{"id":49,"date":"2014-05-22T16:06:14","date_gmt":"2014-05-22T16:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/?post_type=chapter&p=49"},"modified":"2019-07-05T17:19:31","modified_gmt":"2019-07-05T17:19:31","slug":"george-bernard-shaw","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/chapter\/george-bernard-shaw\/","title":{"raw":"Study Questions, Activities, and Resources","rendered":"Study Questions, Activities, and Resources"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n

Study Questions and Activities<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

\r\n

Major Barbara<\/h1>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Contrast Barbara with her brother Stephen.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Explain the Andrew Undershaft foundling tradition.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. What challenge does Barbara level at her father in Act I?<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Who is Barbara\u2019s grandfather?<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Why does Bill Walker strike Jenny Hill?<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. What financial aid does Undershaft offer his three children?<\/li>\r\n \t
  7. What is Stephen\u2019s main criticism of Undershaft\u2019s treatment of his workers?<\/li>\r\n \t
  8. Does Nietzsche\u2019s definition of \"Dionysian\" (and \"Apollonian\") in Birth of Tragedy<\/i> apply to Dolly\u2019s understanding of the term? See a good handbook of literary terms such as Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms<\/i>, ed. J.A. Cuddon; or A Handbook to Literature<\/i>, Holman and Harmon; or A Glossary of Literary Terms<\/em>, M.H. Abrams.<\/li>\r\n \t
  9. Why is winning Barbara\u2019s capitulation in the wager so important to Undershaft? Why does Barbara capitulate?<\/li>\r\n \t
  10. Discuss how Shaw explores the notion of class in the play.<\/li>\r\n \t
  11. Explore Shaw\u2019s presentation of men and women as it challenges or conforms to dramaturgical conventions of gender at the turn of the 20th century as well as today.<\/li>\r\n \t
  12. Who is Mrs. Baines, and what key announcement does she make?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    Suggested Essay or Discussion Topics<\/h1>\r\n
      \r\n \t
    1. Look up the term psychomachia<\/i> in a good reference source such as your favourite glossary or handbook of literary terms. Is Major Barbara<\/i> structured as a kind of psychomachia? If so, whose soul is being fought over? Who are the angelic and diabolical characters or tempters?<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. In what way is Undershaft a \u201cGrand Inquisitor<\/a>\u201d figure?<\/li>\r\n \t
    3. Compare characters and situations from The Importance of Being Earnest<\/i> and Major Barbara<\/i>. How might Lady Bracknell be seen as a source character for Lady Britomart?<\/li>\r\n \t
    4. One critic suggests that in addition to the Spenserean allusion, Britomart\u2019s name also suggests \u201cBritish Market.\u201d\u00a0 Refute or support with evidence.<\/li>\r\n \t
    5. Why does Shaw name Undershaft\u2019s business partner Lazarus? Be sure to read Chapter 16 from the Gospel of Luke as a starting point.<\/li>\r\n \t
    6. Discuss Charles \u201cCholly\u201d Lomax as comic character.<\/li>\r\n \t
    7. What typical characteristics of a utopia do you find in the depiction of the community of Perivale St. Andrews in Act III?<\/li>\r\n \t
    8. Discuss any particularly useful changes to the play in Gabriel Pascal\u2019s 1941 film version of Major Barbara<\/i>. Note that Shaw helped write the film script and published his screen version in 1946.<\/li>\r\n \t
    9. Explore the use of music in the play.<\/li>\r\n \t
    10. Discuss Rosalind Howard, Countess of Carlisle (1845-1921) as the source for Lady Britomart.<\/li>\r\n \t
    11. Discuss Gilbert Murray as Shaw\u2019s source for Adolphus Cusins.<\/li>\r\n \t
    12. Discuss the various comic techniques, especially characterization, that Shaw uses to keep his audience involved in the action of the play.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
      \r\n

      Resources<\/h1>\r\nMajor-Barbara-Study-Guide<\/a>\u00a0[pdf booklet by permission of the Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the Lake]\r\n\r\nPreface<\/a> to Major Barbara\r\n\r\nRichard F. Dietrich, British and Irish Drama: 1890-1950<\/i><\/a>. A very good overview of Major Barbara<\/i>. The entire book is online.\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"
      \n
      \n

