Study Guide for Man and Superman

Arguably George Bernard Shaw’s most profound play, Man and Superman, blends social satire with a fascinating philosophy. Today, the comedy continues to make readers and audiences laugh and think — sometimes simultaneously. Man and Superman tells the story of two rivals: John Tanner (a wealthy, politically-minded intellectual who values his freedom) and Ann Whitefield (a charming, scheming hypocritical young woman who wants Tanner as a husband). Once Tanner realizes that Miss Whitefield is hunting for a spouse (and that he is the only target), he attempts to flee, only to find out that his attraction to Ann is too overwhelming to escape. Re-inventing Don Juan Although many of Shaw’s plays were financial successes, not all of the critics admired his work. While many reviewers were intrigued by Shaw’s ideas, they did not appreciate his lengthy scenes of dialogue with little-to-no conflict. One such critic, Arthur Bingham Walkley once said that Shaw is â€Å"no dramatist at all.† In the late 1800s, Walkley suggested that Shaw should write a Don Juan play. Beginning in 1901, Shaw accepted the challenge; in fact, he wrote an extensive albeit sarcastic dedication to Walkley, thanking him for the inspiration. In the preface of Man and Superman, Shaw discusses the way Don Juan has been portrayed in other works, such as Mozart’s opera or Lord Byron’s poetry. Traditionally, Don Juan is a pursuer of women, an adulterer, and an unrepentant scoundrel. At the end of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Don Juan is dragged to Hell, leaving Shaw to wonder: What happened to Don Juan’s soul? Man and Superman provides an answer to that question. The spirit of Don Juan lives on in the form of Juan’s distant-descendant John Tanner. Instead of a pursuer of women, Tanner is a pursuer of truth. Instead of an adulterer, Tanner is a revolutionary. Instead of a scoundrel, Tanner defies social norms and old-fashioned traditions in hopes of leading the way to a better world. Yet, the theme of seduction — typical in all incarnations of Don Juan stories — is still present. Through each act of the play, the female lead, Ann Whitefield, aggressively pursues her prey. Below is a brief summary of the play. Man and Superman - Act One Ann Whitefield’s father has passed away. Mr. Whitefield’s will indicate that his daughter’s guardians shall be two gentlemen: Roebuck Ramsden: The steadfast (and rather old-fashioned) friend of the family.John Tanner: A controversial author and â€Å"Member of the Idle Rich Class† The problem: Ramsden cannot stand Tanner’s morals, and Tanner cannot stand the idea of being Ann’s guardian. To complicate things, Tanner’s friend Octavius â€Å"Tavy† Robinson is head over heels in love with An. He hopes that the new guardianship will improve his chances of winning her heart. Ann flirts harmlessly whenever she is around Tavy. However, when she is alone with John Tanner (AKA â€Å"Jack†) her intentions become obvious to the audience. She wants Tanner. Whether she wants him because she loves him, or because she is infatuated with him, or merely because desires his wealth and status is entirely up to the viewer’s opinion. When Tavy’s sister Violet enters, a romantic subplot is introduced. Rumor has it that Violet is pregnant and unmarried. Ramsden and Octavius are outraged and ashamed. Tanner congratulates Violet. He believes that she is simply following life’s natural impulses, and he approves the instinctive way Violet has pursued her goals despite society’s expectations. Violet can tolerate the moral objections of her friends and family. She cannot, however, abide Tanner’s praise. She admits that she is legally married, but that the identity of her groom must remain secret. Act One of Man and Superman concludes with Ramsden and the others apologizing. Jack Tanner is disappointed; he wrongly thought that Violet has shared his moral/philosophical outlook. Instead, realizes the bulk of society is not ready to challenge traditional institutions such as marriage. The Last Line of Act One Tanner: You must cower before the wedding ring like the rest of us, Ramsden. The cup of our ignominy is full.

