Conflict And Inequalities In Major Barbara, By George Bernard Shaw

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Conflict and inequalities are a part of the structure of society; to obliterate conflict would mean that all human species must be perfect clones of one another. In spite of the usual conflicts between humans, such as male and female, rich and poor and diversity among cultures and minorities, man must acknowledge that every individual is worthy of equal rights of habitation in this world. Individuals should aim to manage conflicts and live peacefully with them as opposed to eliminating them which is not a possibility. In the play Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw, the author comically presents the social and political conflicts of the early 1900’s. While some upper-class individuals considered themselves elite and mightily superior to those of a poor status disregarding any rules of ethics when it came to the disadvantaged, others despised the wealthy and chose to support the poor to retaliate against the rich. At the same time, those with socialist beliefs felt that it was necessary to nullify conflicts so that individuals should be on equal statuses. Thus, some affluent individuals like Andrew Undershaft tried to win the social conflict by attempting to make all rich, while others, such as Major Barbara thought that assisting the poor will undermine the wealthy and unify society. Andrew Undershaft, the wealthy father of Barbara Undershaft, is a character that portrays the idealist beliefs of upper-class individuals of the early 1900s who felt that money defines