Preface to Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw
The Preface to Major Barbara is a play written by George Bernard Shaw that explores the themes of poverty, war, and religion. The story follows the life of Barbara Undershaft, a young woman who works for a charity organization in London's East End. As she struggles with her own beliefs and values, she encounters various characters who challenge her views on morality and justice. Throughout the play, Shaw uses satire and humor to critique society's attitudes towards poverty and war. The Preface to Major Barbara is a thought-provoking work that raises important questions about human nature and social responsibility.
By George Bernard Shaw · First published 1907 · Genre: Drama, Comedy, Philosophical · 6 chapters · 16,845 words
First lines
It is this credulity that drives me to help my critics out with Major / Barbara by telling them what to say about it. In the millionaire / Undershaft I have represented a man who has become intellectually and / spiritually as well as practically conscious of the irresistible / natural truth which we all abhor and repudiate: to wit, that the / greatest of evils and the worst of crimes is poverty, and that our / first duty -- a duty to which every other consideration should be / sacrificed -- is not to be poor. "Poor but honest," "the respectable / poor," and such phrases are as intolerable and as immoral as "drunken / but amiable," "fraudulent but a good after-dinner speaker," "splendidly / criminal," or the like. Security, the chief pretence of civilization, / cannot exist where the worst of dangers, the danger of poverty, hangs / over everyone's head, and where the alleged protection of our persons / from violence is only an accidental result of the existence of a police / force whose real business is to force the poor man to see his children / starve whilst idle people overfeed pet dogs with the money that might / feed and clothe them.
What this Textopian page supports
Preface to Major Barbara is listed on Textopian as a play by George Bernard Shaw, dated 1907 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: 1907 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Drama, Comedy, Philosophical, Social Critique, Political
- Length: 16,845 words
- Structure: 6 chapters, 56 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
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- Work identity for Preface to Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Similar titles
- Property by George Bernard Shaw
- Charity by George Bernard Shaw
- The Perils Of Salvationism by George Bernard Shaw
- Captain Brassbounds Conversion by George Bernard Shaw
- The Alternative To Barrabas by George Bernard Shaw
- The Unrighteous Mammon by Charles Kingsley
Genres
- Drama — The work is primarily a dramatic piece, focusing on character interactions and social issues.
- Comedy — The text contains elements of humor and wit, characteristic of comedic writing.
- Philosophical — The themes explore philosophical questions about morality and society.
- Social Critique — The work critiques social structures and norms, particularly related to wealth and morality.
Tags
drama · theater · socialism · morality · capitalism · philosophy · religion · poverty · wealth · family · conflict · redemption
Contents
- The Gospel of St. Andrew Undershaft
- The Salvation Army
- Barbara's Return to the Colors
- Weaknesses of the Salvation Army
- Christianity and Anarchism
- Sane Conclusions