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Major Barbara is coherently on radical and religious action. The play follows familiar Shavian patterns, showing disillusionment from the idealistic faith and ideals of the Salvation Army to a realistic awareness of economic facts. While Barbara’s Salvation Army represents spiritual institutionalized Christianity, Undershaft represents the economic power to control the wealth of conventional society. The main dramatic action is Barbara’s conflict between these two ideologies and results in her decision to turn to her father’s resources. While Barbara’s Salvation Army represents traditional institutionalized Christianity, Undershaft represents the political power to control the wealth of nineteenth-century society. The play analyzes key moral relationships among the characters in economic concerns. Major Barbara is much complicated and put into moral perspective by the manner of its presentation through Andrew Undershaft. Shaw’s presentation of the economic theme concerning the value of social issues in Major Barbara may also represent his critical response to a lively public issue over the condition of modern society. Shaw’s iconoclasm and his religious philosophy including his opinions on both poverty and Salvationism are expressed in unconventional ways related to the religion of “Blood and Fire’. Major Barbara makes a case for combining the power of the munitions maker, the intellect of the scholar and the faith of the Salvationist. At the end of the play Shaw hopes to unite with the powers of the spiritual reformer and the power of money for the betterment of society. By their symbolic union, the poverty engendered by capitalistic society can be swept away. Accordingly they are human agents of the life force for more social ends. In the play, through Barbara’s conversion and inheritance of the munitions factory Shaw shows her realization that social idealism and spirituality cannot be isolated from worldly resources to secure change in the vicious society effectively. According to Shaw, Barbara’ spirituality must be impacted with the worldly power represented by money for the inauguration of a new era. Also Shaw presents his desire for the salvation of society in Major Barbara, embodied in his heroine’s faithful devotion through Barbara’s prospective union for the societal ends.
