INTRODUCTION
This work is set or designed to
criticize a book titled “Arms and the Man” written by Bernard Shaw. The work is
set to point out some literary element use by the author to portray his ideas
and how they affect our individual perceptions. Though the book is a kind of
fiction based novel, the writer tried inculcating, meaning into the readers
mind, trying to make real what he really meant in the novel whose central theme
is about love and forgiveness.
The play is set in Bulgaria in the
Balkan region, during one of their war crises common at that period. All
aspects of Bulgarian life are carefully built into the characters to illustrate
a semblance of reality,the mannerism of Mr. Pertkoff and his wife or reflective
of the life style of the Bulgarian Senior-class citizens. The high premium on
nobility, class, beauty and heroism portrayed in the play are part of the
values common and cherished in the Bulgarian Society which contrast with the
neighboring Swiss Society.
I think Bernard Shaw interest mostly in
the novel is about love relationship which he showcases through the principal
characters in the play Riana and Sergius. The lady Riana, a daughter of the
propertied class is in love with a Bulgarian soldier, Sergius Sarnoff who is at
war.
DRAMATIC
TECHNIQUES USED BY BERNARD SHAW
Dramatic
Irony
Shaw exaggeration of how Catherine and
Raina the two Bulgarian women hide a fugitive from his pursuers, feed him and
send him home disguised in the coat of
Pertkoff, the master of the house who was away in war is somehow ironical, for
someone to hide his enemy who supposed to expose him to his pursuer. But Shaw tried to use irony to convey
a message of care and love even when the ladies where feeling guilty of their
act. Again Bluntschli gets security in the house of an enemy who is in the
battle field trying to kill his people, the Swiss.
Diction
The choice of words used by Bernard
Shaw is simple and easy to understand. His play doesn’t require much reference
to understand the message. Though to a point the use of dictionary is necessary,especially
when he tries to use some military terms in expressing his ideas about the
brutality of war
Suspense
This technique is always used to create
a moment of anxiety in the audience about the moment of anxiety in the audience
about the outcome of a given action. One instance of this is when the soldiers
pursuing the fugitive were allowed into Pertkoff’s compound and into Raina’s
bedroom. The audience must be worried about the possibility of the fugitive
being fished out, especially with the man’s gun being conspicuously displayed
on the Ottoman. Another instance is when Louka tells Sergius about Raina’s
affairs with Bluntschli. The audience is no doubt anxious to know how the
revelation will turn out, that is loser and winner in this game of hide and
seek in the name of love.
Disguise
Bernard Shaw used disguise to reduce
tense in the mind of the readers creating a kind of humor through the fugitive
who has ran away from the battle and put up with Raina and was sent home the
next morning having disguised in Major Pertkoff’s coat possibly, to avoid been
recognized by the Bulgarian soldiers. In most cases when a reader comes across
such scenario of humor he may lose interest in reading the novel further more.
Contrast
The
play, there are contrast of setting and character. The setting in Act one is a
locked up bedroom in the dark of winter night with military apprehension is in
share contrast to the opening of Act two in a garden in spring time with
peaceful environment. Almost all the characters are built on contrast. For
example Sergius is contrast with Bluntschli, so are Louka and Nicola. Even the
homely Raina and Catherine shared different opinions on Bluntschli. While Raina
saw his humanity, Catherine saw only as a never-do-well person.
Foreshadowing
The bitterness Raina feels when Sergius
narrates the story they heard about two Bulgarian women sheltering a fugitive
and sending him home disguised, is a forecast to the clash to come when the
whole story of Raina’s romantic relationship with Bluntschli is blown open.
Another is Louka’s prediction that Raina will marry the fugitive she hides in
her room if the man ever comes back again. It is a hint on what will eventually
happen. The man comes and she gets married to him.
CONCLUSION
This work of art has more or less touched
some various or vital literary techniques employ in the play. However Bernard
Shaw ideology of love and its efficacy is likely to be considered as
self-perception of what he feels about love. In terms of honesty and politeness
I think there is a kind of pretense in the life of one of the character, Raina
to be precise, the author’s theme in the novel is driving at love and care
which also explain how culpable they might have felt releasing Bluntschli to
his enemies that were outside waiting impatiently to kill him, but the
pretentious attitude of Raina towards Sergius Saranoff is a sense of
loutishness when she claimed that Sergius Saranoff is her hero as she stated “…welcome
my hero….” While in the other way round she has betrayed him by saving his
enemy, also planning to marry the enemy to some one that she has long been
betrothed to.
In the life of Mr. Pertkoff the novel
is also explaining that the man might be a careless man. That will never take
cognizance of what belongs to him, as this could be seen when Bluntschli came
the next morning to return the coat, Mr. Pertkoff is either not aware or too
confuse to know that the same coat that is with Bluntschli is his coat that he
may have use for some time before the incidence.
Another observation to be made is in
the area of the fictitious actions portrayed by the characters. The author is
saying that the whole incident took place at night, that is when they fought
the war, how possible could it be that a man whose life was saved by what I may
call God sent, will be that naive to come in the enemies camp just to return a
coat, and the enemy in his own part could not ask sensitive questions about his
visitor, rather he went ahead to approve the marriage between his daughter and
the strange visitor.
Finally Bernard Shaw is full of
exaggeration and fiction, though his ideas are designed to teach morals and
care. His play can be recommended to people who are interested to settle
dispute without harming themselves and creating a warm relationship.