Eng426 20th century english literature

Sir George Croft: he is an old friend of Mrs. Warren and her business associate. He is a man in his fifties and he seems like a “woman’s man” (Act 1, n.p). He is dressed in the style of a young man, has a nasal voice, clean-shaven bulldog jaws, and he is a gentleman that has the combination of the most brutal types of city man, sporty and a man about town. Though he knows that Frank intends to marry Vivie, his attraction for the girl makes him propose to her. He is convinced that his personality, financial and social status will make Vivie fall for him but he is turned down. When his proposal turns into insults and threats between the two of them, Croft spills the beans and tells Vivie that she and Frank might be siblings as Frank’s father might be her father and it will be a taboo for both of them to marry. Croft’s revelation turns Vivie’s mind against her mother and she leaves for the city, vowing never to marry throughout her life.

Self-Assessment Exercise

Compare and contrast the characters of Vivie and Mrs. Warren

4.0 CONCLUSION

George Bernard Shaw’s play Mrs. Warren’s Profession is read as one of the works typifying society’s designation of women roles and mannerism as touching marriage and sexuality. Shaw’s depiction of Vivie, is in defiance to such stereotypes.

5.0 SUMMARY

In this Unit you have learned about George Bernard Shaw and Mrs. Warren’s Profession. A detailed summary of the play with the themes of gender and class were discussed.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

Examine critically Bernard Shaw’s treatment of women and tradition in Mrs. Warren’s Profession.

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING

Coote, S. (1993). The Penguin History of English Literature New York: Penguin Books. Drabble, M. (ed.) (1985). The Oxford companion to English literature. London: Oxford
University Press.
Encyclopedia Britannica. “George Bernard Shaw Plays.” Updated June, 2015.Accessed, 12 June. 2015.
Faulkner, P. (ed.). (1986). A Modernist Reading: Modernism in England 1910-1930.
London: Batsford.
Lawrence, D. H. (2004).“Victorians unveiled: some thoughts on Mrs. Warren’s Profession” in Shaw: The Annual of Bernard Shaw Studies 24 : 40.
Lodge, D. (1977). The Modes of Modern Writing: Metaphor, Metonymy and the Typology of Modern Literature. London: Edward Arnold.
Shaw, G.B. Mrs Warren's Profession. EBook by Project Gutenberg, Anonymous Volunteer and David Widger.www.guternberg.org.Accessed, 10 Sept. 2013.
Ward, A.C. (1956). Twentieth–century literature 1901-1950.12th edn. London: Methuen.

Wikipedia Encyclopedia. “Mrs. Warren’s Profession.”.Wikimedia Foundation, 2013.Accessed, 12 Mar. 2013.

Wikipedia Encyclopedia. “George Bernard Shaw.” Wikimedia Foundation, 2013.
Accessed, 12 June. 2015.