George Bernard Shaw: Mrs. Warren's Profession Analysis

Life and Legacy of George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw was born in July 1856 in Dublin. As the youngest child of the family, he was first tutored by his uncle. Although his education was irregular and he was not a successful novelist, he became a highly successful playwright. Shaw was a dramatist, literary critic, and social propagandist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925 and died in 1950.

Plot Summary: Mrs. Warren's Profession

Mrs. Warren's Profession consists of four acts, with just a single scene making up each act. Miss Vivie Warren, an intelligent, strong, and confident young woman of 22, has just finished college and comes home to get acquainted with her mother for the first time in her life.

Conflict and Relationships

Her mother arranges a meeting with her friend, Praed, and travels from London with her business partner, Crofts, to join them in the cottage garden where the mother and daughter are lodging. Crofts is attracted to Vivie, while Vivie is romantically involved with Frank Gardner. Vivie and her mother do not get along well; Mrs. Warren struggles to accept that Vivie should be treated as a young adult with a mind of her own.

Revelations and Consequences

When Vivie demands that her mother reveal the source of her income and her true profession, the distance between them becomes clear. Her mother stays in Brussels or Vienna and rarely allows Vivie to visit, so Vivie hardly knows her. Initially, Vivie becomes proud of her mother and shows understanding regarding the circumstances of her choices. However, conflict arises when Crofts proposes marriage to Vivie, attempting to entice her with his status as a social aristocrat. Vivie refuses, leading Crofts to threaten her. When Frank appears and threatens to shoot Crofts, Crofts reveals that Frank and Vivie are half-siblings.

Ultimately, Vivie discovers that her mother continues to run her business even though she no longer needs the money. Mrs. Warren is left heartbroken, having looked forward to her daughter taking care of her in her old age.

Key Themes and Social Critique

Gender Inequality and Women's Subjugation

The play depicts the stereotypical image of women in early 20th-century England. Women were expected to behave in a genteel, dignified manner and showcase feminine sentimentality and romanticism. They were not expected to be as educated as men, nor were they exposed to the same work opportunities.

Class Division and Economic Systems

Equally crucial in Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession is the issue of class division. The play serves as a critique of the ideological and economic system, attacking the problematic double standard of male privilege and the objectification of women.