"Mrs. Warren's Profession" and Relationships

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews George Bernard Shaw's play "Mrs. Warren's Profession" and discusses how Mrs. Warren?s secretive profession lies at the core of the relationship between Mrs. Warren and her daughter, Vivie. The income derived from her profession, running several bordello houses in continental Europe, takes Mrs. Warren physically away from her daughter but has allowed Mrs. Warren to provide Vivie with the lifestyle and education, which only people from the upper class can afford. It analyzes how Vivie's perception of her relationship with her mother may seem brutal, but truthful and how without experiencing the intimacy and love of a mother, the grown-up Vivie -- who is cynical of her relationship to her mother because the latter is a virtual stranger -- eventually sees that their only connection is monetary.

From the Paper:

"In her proud and flaunting confession about her pseudo holiday in London to a total stranger (Shaw 38; Act I), Vivie demonstrates her audacity and complete lack of concern that she may be "caught" by her mother. On the other hand, Mrs. Warren is clueless to Vivie's activities and interests. Vivie's description of her holiday in London illustrates she is creating an existence of financial independence and passion for actuarial calculations, which is divorced from Mrs. Warren's ideal conception of her daughter's life. Although Mrs. Warren thinks her daughter is still dependent on her for her affluent lifestyle that includes sightseeing in London, Vivie "[has been] initiated into the business" of Chancery Lane and paid off her expenses. Ironically, Vivie's "secret" project behind her mother's back will become completely dwarfed by her mother's greater life of secrecy."

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• Essay # 61520 : "Vivie in "Mrs. Warren's Profession"

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