Paul by George Bernard Shaw (1895)
The novel Paul follows the life of a young man who struggles to find his place in society and ultimately becomes a successful writer. The story explores themes of identity, social class, and the pursuit of happiness.
By George Bernard Shaw · First published 1895 · Genre: Drama, Philosophical Fiction, Religious Fiction · 1,683 words
First lines
Suddenly a man of genius, Paul, violently anti-Christian, enters on the scene, holding the clothes of the men who are stoning Stephen. He persecutes the Christians with great vigor, a sport which he combines with the business of a tentmaker. This temperamental hatred of Jesus, whom he has never seen, is a pathological symptom of that particular sort of conscience and nervous constitution which brings its victims under the tyranny of two delirious terrors: the terror of sin and the terror of death, which may be called also the terror of sex and the terror of life. Now Jesus, with his healthy conscience on his higher plane, was free from these terrors. He consorted freely with sinners, and was never concerned for a moment, as far as we know, about whether his conduct was sinful or not; so that he has forced us to accept him as the man without sin.
What this Textopian page supports
Paul is listed on Textopian as a play by George Bernard Shaw, dated 1895 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Play
- Author: George Bernard Shaw
- Date: 1895 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Drama, Philosophical Fiction, Religious Fiction, Historical Fiction, Satire
- Length: 1,683 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Paul by George Bernard Shaw
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Paul?
- How does this play by George Bernard Shaw fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Drama first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Drama — The work is a dramatic exploration of religious and philosophical themes, focusing on the character of Paul and his transformation.
- Philosophical Fiction — The narrative delves into complex philosophical ideas about sin, death, and the nature of religious conversion.
- Religious Fiction — The story centers on religious figures and themes, particularly the transformation of Paul and his impact on Christianity.
- Historical Fiction — The work is set in a historical context, exploring the early Christian era and the life of Paul.
Tags
drama · theater · religion · philosophy · biography · historical · conflict · faith · apostle · Christianity · morality · identity