arms and the man-第1章

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Arms　and　the　Man

by　George　Bernard　Shaw






INTRODUCTION


To　the　irreverentand　which　of　us　will　claim　entire　exemption　from　that
comfortable　classification？there　is　something　very　amusing　in　the
attitude　of　the　orthodox　criticism　toward　Bernard　Shaw。　He　so　obviously
disregards　all　the　canons　and　unities　and　other　things　which　every
well…bred　dramatist　is　bound　to　respect　that　his　work　is　really　unworthy
of　serious　criticism　（orthodox）。　Indeed　he　knows　no　more　about　the
dramatic　art　than；　according　to　his　own　story　in　〃The　Man　of　Destiny；〃
Napoleon　at　Tavazzano　knew　of　the　Art　of　War。　But　both　men　were
successes　each　in　his　waythe　latter　won　victories　and　the　former
gained　audiences；　in　the　very　teeth　of　the　accepted　theories　of　war　and
the　theatre。　Shaw　does　not　know　that　it　is　unpardonable　sin　to　have　his
characters　make　long　speeches　at　one　another；　apparently　thinking　that
this　embargo　applies　only　to　long　speeches　which　consist　mainly　of
bombast　and　rhetoric。　There　never　was　an　author　who　showed　less
predilection　for　a　specific　medium　by　which　to　accomplish　his　results。
He　recognized；　early　in　his　days；　many　things　awry　in　the　world　and　he
assumed　the　task　of　mundane　reformation　with　a　confident　spirit。　It
seems　such　a　small　job　at　twenty　to　set　the　times　aright。　He　began　as　an
Essayist；　but　who　reads　essays　now…a…days？he　then　turned　novelist　with
no　better　success；　for　no　one　would　read　such　preposterous　stuff　as　he
chose　to　emit。　He　only　succeeded　in　proving　that　absolutely　rational　men
and　womenalthough　he　has　created　few　of　the　lattercan　be　most
extremely　disagreeable　to　our　conventional　way　of　thinking。
　
As　a　last　resort；　he　turned　to　the　stage；　not　that　he　cared　for　the
dramatic　art；　for　no　man　seems　to　care　less　about　〃Art　for　Art's　sake；〃
being　in　this　a　perfect　foil　to　his　brilliant　compatriot　and
contemporary；　Wilde。　He　cast　his　theories　in　dramatic　forms　merely
because　no　other　course　except　silence　or　physical　revolt　was　open　to
him。　For　a　long　time　it　seemed　as　if　this　resource　too　was　doomed　to
fail　him。　But　finally　he　has　attained　a　hearing　and　now　attempts　at
suppression　merely　serve　to　advertise　their　victim。

It　will　repay　those　who　seek　analogies　in　literature　to　compare　Shaw
with　Cervantes。　After　a　life　of　heroic　endeavor；　disappointment；
slavery；　and　poverty；　the　author　of　〃Don　Quixote〃　gave　the　world　a
serious　work　which　caused　to　be　laughed　off　the　world's　stage　forever
the　final　vestiges　of　decadent　chivalry。

The　institution　had　long　been　outgrown；　but　its　vernacular　continued　to
be　the　speech　and　to　express　the　thought　〃of　the　world　and　among　the
vulgar；〃　as　the　quaint；　old　novelist　puts　it；　just　as　to…day　the　novel
intended　for　the　consumption　of　the　unenlightened　must　deal　with　peers
and　millionaires　and　be　dressed　in　stilted　language。　Marvellously　he
succeeded；　but　in　a　way　he　least　intended。　We　have　not　yet；　after　so
many　years；　determined　whether　it　is　a　work　to　laugh　or　cry　over。　〃It　is
our　joyfullest　modern　book；〃　says　Carlyle；　while　Landor　thinks　that
〃readers　who　see　nothing　more　than　a　burlesque　in　'Don　Quixote'　have　but
shallow　appreciation　of　the　work。〃

Shaw　in　like　manner　comes　upon　the　scene　when　many　of　our　social　usages
are　outworn。　He　sees　the　fact；　announces　it；　and　we　burst　into　guffaws。
The　continuous　laughter　which　greets　Shaw's　plays　arises　from　a　real
contrast　in　the　point　of　view　of　the　dramatist　and　his　audiences。　When
Pinero　or　Jones　describes　a　whimsical　situation　we　never　doubt　for　a
moment　that　the　author's　point　of　view　is　our　own　and　that　the　abnormal
predicament　of　his　characters　appeals　to　him　in　the　same　light　as　to　his
audience。　With　Shaw　this　sense　of　community　of　feeling　is　wholly
lacking。　He　describes　things　as　he　sees　them；　and　the　house　is　in　a
roar。　Who　is　right？　If　we　were　really　using　our　own　senses　and　not
gazing　through　the　glasses　of　convention　and　romance　and　make…believe；
should　we　see　things　as　Shaw　does？