      Study Questions and Activities<\/p>\n<\/header>\n

      \n

      Major Barbara<\/h1>\n
        \n
      1. Contrast Barbara with her brother Stephen.<\/li>\n
      2. Explain the Andrew Undershaft foundling tradition.<\/li>\n
      3. What challenge does Barbara level at her father in Act I?<\/li>\n
      4. Who is Barbara\u2019s grandfather?<\/li>\n
      5. Why does Bill Walker strike Jenny Hill?<\/li>\n
      6. What financial aid does Undershaft offer his three children?<\/li>\n
      7. What is Stephen\u2019s main criticism of Undershaft\u2019s treatment of his workers?<\/li>\n
      8. Does Nietzsche\u2019s definition of “Dionysian” (and “Apollonian”) in Birth of Tragedy<\/i> apply to Dolly\u2019s understanding of the term? See a good handbook of literary terms such as Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms<\/i>, ed. J.A. Cuddon; or A Handbook to Literature<\/i>, Holman and Harmon; or A Glossary of Literary Terms<\/em>, M.H. Abrams.<\/li>\n
      9. Why is winning Barbara\u2019s capitulation in the wager so important to Undershaft? Why does Barbara capitulate?<\/li>\n
      10. Discuss how Shaw explores the notion of class in the play.<\/li>\n
      11. Explore Shaw\u2019s presentation of men and women as it challenges or conforms to dramaturgical conventions of gender at the turn of the 20th century as well as today.<\/li>\n
      12. Who is Mrs. Baines, and what key announcement does she make?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Suggested Essay or Discussion Topics<\/h1>\n
          \n
        1. Look up the term psychomachia<\/i> in a good reference source such as your favourite glossary or handbook of literary terms. Is Major Barbara<\/i> structured as a kind of psychomachia? If so, whose soul is being fought over? Who are the angelic and diabolical characters or tempters?<\/li>\n
        2. In what way is Undershaft a \u201cGrand Inquisitor<\/a>\u201d figure?<\/li>\n
        3. Compare characters and situations from The Importance of Being Earnest<\/i> and Major Barbara<\/i>. How might Lady Bracknell be seen as a source character for Lady Britomart?<\/li>\n
        4. One critic suggests that in addition to the Spenserean allusion, Britomart\u2019s name also suggests \u201cBritish Market.\u201d\u00a0 Refute or support with evidence.<\/li>\n
        5. Why does Shaw name Undershaft\u2019s business partner Lazarus? Be sure to read Chapter 16 from the Gospel of Luke as a starting point.<\/li>\n
        6. Discuss Charles \u201cCholly\u201d Lomax as comic character.<\/li>\n
        7. What typical characteristics of a utopia do you find in the depiction of the community of Perivale St. Andrews in Act III?<\/li>\n
        8. Discuss any particularly useful changes to the play in Gabriel Pascal\u2019s 1941 film version of Major Barbara<\/i>. Note that Shaw helped write the film script and published his screen version in 1946.<\/li>\n
        9. Explore the use of music in the play.<\/li>\n
        10. Discuss Rosalind Howard, Countess of Carlisle (1845-1921) as the source for Lady Britomart.<\/li>\n
        11. Discuss Gilbert Murray as Shaw\u2019s source for Adolphus Cusins.<\/li>\n
        12. Discuss the various comic techniques, especially characterization, that Shaw uses to keep his audience involved in the action of the play.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
          \n

          Resources<\/h1>\n

          Major-Barbara-Study-Guide<\/a>\u00a0[pdf booklet by permission of the Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the Lake]<\/p>\n

          Preface<\/a> to Major Barbara<\/p>\n

          Richard F. Dietrich, British and Irish Drama: 1890-1950<\/i><\/a>. A very good overview of Major Barbara<\/i>. The entire book is online.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"menu_order":5,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-49","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":306,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/49","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/49\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2530,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/49\/revisions\/2530"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/306"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/49\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=49"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=49"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=49"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}