Major Barbara

Summary

«Major Barbara» is a play by Bernard Shaw that explores themes of morality, religion, and social structure. The main character, Barbara Undershaft, is a major in the Salvation Army and is dedicated to helping the poor and needy. Her father, Andrew Undershaft, is a wealthy industrialist who manufactures weapons and offers financial support to the Salvation Army, placing Barbara in a moral dilemma. She must decide whether to accept money earned from the arms trade for noble purposes. Throughout the play, Barbara grapples with questions about the nature of good and evil, and how money and power influence moral values. The play concludes with Barbara accepting the complexity of the world and deciding to use her father's resources to achieve her goals, acknowledging that good and evil can coexist in society.