Create a new account

It's simple, and free.

Mrs. Warren's Profession v. The Good Woman of Setzuan

This chapter will provide an overview of the case study project focusing on two works of drama: George Bernard Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession and Bertolt Brecht's The Good Woman of Setzuan. The main issue to be explored is one that is common to both of these literary works: In societies dominated by men the morality of women is dictated by patriarchy and economics. Both authors also explore if it is possible for a woman living in such a society to be a "good" woman by conventional standards in a society that is not so "good."

The chapter will provide an in-depth background of the study, including various issues regarding the plays and the respective societies they illustrate as they pertain to the main issue of exploration. The aims and objectives of the study will also be provided, including a greater understanding of how economic systems dictate lifestyle and morality on poor women. The significance of the study to contemporary society and modern women will then be provided, followed by a discussion of the theoretical framework used as the basis for this study. A concluding section of the chapter will offer definitions of pertinent terms used in the study.

The case studies of both Mrs. Warren and Shen Te play out against a backdrop of poverty and patriarchy. Mrs. Warren finds herself in dire circumstances living in a patriarchal society where educational and employment opportunities for poor women are limited or non-existent. Needing to survive and using the only talents available to her, Mrs. Warren becomes a prostitute. Within a capitalistic and class oriented social system, most women are undervalued and underpaid while being overworked, something that forces the poorest among them to resort to options that go against conventional morality, like Mrs. Warren. In the play, Mrs. Warren's daughter Vivie, who she has provided a Cambridge education, is shocked to discover her mother's occupation...

Page 1 of 12 Next >

More on Mrs. Warren's Profession v. The Good Woman of Setzuan...

Loading...
APA     MLA     Chicago
Mrs. Warren's Profession v. The Good Woman of Setzuan. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 05:28, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/2000141.html