George B. Shaw: The Unadjusted or Unruly Woman in His Plays

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The main goal of this article was to illustrate how Shaw’s unruly women related to W. I. Thomas’ unadjusted girl. An important connection is that the women were considered outcasts or rebels within the society. However, these women were simply taking the cards that they were dealt with by taking matters into their own hands. Although many of the women from Shaw’s plays did not have as terrible as a plight in life, they still had to find their way in society. More importantly, Shaw’s unruly female characters played a role in educating the public about the predicaments women were under, which allowed for a re-examination of society. Shaw strived, “through his plays . . . to undermine social ideology and institutions that attempted to control people’s lives under the guise of respectability and/or moral probity”(Lenker 164).
By investigating the unadjusted or unruly woman in Shaw’s plays with the help of Thomas’ analysis, I have pointed out the differing attributes that Shaw gave to his female characters. Although his plays were controversial for the time like Mrs Warren’s Profession, The Philanderer, Caesar and Cleopatra, How He Lied to Her Husband, Major Barbara, The Doctor’s Dilemma, Press Cuttings, and several others, he forced the audience to consider the obstacles that women faced in society; and he hoped that the community would rectify these obstacles.

참고문헌 (Reference)

1 Shaw, George Bernard, "Three Plays for Puritans. in: Michael Billington, Introduction" Penguin 1957

2 Lorichs, Sonja, "The Unwomanly Woman in Bernard Shaw’s Drama and Her Social and Political Background. Dissertation. Ka-We Composer & Fotosats" Rotobeckman 1973

3 Thomas, W. I., "The Unadjusted Girl: With Cases and Standpoint for Behavior Analysis" Harper & Row 1967

4 Gardner, Vivien, "The New Woman and Her Sisters: Feminism and Theatre, 1850-1914" U of Michigan P 1992

5 Shaw, George Bernard, "The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism" Brentano’s P 1928

6 Holroyd, Michael, "The Genius of Shaw: A Symposium" Hodder and Stoughton 1979

7 Gainor, J. Ellen, "Shaw’s Daughter. in: Dramatic and Narrative Constructions of Gender" U of Michigan P 1994

8 Shaw, George Bernard, "Saint Joan" Penguin 2001

9 Shaw, George Bernard, "George Bernard Shaw: The Quintessence of Ibsenism" Dover 1994

10 Lenker, Lagretta Tallent, "Fathers and Daughters in Shakespeare and Shaw" Greenwood 2001

11 Holroyd, Michael, "Bernard Shaw: The Search for Love, 1856-1898. Vol. I" Vintage 1988

12 Shaw, George Bernard, "Bernard Shaw: Complete Plays With Prefaces. 6 vols" Dodd, Mead 1962

13 Holroyd, Michael, "Bernard Shaw. in: The Concluding Volume: The Lure of Fantasy & The Last Laugh. 1918-1950. An Epilogue 1950-1991" Random House 1993

14 Holroyd, Michael, "Bernard Shaw. Vol. II: The Pursuit of Power 1898-1918" Random House 1989

15 Shaw, George Bernard, "Arms And The Man" Penguin Books 1958

16 Watson, Barbara B., "A Shavian Guide to the Intelligent Woman" Norton 1964