In 1894 George Bernard Shaw wrote a play about prostitution called ”Mrs Warren’s Profession”.
In Queen Victoria’s days it was forbidden to stage the play by censorship because of
the shown decay and all the public theatres did not dare it. In 1902 a private theatre company
that often staged forbidden plays in those days – the Stage Society – decided to perform it.1
But there is not only the aspect of prostitution dealt with in Shaw’s play. This essay will
look into the relationship of Mrs Kitty Warren and her daughter Vivie, two totally different
women who try to cope with life. For this reason their different ways of life shall be described
and they shall be characterised. Afterwards their concepts of life will be compared and the
conflict between mother and daughter will be examined. But the essay will not only contrast
the two women but also show the similarities between them.
1 Shaw, George Bernard: Preface of Mrs Warren’s Profession. In: Plays Unpleasant. Harmondsworth:
Penguin.1975. pp.181-182.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The lives of Vivie and Kitty Warren
3. Two women – two different characters
4. Mother and Daughter – A Complex Relation
5. Two women struggling for independence
6. Result
Research Objectives and Themes
This essay explores the complex, fractured relationship between Kitty Warren and her daughter Vivie in George Bernard Shaw's play "Mrs. Warren's Profession," analyzing how their divergent life paths, societal roles, and personal values create an insurmountable emotional and ideological divide, while simultaneously revealing underlying similarities in their shared struggle for independence.
- The contrast between Kitty's conventional morality as a brothel owner and Vivie's rational, modern independence.
- The impact of socioeconomic background and gender roles on the mother-daughter dynamic.
- The breakdown of familial bonds due to lack of communication and mutual incomprehension.
- The parallel pursuit of self-reliance, albeit through radically different means and ethical justifications.
Excerpt from the Book
Two women – two different characters
There are not only differences in the lives of mother and daughter but also in their characters. Kitty is a prostitute that lives off her suitor’s money. That makes her being dependent on men. In spite of that Kitty behaves elegant and proud. Her behaviour is a lady’s one. She acts like a woman of wealth and power who knows who she is. Kitty loves the economical life standard she has achieved:
Do you know how rich I am? […] It means a new dress every day; it means theatres and balls every night; it means having the pick of all the gentlemen in Europe at your feet; it means a lovely house and plenty of servants; it means the choicest of eating and drinking; it means everything you like, everything you want[…]”
Vivie is very different from that. She is an emancipated woman that breaks out of the doll’s house – like world Kitty creates in Vivie’s childhood. In her business-like, self-reliant and unfeminine way she is completely the opposite of her mother who uses her feminine style to earn money. Vivie is a girl who acts in a rational way. That might even be the reason why she decided to study Mathematics, a rather uncommon thing for a woman at those days. Money is also important for her because she wants to be successful but she does not need the money to buy beautiful dresses and go to parties every night: I must have work, and must make more money than I spend.
Chapter Summary
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the play's historical context regarding censorship and defines the essay's focus on the strained relationship and conflicting worldviews of Kitty and Vivie Warren.
2. The lives of Vivie and Kitty Warren: This chapter details the disparate personal histories of the two women, contrasting Kitty’s impoverished childhood and rise through prostitution with Vivie’s privileged education and career in mathematics.
3. Two women – two different characters: The author analyzes the contrasting personalities, identifying Kitty’s dependence on men and material wealth against Vivie’s rational, emancipated, and self-reliant nature.
4. Mother and Daughter – A Complex Relation: This section explores the fundamental lack of connection between the two, focusing on their mutual inability to bridge the gap caused by their secrecy, differing moral frameworks, and conflicting life goals.
5. Two women struggling for independence: This chapter highlights the unexpected parallels in their characters, as both women actively strive for freedom and autonomy, albeit through different moral choices and social stances.
6. Result: The concluding chapter summarizes that despite their shared need for independence, Kitty and Vivie remain fundamentally irreconcilable as individuals due to their clashing values and inability to exist within each other’s life concepts.
Keywords
George Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profession, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Independence, Emancipation, Prostitution, Socioeconomic Status, Character Analysis, Gender Roles, Victorian Morality, Rationality, Conflict, Self-Reliance, Literature, Play Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this essay?
The essay explores the complex relationship between Kitty and Vivie Warren, examining how their vastly different life experiences and moral standpoints lead to a profound disconnect.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The main themes include the struggle for independence, the collision of conventional and non-conventional morality, gender roles, and the impact of societal expectations on family relationships.
What is the core objective of the research?
The goal is to characterize the two women, compare their life concepts, and examine the conflict and hidden similarities that exist between them as mother and daughter.
What scientific or analytical method is employed?
The paper uses a literary analysis approach, drawing upon the primary text of Shaw's play and relevant secondary academic literature to explore character psychology and social commentary.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body details the biographical backgrounds, personality traits, the nature of their strained interaction, and the specific ways in which both women strive for autonomy.
Which keywords best describe this study?
The study is best characterized by terms like mother-daughter relationship, independence, emancipation, and the sociological analysis of George Bernard Shaw's characters.
How does the play portray the concept of choice for women in the 19th century?
The play, as analyzed in the text, suggests that society offered women extremely limited and often morally compromised choices, such as the struggle between overwork in factories and the illicit trade of prostitution.
Why is Vivie unable to reconcile with her mother despite a moment of affection in Act II?
Although they experience a brief emotional connection, their fundamental differences in values, specifically Vivie’s intolerance of her mother’s ongoing professional choices, make a lasting relationship impossible.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Jasmin Ostermeyer (Autor:in), 2003, Kitty and Vivie Warren in G.B. Shaws "Mrs. Warren's Profression" - Different Women Struggling for the Same Aim, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/25160
