Analyze the Relationship between Gender and Power in Mrs Warren's Profession - Essay Example

of the English of the Concerned 17 July Analyse the relationship between gender and power in Mrs Warren’s Profession. Response: It is a fact that George Bernard Shaw happened to be a writer, dramatist and thinker who was astutely concerned about the social inequalities and the commensurate power structures that socially elevated a few, to the detriment of the marginalized many. Hence, the play Mrs Warren’s Profession compiled by this literary virtuoso is again a literary work that explores the relationship between gender and power in a Victorian England, which though discernibly given to prudish sensibilities, actually marginalized and objectified women in a very convenient manner (Laurence 39). Though visibly the play Mrs Warrens Profession appears to attempt a scathing take on the patriarchal norms prevalent in the Victorian England, yet the amazing thing is that this work of literature facilitates an ossified representation of the way women are deprived of a say in the mainstream society even in the present times (Laurence 38). The irony is that the relationship between gender and the ensuing power accorded to a person, as depicted in this play is almost as relevant today as it happened to be in the days of Shaw. As is evident, the name of this play Mrs Warren’s Profession tacitly refers to prostitution, which happens to be the vocation of Mrs Kitty Warren. Thereby the salient objective of Shaw is to delineate as to how social circumstances, male chauvinism, social hypocrisy, double standards, patriarchal values and necessity disempowered the female gender to the extent that one is left with no option but to pander to the male lust through commoditization and objectification of one’s self. While, the patina of this play has a human core as it ascribes to the relationship between a mother and a daughter, yet the remarkable thing is that through the interplay of family tussles, differences and values imminent on these two characters in the play, the larger objective of Shaw is to explore the dehumanization of the female gender from a female perspective and vantage point. Though, at one level the readers may consider it to be a feeling play, yet one simply can help being astounded by the gender politics attendant on the overall plot. In a simplistic context, Mrs Warren’s Profession is a play about Mrs Kitty Warren, who refuses to give up before a socio-political set up that accorded least empowerment and status to women, and relies on her wits to pull herself out of a life of misery and squalor. Mrs Kitty has a daughter and she uses the affluence and connections facilitated by her so called sordid profession, to provide her with the opportunities that the society denied her owing to her gender and poverty. However, when her daughter Vivie Warren comes of age, intellectually and socially embellished by her academic accomplishments, she is amazed to find that her mother did not happen to be the person she expected her to be. It is this shocking mismatch of beliefs and values ascribed to by these two women, which gives way to the intense verbal catechism aimed at evaluating their place in a society that is equally harsh to both of them. This intense evaluation of the gender norms and the extent of power accorded to the women in the Victorian society facilitated by the fiery dialogue taking place between these two women are imbued with much introspection in a background populated by male characters typically ascribing to patriarchal norms. The interesting thing is that though both Mrs Kitty Warren and her daughter Vivie Warren have in a way shattered the gender barriers in their own unique way, the irony is that both of them get locked in an identity tussle, each coming out on the way other manages to navigate one’s way in a male dominated society. Hence, irrespective of their discernible independence and freedom, the two characters eventually come out as being subservient to the larger patriarchal social norms enveloping them. To an undiscerning reader, the play may seem to be about prostitution. Yet, the reality is that the play is about the way power dynamics operate in a gender biased society. The dehumanization and commoditization of the women in the play, is thereby epitomized by Mrs Warrens Profession, which is ‘prostitution’. The craftsmanship of Shaw lies in his ability to shed light on the varied gender roles ascribed to women, right from being so called women of fortune, to the more traditional garbs of daughters and mothers (Black 142). For instance in the second Act, when Frank, Crofts and Reverend Gardener assemble at Mrs Warren’s house, and Praed and Vivie join the company after a walk, Mrs Warren is shown to be concerned about Vivie’s whereabouts and she practically reprimands Vivie for not informing her about her plans. Superficially this may seem to be the concern of a protective mother, however on a closer analysis one is simply amazed to find as to how a woman like Mrs Warren, who eked out a place for herself in the society by defying its gender barriers, eventually tries to ascribe to the conventional gender norms, when it comes to her daughter (Black 167). One is simply depressed by this, as it is indeed sad to see that a women like Mrs Warren who defied the male dominated norms to find a place for her in the space and power that the society extended to her, instinctively decides to ascribe to the conventional gender norms, when it comes to making decisions about her daughter. This shows that in the deep recesses of her heart and mind, Mrs Warren regretted the decisions taken by her while grappling with a patriarchal social setup, and immediately chooses to embrace those very patriarchal norms, social hypocrisy and double standards, she once defied, when it came to consolidating the chances of her daughter in the society. Thereby, the tragedy is not that the society pushes the women to bow before stifling gender roles, but rather that women also end up believing that it is safer to pander to such gender roles. The other interesting thing is that the patriarchal values so vehemently decried in this play are to a large extent espoused by most of the male characters in this play. The salient male characters in the play that are Praed, Sir George Crofts, Frank and Reverend Gardner are either tied in amorous relationships with Kitty or Vivie, or do aspire to have carnal relationships with them. The absurdity, hollowness and shallowness of the patriarchal power dynamics is exhibited by the fact that not only the carnal aspirations of most of these male characters tend to conveniently shift between the mother or the daughter, but they also do not hesitate in shamelessly wrangling with each other or even fight for such aspired pleasures. Thereby, this facet of the values evinced by the male characters in the play not only convey the kind of power that the Victorian society ascribed to the males, but also exposed the pitiable, marginalized and subaltern status of the female gender. For instance, Sir George is shown to be actively desirous of vowing Vivie, irrespective of the fact that he was sexually involved with her mother, and perhaps may have been her father. Thereby, the play is not merely about the sexual immunity extended to the males in the Victorian society, but rather it also depicts the level to which the females in such society were disempowered, merely taken to be objects of desire, not deserving the dignity extended by human relationships. For instance, Frank, another young man interested in Vivie, and even more in her prospects, is also presented as possibly being Vivie’s half brother. One could indeed access the social power accorded to the women in the play by the fact that irrespective of the fact that many male characters like Sir George and Frank are cognizant of the fact that they may be related to Vivie, still they choose to be desirous of engaging in incestuous relationships with them (Dierkes-Thrun 293). Thereby, the conventional gender roles like mothers, daughters and sisters, which the two women argue about in the play, indeed seem to be meaningless in a world where the men do not hesitate from betraying the bonds of blood to sate physical and pecuniary hunger (Dierkes-Thrun 294). Though Mrs Warren and Vivie argue about their individual characteristics and choices, the men are interested in them only because of their bodies, totally ignoring the beliefs, values and aspirations of the mother and the daughter. Hence, the beauty of the play Mrs Warrens Profession is not only that Shaw so immaculately delineates the gender roles and the associated power dynamics prevalent in the society, but rather he explores these issues from both the female and male vantage point. When, the readers consider the tussle between the mother and the daughter regarding their individual preferences, choices and aspirations, in the backdrop of a society in which the two merely stands to be objects of gratification for the accompanying male characters, the scope for female empowerment and emancipation seems to be meaningless and absurd. Works Cited Black, Martha Fodaski. Shaw and Joyce. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 1995. Print. Dierkes-Thrun, Petra. “Incest and the Trafficking of Women in Mrs Warren’s Profession: “It Runs in the Family’”. English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920 49.3(2006): 293-310. Print Lawrence, Dan H. “Victorians Unveiled: Some Thoughts on Mrs Warren’s Profession”. ` SHAW The Annual of Bernard Shaw Studies 24(2004): 38-45. Print. Read More