Between Matter And Life

George Bernard Shaw(1856-1950)is an outstanding British realistic playwright and literary critic.His works cover diverse subjects,including economics,politics,ethics,religion,and so on,which are still deeply influential today.Among his social philosophical thoughts,the most prominent ones are Fabianism and Creative Evolution.This thesis tries to discuss how Shaw incorporates his own social philosophies into his works by examining the characters and themes in Major Barbara and Pygmalion,and further analyze the relationship between Fabianism and Creative Evolution.Fabianism is Shaw’s reflection on the socioeconomic and political system,which emphasizes Matter.His criticism of capitalism is revolutionary.Creative Evolution is the solution proposed by Shaw.He believes that the world consists of Matter and Life.He places his hope on Life Force,a power generated by Life.In these two plays,Shaw portrays diverse characters such as Andrew Undershaft,Barbara,Eliza,and Mrs.Higgins and addresses issues like poverty,class,human will,and education.All these are the manifestation of Shaw’s social philosophies,respectively corresponding to the external and internal factors affecting social progress.However,under then existing circumstances,Life is suppressed by Matter,and they are in a constant struggle.Life loses its power in the absence of Matter.This makes Shaw’s social philosophies complementary and contradictory at the same time and characters like Alfred Doolittle who has a conflicting identity,appear.Thus,Shaw’s works are full of complexity,featuring not only aesthetic value but also profound social value.The uneasy coexistence is the reflection of the progressiveness and compromise in Shaw’s thoughts.