A sharp and thought-provoking exploration of morality, power, and social responsibility, Major Barbara is one of George Bernard Shaw’s most provocative works. The play follows Barbara Undershaft, a devoted Salvation Army officer, as she grapples with the unsettling reality that charity and philanthropy are often intertwined with wealth generated by industry and warfare. When her estranged father, a powerful arms manufacturer, challenges her ideals, Barbara is forced to confront difficult questions about poverty, ethics, and the true nature of salvation.
Through incisive dialogue and biting wit, Shaw examines the tensions between faith, capitalism, and human nature, inviting readers to reconsider conventional notions of good and evil. A compelling blend of social critique and intellectual debate, Major Barbara remains a strikingly relevant study of the moral dilemmas that shape society.