Major Barbara play full story and in-depth analysis | George Bernard Shaw
"Major Barbara" is a famous English drama written by George Bernard Shaw. This drama is not just a family story, but it also throws light on complex subjects like society, religion, morality and capitalism. In this article, we will understand the story of this drama in simple language and know what its characters think and what messages for the society.
Main Characters of the Drama, Major Barbara
1. Major Barbara Undershaft
Main qualities: honest, religious, sympathetic, social worker.
Specialty: She is a major in a religious organization named Salvation Army, and wants to help the poor.
Ideology: She believes that people should improve in moral and religious ways, not money.
Change: At the end of the drama, she understands that society cannot only be changed with religion, but also economic and social strength is necessary. She is determined to give a new attitude to her father's factory.
2. Andrew Undershaft
Main qualities: clever, business, practical, rational.
Specialty: Barbara's father and owner of a weapon factory. He considers economic power and employment which is necessary to remove poverty in the society.
Ideology: He believes that hungry people need to fill their stomach first, and then should talk about morality.
Effect: In the end, he explains to Barbara that power and resources are required to change society.
3. Lady Britomart
Main qualities: self -sufficient, practical, worried to family.
Specialty: Barbara's mother and wife of Andrew. She wants to prepare her children for a good future.
Ideology: She is living separately from her husband, but keeps contact with him for the future of children. It gives importance to prestige and respect in society.
4. Stephen Undershaft
Main qualities: disciplined, traditional, and slightly confused.
Specialty: Barbara's brother. Initially he thinks that he will become the heir of the father's factory, but he is shocked when it is known that the heir will be someone else as per their family rules.
Ideology: His thinking gradually changes when he understands his father's practical thinking.
5. Adolphus Cusins
Main qualities: educated, intellectual, idealistic.
Specialty: He is Barbara’s fiancé and a student of Greek philosophy. He tries to balance between morality and economic reality.
Development: In the end, he himself becomes the heir of Andrew’s factory because he understands that both power and means are necessary to change the society.
Major Barbara: Summary
The play begins with the drawing room of Lady Britomart. She is a self -sufficient woman who is raising her three children alone as she has separated from her husband Andrew Undershaft. Andrew is a rich weapon businessman who makes cannons and shells for war. Lady Britomart is worried about the future of her children, especially for her son Stephen, whom she wants to be the right successor to the family business.
But there is an old tradition in the Undershft family - the successor of the family factory is the one who is adopted from outside, not any blood relationship. Knowing this, Stephen gets upset. To discuss this matter, the Lady Britomart decides to call her husband so that she takes a decision about her children's future.
When Andrew Undershaft comes home, he first encounters his daughter Barbara. Barbara holds the post of a major in the Salvation Army, a religious organization, and considers the service of the poor as her religion. She hates her father's business because she believes that no person can do well to society by making weapons. Undershaft calls this moral thinking of Barbara a "impractical". He argues that hungry and unemployed people need no religion but bread and work. He believes that money and power are most needed to improve society.
One day Barbara calls her father in the Salvation Army so that he himself sees how religion and service works. Andrew Undershaft, Barbara’s father comes there and meets two people - a thief and a poor drunkard, who are begging help from the Salvation Army. But in a short time Barbara comes to know that his organization has recently accepted two big donations - one from a liquor businessman and the other from the Undershaft. Knowing this fact, Barbara is very hurt because she feels that a religious institution should not take money from wrong sources.
After this incident, Barbara's Salvation Army begins to waver. She starts to understand that money is also necessary for good works and often this money comes from such sources that she herself hates. In this mental duality, she decides to leave the Salvation Army.
This is followed by the third and last part of the play, where Andrew Undershaft takes his family to show his weapon factory. It is a very clean, disciplined and modern factory, where workers are given good salary and all the facilities of life. Barbara is shocked to see this because the arms factory in her thinking should have been a dirty, immoral and dangerous place. But here the laborers are happy, society is organized and poverty is far away.
