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Nirban Roy | 9836423513 - 6290798093

Arms and the Man | G.B. Shaw | Critical Analysis | Identity | Class Division
In the late 1800s, socialism and Marxism grew in popularity. At the same time, class divisions
became more pronounced. Romanticism, which had been a popular style, no longer seemed
able to explain or reflect reality. This period marked the start of Modernism. During this time, art
and literature began to change quickly. Artists and writers tried new ways to capture a more
complex reality, show different perspectives, and express the details of human life and
experience. "Arms and the Man" focuses a lot on the idea of identity. Many of the characters are
acting out roles, and the play often asks what makes a person’s “true identity.” It also highlights
how important it is to be true to yourself. Characters in the play are only freed when they stop
pretending and start being honest.
Both Raina and Sergius change depending on who they are with. Sergius believes he is “six
different men” at once. Raina speaks with passion and drama on purpose because she knows it
influences how people react to her. They both do a lot of “acting.” Shaw also raises the question
of what else makes up our identity. Is it our job? Is Bluntschli only defined by being called a
“soldier”? The same could be asked about Nicola being a “servant.” Do our families or names
define us? Raina often says her identity as a “Petkoff” is a key part of who she is. These
characters find happiness and form real relationships when they stop pretending for others and
act in a more genuine way. Raina stops pretending to be a romantic, young aristocrat and is able
to be herself with Bluntschli. Bluntschli can admit his love for her only after he lets go of his
tough exterior and shows his romantic side. Louka and Sergius also end up together when
Sergius admits he is not as sensitive and refined as he seems, and Louka admits that, though
she has acted like she dislikes him, she actually cares for him.
In the late 1800s, Shaw supported workers' rights, women's rights, and the rights of racial
minorities. He noticed that some groups were oppressed because of parts of their identity. This
play questions how people in the 1800s saw identity, which was often tied to manners, social
and economic class, ancestry, race, and gender. Shaw believed these divisions were harmful,
not just socially or economically, but mentally as well. The play shows that when culture shapes
our identity, we cannot be happy. But if we can be true to ourselves, our lives and relationships
will be more honest and fulfilling. In this way, the play also argues for the importance of self-
expression, which was being overshadowed by the rise of industry and science in the late 19th
century.
One of the main criticisms in "Arms and the Man" is how people tend to romanticize or idealize
complex realities, especially love and war. Romanticism, a popular style, began to decline
around the time Shaw was born. The play shows why romanticism failed: it couldn’t accurately
reflect real human experiences. Raina is the play’s most obvious romantic character. Her
relationship with Sergius (who is described as a “Byronic hero,” after the Romantic poet Lord
Byron) fits many romantic ideals: they are both beautiful, refined, and seem to be deeply in love.
However, this idealized vision of love falls apart when reality sets in. Sergius, who appears
refined, actually lusts after the servant Louka in a very animalistic, even violent, way. Raina,
meanwhile, is in love with Bluntschli, who is the opposite of a romantic hero. Their idealized love
is a performance. In reality, love is much more complex and multi-dimensional than Raina and
Sergius let on.
Raina and Sergius’s flawed romanticism also shows in how they view war. Raina praises Sergius
as an ideal soldier: brave, strong, and noble. But it turns out his famous cavalry charge was a
mistake. The charge succeeded only because the enemy didn’t have the right ammunition.
Sergius is far from the perfect soldier—he is almost a joke. On the other hand, Bluntschli, the
real soldier, runs away from battle and carries chocolates instead of a gun. He is also honest
about the harsh realities of war, which is full of drunkenness and violence, not heroism and glory.
Shaw wants to show love and war as they really are: often ugly, contradictory, and complicated.
He criticizes romantic art for ignoring these truths and presenting a sugarcoated version of life.
Instead, Shaw argues that art should try to make sense of and show the true complexity of
human experiences.
 Target Coaching Centre | Ramrajatala, Howrah |
Nirban Roy | 9836423513 - 6290798093
Arms and the Man | G.B. Shaw | Critical Analysis | Romanticism | Heroism
In the late 1800s, socialism and Marxism grew in popularity. At the same time, class divisions
became more pronounced. Romanticism, which had been a popular style, no longer seemed
able to explain or reflect reality. This period marked the start of Modernism. During this time, art
and literature began to change quickly. Artists and writers tried new ways to capture a more
complex reality, show different perspectives, and express the details of human life and
experience. "Arms and the Man" focuses a lot on the idea of identity. Many of the characters are
acting out roles, and the play often asks what makes a person’s “true identity.” It also highlights
how important it is to be true to yourself. Characters in the play are only freed when they stop
pretending and start being honest.
One of the main points of "Arms and the Man" is the tendency of people to romanticize or
idealize complex things, especially love and war. Romanticism as a literary style began to fade
just around the time Shaw was born. The play shows why romanticism failed—it couldn’t truly
capture the complexities of real human experiences. Raina is the play’s most obvious romantic.
Her relationship with Sergius (called a "Byronic hero," after the Romantic poet Lord Byron)
shows many romantic ideals. They are both attractive, elegant, and seem deeply in love. But this
idealized view of love falls apart when reality sets in. Sergius, who appears refined, actually lusts
after the servant Louka in a very raw, sometimes violent way. Raina, on the other hand, is in love
with Bluntschli, who is the opposite of a romantic hero. Their idealized love is all a performance.
In reality, love is much more complicated and layered than Raina and Sergius think.
Raina and Sergius’s flawed view of love also affects how they see war. Raina speaks highly of
Sergius as the perfect soldier: brave, strong, and ruthless but fair. But it turns out that Sergius’s
famous cavalry charge was a mistake, and the only reason it succeeded was because the
enemy lacked proper ammunition. Sergius is far from the perfect soldier—he’s more of a joke.
The real soldier, Bluntschli, runs away from battle and carries chocolates instead of a gun. He’s
also honest about the harsh reality of war, which involves more drunkenness and violence than
it does heroism and glory. Shaw wants to show love and war for what they really are—often
messy, contradictory, and much more complicated than people think. He criticizes romantic art
for ignoring these truths and presenting a false, idealized version of life. Instead, Shaw argues
that art should try to show and make sense of real human experiences.
Another key question in "Arms and the Man" is about the nature of heroism. What makes
someone a hero? What does it mean to be one? What responsibilities come with being called a
hero? At first, Sergius appears to be a hero. He led a successful cavalry charge and showed
great bravery, though his courage was reckless. He is strong, courageous, and handsome, fitting
the traditional idea of a hero. However, it soon becomes clear that more experienced soldiers
see Sergius’s actions as ridiculous. Although Raina and her mother admire him, partly because
Raina is engaged to him, others view him as more of a fool than a hero. Bluntschli, on the other
hand, is an “anti-hero.” Raina calls him the “chocolate cream soldier,” a name that suggests
weakness and softness, since he carries chocolates instead of extra ammunition. He is older,
more humble in appearance, and does not believe courage is a virtue. Yet, by the end of the play,
Bluntschli turns out to be both a better soldier and a more desirable husband than Sergius,
winning Raina’s heart.
The question of what makes a hero is complex. By exploring this, Shaw raises important
questions about what heroes mean to society. Who should be considered a hero? And what
about the heroes we read about in literature? Shaw was writing during a time of social and
political change. The tension between socialism and capitalism was growing, and new industrial
technologies were widening class divisions and changing society. It was also a time of artistic
and literary change: Romanticism no longer seemed to fit the modern world’s problems. The
Byronic, romantic hero was no longer relevant—so what would the new heroes look like? By
exploring heroism, Shaw is also questioning the future of culture and art.
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