The paper is about the concept of the New Woman in Bernhard Shaw's "Mrs Warren's Profession". The central conflict of "Mrs Warren’s Profession" is seemingly one of opposition. The two women in the play are mother and daughter and they live their lives very differently. Mrs Warren, the mother, is a prostitute and the owner of at least one brothel and her daughter Vivie appears to be the perfect image of the new woman, an ideal of womanhood which became popular at the end of the 19th century. The intention of this essay is to prove that both Vivie Warren and her mother are new women in their own right and that even this new womanhood will not free them entirely of the oppression of man.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Vivie Warren as the New Woman
2.1 Education
2.2 Marriage
2.3 Gender Expectations
3. Mrs Warren as the New Woman
3.1 Prostitution
3.2 Marriage
3.3 Financial Independence
4. There is no escaping the patriarchy
5. Conclusion
6. Works Cited
Objectives and Key Themes
This essay explores the concept of the "New Woman" in George Bernard Shaw's play "Mrs Warren's Profession," analyzing how both the protagonist Vivie Warren and her mother, Mrs Warren, represent different facets of this ideal. The central research question examines how these two women challenge patriarchal conventions and whether their individual paths toward independence truly liberate them from the systemic oppression of the Victorian era.
- The role of education as a tool for female independence.
- Rejection of traditional marriage conventions and the search for autonomy.
- The moral and economic complexities of prostitution as a survival strategy.
- The persistence of patriarchal structures despite individual efforts to escape them.
- Comparison of mother-daughter dynamics as a lens for social critique.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Prostitution
Recently I came across a novel that begins with the following words:
“The first thing you should know is that I’m a whore. I don’t mean that in a glib way. Many of my friends will tell you how temping for a year or ending up in sales is equivalent to prostitution. It’s not. [...] [Prostitution is] better than watching the clock until the next scheduled tea break in a dismal staff room.” (De Jour 1)
This excerpt from Belle de Jour’s book The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl is strikingly similar to a description Mrs Warren herself gives. It is interesting to see that the circumstances have not changed as much as one might expect since the topic of prostitution or work still is relevant today. In this way, Mrs Warren truly was a pioneer of a new way of thinking where women made a conscious choice about what they were willing to do to make a living. When she speaks of the work her relatives and she herself before prostitution did she recalls: “Then I was a waitress; [...] fourteen hours a day serving drinks and washing glasses for four shillings a week and my board.” (Shaw 117) Then she meets Lizzie again, who is suddenly wearing expensive clothes and proposes to join together in the business of prostitution. This is where Mrs Warren’s “new womanness” is very apparent: she approaches her new life in a very clever way and is not employed as a prostitute but rather joins the business as an independent madam. With her job as waitress and a wage of four shillings a week is is apparent that “a moment’s reflection and comparison of these rates [...] suggest the almost impossible conditions of life.” (Nelson 365) . It was, simply put, the smarter choice to become a madam and find a future in prostitution.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the central conflict between the two protagonists and establishes the thesis that both women represent versions of the "New Woman" attempting to navigate patriarchal oppression.
2. Vivie Warren as the New Woman: Analyzes Vivie’s role as the modern, educated, and independent woman who rejects traditional gender roles.
3. Mrs Warren as the New Woman: Explores the unconventional path of the mother, arguing that her choice to become a madam was a revolutionary act of economic survival.
4. There is no escaping the patriarchy: Critically evaluates the limitations of the women’s independence, showing how they remain subject to male judgment and societal structures.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes how both characters, despite their differences, embody the struggle against a male-dominated society and define the essence of the New Woman through their individual agency.
6. Works Cited: Lists the academic sources and references used to support the analysis of the play.
Keywords
New Woman, George Bernard Shaw, Mrs Warren's Profession, patriarchy, gender roles, Victorian era, prostitution, financial independence, feminism, education, social oppression, female autonomy, character analysis, economic struggle, agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this essay?
The essay explores how the characters Vivie Warren and her mother, Mrs Warren, represent the "New Woman" archetype and navigate the social and economic constraints of their time.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
The key themes include the impact of education, the rejection of traditional marriage, the economic reality of prostitution, and the persistence of patriarchal power dynamics.
What is the main objective of the research?
The objective is to prove that both women are distinct representatives of the "New Woman" who use different strategies to seek independence from male-dominated societal structures.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author uses literary analysis, examining text excerpts, stage directions, and academic secondary sources to interpret the characters' motivations and social context.
What does the main body of the text cover?
It provides a detailed breakdown of the characteristics of the New Woman (education, marriage, gender expectations) and contrasts the perspectives of the mother and daughter.
Which keywords define this paper?
Key terms include New Woman, patriarchy, financial independence, Victorian era, and female autonomy.
How does the author define Mrs Warren’s profession in the context of the New Woman?
The author frames it as a calculated, conscious economic choice made to escape the drudgery and poverty of low-wage labor, challenging contemporary moral judgments.
What argument does the author make about the patriarchy in the play?
The author argues that despite the women's attempts to achieve autonomy, they remain trapped within a system where men still hold the power to label, "redistribute," and influence their lives.
Does the author conclude that the women are truly free?
The author concludes that while the women achieve as much freedom as their individual situations allow, they do not escape the underlying systemic dominance of the patriarchy.
Why is the comparison between Vivie and Mrs Warren significant?
The comparison highlights that the "New Woman" is not a monolithic ideal; it manifests differently based on education, generation, and personal choices, yet both women share a desire to define their own worth.
- Citar trabajo
- Léonie Andelfinger (Autor), 2017, The concept of the New Woman in Bernhard Shaw's "Mrs Warren's Profession", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/499065