Andrew Undershaft explains that he makes weapons, but people get self -esteem and stability in his factory. He says that real morality is the one who makes people strong, not only preaching. Seeing all this, Barbara's thinking changes. She does not fully accept her father's ideology, but she is understood that society does not improve with service and religion - economic power and practical thinking is also necessary.
During this time, Undershaft offers Barbara's fiancé Adolphus Cousins to become the next successor to the factory. Initially, Cousins hesitates, but then he accepts this proposal because he thinks that if he uses power and resources in the right direction, the society can be changed from within. Barbara supports him in this decision.
Barbara accepts his new perspective at the end of the play. She now looks at her father's factory and its influence with a new vision. She has understood that until people get to eat, until they are given work and security, the things of religion and service will be ineffective. But she also believes that the balance of strength and morality is very important.
In this way, "Major Barbara" is not only the story of a girl, but it is a platform where there are deep debates such as religion, morality, wealth, power and social service. This drama forces us to think whether service can actually be done only from the heart or it also requires resources and power.
Major Barbara: Questions and Answers
Q1: Sketch the character of Major Barbara.
Answer: Major Barbara is the main character of this eponymous drama, “Major Barbara”. She is a courageous, idealistic and sensitive woman. She works as a Major in the Salvation Army. Its purpose is to serve the poor and bring them on the path of religion.
Initially she believes that service, morality and God are the biggest values. But when she sees that the organization compromises the principles for donation, it hurts.
Hearing the arguments of her father Andrew Undershaft, she understands that only ideals for social service are not enough, money and power are also necessary.
This ideological change of Barbara is the main part of the play. Her character presents the image of a strong woman who thinks of changes and decides wisely.
Q 2: Discuss the ideas of Andrew Undershaft.
Answer: Andrew Undershaft is a famous weapon manufacturer. He is a representative of the professional world. He believes that society can be changed only with power and wealth.
He says that hungry stomach does not work. It is necessary to fill the stomach first, then morality and religion. He also considers institutions like Salvation Army will be useful only when they are practical.
His life philosophy is - "Power and Money first."
He considers his weapons a source of peace, because he says that power only gives protection.
His thinking may sound hard, but he is associated with today's reality.
Q 3: 'Major Barbara' is a social drama? Explain
Answer: "Major Barbara" is a social drama because it considers the basic problems of society. The play presents subjects like religion, morality, wealth, power and social service.
Through this drama, the dramatist shows that service not only changes the society and ideals, but it requires practical thinking and resources.
These are all part of this drama - the limits of religious organizations, the boundaries of religious organizations, such as the Salvation Army.
The dramatist, George Bernard Shaw has kept face to face with two sides of the society-idealism and realism.
Therefore, this drama is going to inspire social thinking and presents an accurate depiction of society.
Q 4: Discuss the role of 'Salvation Army' in the play and its limits.
Answer: Salvation Army is a religious institution that serves the poor. This institution works in the name of morality and God.
In the play, this institution comes into controversy when it accepts donations from people making alcohol and weapons.
Major Barbara finds this thing wrong. She thinks that the institution should not compromise its principles.
This proves that such institutions also cannot stand until they have enough money.
This shows the dramatist that morality and ideals cannot run a society alone. Money and power are also necessary.
The role of Salvation Army highlights a moral dilemma in the play.
Q 5: Discuss the conflict between religion and capitalism in 'Major Barbara'.
Answer: Barbara Undershaft represents religion in the play, “Major Barbara” and her father Andrew Undershaft represents capitalism.
Barbara believes in religion, service and honesty. She wants to help the poor; she thinks that society can improve with devotion to God.
On the other hand, his father says that strength and money are needed to change the society. He makes war, weapons, ammunitions etc. and believes that religion without power is also useless.
This ideology is the origin of the drama.
Finally Barbara understands that the right use of wealth and power is also a form of religion and service.
Thus, this conflict of religion and capitalism in the drama forces us to think about capitalism.
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