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Major Barbara
Paperback
ISBN13: 9781025822396
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 162
Weight: 0.52
Height: 0.35 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Major Barbara is a provocative and witty three-act play by the Nobel Prize-winning dramatist Bernard Shaw. The story centers on Barbara Undershaft, an idealistic young woman who has dedicated her life to the Salvation Army, seeking to save the souls of London's poor. Her convictions are challenged when her estranged father, Andrew Undershaft, a wealthy and powerful arms manufacturer, reappears in her life.
As the two engage in a battle of wits and morals, Shaw explores the complex relationship between wealth, poverty, and religion. Through sharp dialogue and satirical humor, the play questions whether the pursuit of social justice can truly succeed without the financial support of industries built on destruction. Undershaft argues that poverty is the ultimate sin, while Barbara struggles to reconcile her spiritual mission with the realities of capitalism.
A cornerstone of modern drama, Major Barbara remains a powerful critique of societal hypocrisy and the ethics of philanthropy. This classic work offers a timeless examination of the moral dilemmas inherent in a world driven by economic power and industrial might.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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