If a government is to act it needs the means to do so. The Articles withheld the power of taxation from Congress and gave it to the local governments. Congress could only appeal to the states for money. Unsurprisingly, the states did not respond with any of the requested money. This was a serious problem because the U.S. was in an incredible amount of debt as a result of the Revolutionary War. If money cannot be collected, how are debts to be paid? Some in Congress believed the problem could be solved by printing more money. However, this strategy only led to inflation, which weakened the economy furthe...
The Articles of Confederation was the United States first attempt at creating a democratic government. Instead of giving power to the central government they divided it up among the states (Kelly). This fact left the Articles with many weaknesses that ultimately led it to fail. The lack of a strong central government led to economic disorganization, no central leadership and an ineffective legislative, all which led to its downfall (Brackemyre). Leaving power to the states left the nation in a state of economic disorganization. Without the national government having the power to levy taxes, it was left with the states (Murphy). The legislature only had the right to request taxes, and it was left up to the states how they wanted to raise them, but they oftentimes weren't (Brackemyre). There was also no uniform system of currency which made trade between states difficult. The fact that states instead of Congress regulated trade led to a lack...
The American Revolution began for many reasons, some are; long-term social, economic, and political changes in the British colonies, prior to 1750 provided the basis for and started a course to America becoming an independent nation under it's own control with its own government. Not a tyrant king thousands of miles away. A huge factor in the start of the revolution was the French and Indian War during the years of 1754 through 1763; this changed the age-old bond between the colonies and Britain, its mother. To top it off, a decade of conflicts between the British rule and the colonists, starting with the Stamp Act in 1765 that eventually led to the eruption of war in 1775, along with the drafting of The Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Maghari, Behrokh Mohajer, and Ali M. Ardekani. "Genetically Modified Foods And Social Concerns." Avicenna Journal Of Medical Biotechnology 3.3 (2011): 109-117. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
The progression of people into and within the United States has had an essential impact on the nation, both intentionally and unintentionally. Progressions such as The Great Migration and the Second Great Migration are examples of movements that impacted the United States greatly. During these movements, African Americans migrated to flee racism and prejudice in the South, as well as to inquire jobs in industrial cities. They were unable to escape racism, but they were able to infuse their culture into American society. During the twentieth century, economic and political problems led to movements such as The Great Migration and The Second Great Migration which impacted the United States significantly.
The Articles failed to provide a solid monetary system to ensure that taxes would be paid or to protect commerce. Congress had no way to collect taxes to pay off pre-war debts. This led to chaos and anarchy when soldiers realized that there is a delay in what they requested (Document C). Each State had its own money, but there was no national money system. Since the money had no value from state to state, the people began to use the barter system of trade. This reduced the amount of trade and importation of goods. There was very little economic progress and growth during this period even though the population was increasing. (Document B). Self interest of the States and of individuals added to the cause of the problems. For example, John Jay tried to create a treaty with Great Britain that would have been bad for the merchants of the United States but it would have paid off the war debt.
The Great Migration was an impactful mass scale movement of African American families and individuals from their roots in the deep south to the more liberal cities within the Northeast, Midwest, and West. Despite problems they faced while leaving, hundreds of thousands of people left everything they knew and loved in the hopes of finding better opportunities for themselves and their descendants. Not only did The Great Migration result in a major shift in the national demographic, but it ultimately changed socioeconomic conditions for all United States citizens, black and white alike.
The American Revolution had many causes. Long-term social, economic, and political changes in the colonies before 1750 provided the basis for an independent nation with representative political institutions. More immediately, the French and Indian War (1754-1763) changed the relationship between the colonies and the Mother land. Finally, a decade of conflicts between the British government and the colonists that began with the Stamp Act in 1765, led to the outbreak of war in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence the 4th of July of 1776.
The causes of the Great Migration has many reason and different stories for each induvial that part in the migration.
The Great Migration was a time where more then 6 million African Americans migrated North of the United States during 1910-1920. The Northern Parts of the United States, where African Americans mainly moved to was Chicago, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia and Cleveland. They migrated because of the work on railroads and the labor movement in factories. They wanted a better life style and felt that by moving across the United States, they would live in better living conditions and have more job opportunities. Not only did they chose to migrate for a better lifestyle but they were also forced out of their homes by unsatisfactory economic opportunities and harsh segregation laws. They were forced to work in poor working conditions and compete for
In the period directly following Cornwallis’s surrender, the fresh nation discovered a new task, governing their now-sovereign territories. A meeting of the minds, of the upper echelon of society, was convened to draft a document that would lay out the blueprints for the inaugural government. The resulting document was the Articles of Confederation. The Articles turned out to be a horrible system in practice. In theory they prevented central abuse of power by not allocating relevant power to the government and disallowing a head of state, a president. States squabbled with one another and resembled something of an early day United Nations. The Federal government could do nothing to settle inter-state disputes, nor could they levy taxes, hold a military, or enforce laws. Needless to say the government projected a national and international front that was poor, weak, and inefficient. The very founders who sought a limited government new that vast change was needed, and scrapping the Articles altogether was not out of the question.
The Great Migration was a huge rural movement that occur in the southern United States, it was the movement of 6 million blacks. It began in the earlier 1900 all the way the 1970. The 14 states the blacks were moving from were from the south. The main states were Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. The first big movement was between the 1910 and 1930s. There was around a little bit over 1.5 million people moving from rural areas to the industrial cities in the north.
Sheldon, Ian. “Food Principles: Regulating Genetically Modified Crops After The 2006 WTO Ruling.” Brown Journal Of World Affairs 14.1 (2007): 121-134.Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
In the end, the American Revolution grew out of increasing restrictions placed upon the colonies by the British. Many revolutions begin with the outbreak of violence, which is often a response to heightened repression or other extraordinary demands from government against their people. The American Revolution is an obvious example of this. The violence took the form of the Revolutionary War and Congress became the leadership. American Revolution was the first anti-colonial, democratic revolution in history. Americans insisted on representation and when the British denied it, they fought their colonizers. Americans won and set up their own government, a republic.
Struble, M.B., and L.L. Aomari. “Position of the world Dietetic Association: Addressing world hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity.” American Dietetic Association. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 103.8 (2003): 1046. ProQuest. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.