Must　it　not　cause　Shaw　to　doubt　his　own　or　the　public's　sanity　to　hear
audiences　laughing　boisterously　over　tragic　situations？　And　yet；　if　they
did　not　come　to　laugh；　they　would　not　come　at　all。　Mockery　is　the　price
he　must　pay　for　a　hearing。　Or　has　he　calculated　to　a　nicety　the　power　of
reaction？　Does　he　seek　to　drive　us　to　aspiration　by　the　portrayal　of
sordidness；　to　disinterestedness　by　the　picture　of　selfishness；　to
illusion　by　disillusionment？　It　is　impossible　to　believe　that　he　is
unconscious　of　the　humor　of　his　dramatic　situations；　yet　he　stoically
gives　no　sign。　He　even　dares　the　charge；　terrible　in　proportion　to　its
truth；　which　the　most　serious　of　us　shrinks　fromthe　lack　of　a　sense　of
humor。　Men　would　rather　have　their　integrity　impugned。

In　〃Arms　and　the　Man〃　the　subject　which　occupies　the　dramatist's
attention　is　that　survival　of　barbaritymilitarismwhich　raises　its
horrid　head　from　time　to　time　to　cast　a　doubt　on　the　reality　of　our
civilization。　No　more　hoary　superstition　survives　than　that　the　donning
of　a　uniform　changes　the　nature　of　the　wearer。　This　notion　pervades
society　to　such　an　extent　that　when　we　find　some　soldiers　placed　upon
the　stage　acting　rationally；　our　conventionalized　senses　are　shocked。
The　only　men　who　have　no　illusions　about　war　are　those　who　have　recently
been　there；　and；　of　course；　Mr。　Shaw；　who　has　no　illusions　about
anything。

It　is　hard　to　speak　too　highly　of　〃Candida。〃　No　equally　subtle　and
incisive　study　of　domestic　relations　exists　in　the　English　drama。　One
has　to　turn　to　George　Meredith's　〃The　Egoist〃　to　find　such　character
dissection。　The　central　note　of　the　play　is；　that　with　the　true　woman；
weakness　which　appeals　to　the　maternal　instinct　is　more　powerful　than
strength　which　offers　protection。　Candida　is　quite　unpoetic；　as；　indeed；
with　rare　exceptions；　women　are　prone　to　be。　They　have　small　delight　in
poetry；　but　are　the　stuff　of　which　poems　and　dreams　are　made。　The
husband　glorying　in　his　strength　but　convicted　of　his　weakness；　the　poet
pitiful　in　his　physical　impotence　but　strong　in　his　perception　of　truth；
the　hopelessly　de…moralized　manufacturer；　the　conventional　and　hence
emotional　typist　make　up　a　group　which　the　drama　of　any　language　may　be
challenged　to　rival。

In　〃The　Man　of　Destiny〃　the　object　of　the　dramatist　is　not　so　much　the
destruction　as　the　explanation　of　the　Napoleonic　tradition；　which　has　so
powerfully　influenced　generation　after　generation　for　a　century。　However
the　man　may　be　regarded；　he　was　a　miracle。　Shaw　shows　that　he　achieved
his　extraordinary　career　by　suspending；　for　himself；　the　pressure　of　the
moral　and　conventional　atmosphere；　while　leaving　it　operative　for
others。　Those　who　study　this　playextravaganza；　that　it　iswill　attain
a　clearer　comprehension　of　Napoleon　than　they　can　get　from　all　the
biographies。

〃You　Never　Can　Tell〃　offers　an　amusing　study　of　the　play　of　social
conventions。　The　〃twins〃　illustrate　the　disconcerting　effects　of　that
perfect　frankness　which　would　make　life　intolerable。　Gloria　demonstrates
the　powerlessness　of　reason　to　overcome　natural　instincts。　The　idea　that
parental　duties　and　functions　can　be　fulfilled　by　the　light　of　such
knowledge　as　man　and　woman　attain　by　intuition　is　brilliantly　lampooned。
Crampton；　the　father；　typifies　the　common　superstition　that　among　the
privileges　of　parenthood　are　inflexibility；　tyranny；　and　respect；　the
last　entirely　regardless　of　whether　it　has　been　deserved。

The　waiter；　William；　is　the　best　illustration　of　the　man　〃who　knows　his
place〃　that　the　stage　has　seen。　He　is　the　most　pathetic　figure　of　the
play。　One　touch　of　verisimilitude　is　lacking；　none　of　the　guests　gives
him　a　tip；　yet　he　maintains　his　urbanity。　As　Mr。　Shaw　has　not　yet
visited　America　he　may　be　unaware　of　the　improbability　of　this
situation。

To　those　who　regard　literary　men　merely　as　purveyors　of　amusement　for
people　who　have　not　wit　enough　to　entertain　themselves；　Ibsen　and　Shaw；
Maeterlinck　and　Gorky　must　remain　enigmas。　It　is　so　much　pleasanter　to
ignore　than　to　face　unpleasant　realitiesto　take　Riverside　Drive　and
not　Mulberry　Street　as　the　exponent　of　our　life　and　the　expression　of
our　civilization