Abortion An Argument Of Moral Idealism - 1650 Words

Abortion is one of the most heavily debated subject matters in the United States today. Most people characterize themselves as either â€Å"pro-life† or â€Å"pro choice† depending on their position of morality. However, others can align themselves more in the middle and judge the morality as an outsider, finding it entirely possible for one to be â€Å"pro-life† but still believe that abortion is immoral. When examining this issue from a utilitarian point of view, one must consider the morality of the action based off the greatest happiness principal, which weights the action against the potential harm or happiness it can cause. By analyzing each various position on abortion through a utilitarian perspective, one can determine what position Mill would been most likely to support on the topic of abortion. Joh Stuart Mill was a strong proponent, and indeed considered to be the father of, Utilitarianism. This philosophical theory is defined as a form of moral idealism which sets the moral standard of an action based off the greatest potential for harm or happiness that said action could produce. Essentially, Utilitarianism determines whether or not the action will create a significant amount of pleasure and improve quality of life the greatest number of people. Mill states in Utilitarianism, â€Å"†¦Utility, or the Greatest Happiness principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness isShow MoreRelatedTexas Women’s Health Program1433 Words   |  6 Pagesauthority, and with these comes thousands of critiques, arguments, and overall complaints for the program as a whole. The two prominent sides to this story, those who are for the bill and those who are not, both have their own motives and reasons for their beliefs, and I am not different. 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They speak to us with the accents of true evidence, using the argument that It is so. With ease they make the kind of statements a linguist would call fully assertive and which, moreover, are usually taken at face value. There is a filmic mode, which is the mode of presence, and to a great extent it is believable

A Meal to Remember free essay sample

Hey! Sunlit, is it really u? , an excited screaming voice said, giving me a friendly slap on the shoulder. It was two weeks back at my cousins house, in celebration of her birthday party. She arranged a quite big party in the front garden of her house which was nicely decorated with flowers. There was also a band party to cheer the guests with deferent types of musics. Everyone were enjoying the party with a great pleasure while I was sitting in a cradle and watching butterflies flying over the flowers with deep attention.Suddenly when I heard the voice, I looked back and saw young girl of my age who was wearing parrot green skirt with violet tops. As I was noticing the butterflies, so I was puzzled about saying anything to her. Perhaps, she understood my situation and sat beside with a smile. Cant u recognize me? , she said. We will write a custom essay sample on A Meal to Remember or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I was mumbling. Then she showed me a card which was made by me and It had the word MEASURE written on It. After seeing It, I was so delighted and overjoyed that a gave shout and hugged her with great pleasure because she was one of my best friends, relate. Hen I was in seventh grade I left that school. Lull after I have left the school we had contact through phones and we would meet either at her house or mine. In eight grades her father was transferred to another city with his family and it all happened in a sudden, that she could not contact me. I tried to call her for many times but her phone number was changed. That day I couldnt recognize her because there have been no communication between us for seven long years. Both of us were too much happy to meet again after such a long time. E walked in the garden holding each others hand. It felt Just like the old times at school. We gossiped a lot at that day about how our life was going. When it was meal time and we were called to the dining tables and we sat together. The tables were full of delicious dishes which made our mouth water. My aunt came to serve us. First, my aunt served fried rice which is a traditional part of any feast, and then roasted chicken was brought out. The rice was well cooked but wasnt too oily, and the chicken was roasted brown, a bit overdone, just the way I and my cousins preferred.The crust outside was nice and iris, yet the meat was tender and Juicy inside. As I continued eating eagerly I noticed that she had also served shrimps, which was equally mouthwatering. Then she served us Chinese vegetables which had little piece of chickens and was super tasty. We also had good smelling beef curry in front of us. Cold drinks and fruit juices were also served. After the meal, we ate strawberry flavored ice-cream. Finally, after almost an hour, all of us had finished our meal, and kept complimenting my aunt on what an amazing meal it was.It was one of the meals which I will never forget as the sates of the foods were yummy and delicious. The other reason which had made the meal more significant was meeting my best friend after a long time. It gave my friend back to me. All the readers of this event may think what does the word measure meant. It Is the mixture of the first two letters of three best friends membrane, summon and relate. A Meal to Remember By math guests with different types of musics. Everyone were enjoying the party with a great understood my situation and sat beside with a smile. Cant u recognize me? , she said.I was mumbling. Then she showed me a card which was made by me and it had the word MEASURE written on it. After seeing it, I was so delighted and overjoyed that friends, aridity. When I was in seventh grade I left that school. Still after I have left overdone, Just the way I and my cousins preferred. The crust outside was nice and tasty. We also had good smelling beef curry in front of us. Cold drinks and fruit Juices back to me. All the readers of this event may think what does the word measure meant. It is the mixture of the first two letters of three best friends membrane, sunlit and aridity.