Major Barbara - Bilingual quotes that celebrate the beauty of language, showcasing meaningful expressions in two unique perspectives.
Major Barbara - Bilingual quotes that celebrate the beauty of language, showcasing meaningful expressions in two unique perspectives.
"Major Barbara," a play by George Bernard Shaw, explores the themes of poverty, morality, and the complexities of altruism. The story revolves around Barbara Undershaft, a Salvation Army officer, and her moral dilemmas when faced with her family's arms business. Through her interactions with various characters, particularly her father, Andrew Undershaft, the play questions the effectiveness of charity in the face of systemic issues like wealth and exploitation.
As Barbara grapples with her beliefs, Shaw illustrates the tension between idealism and realism. The characters embody different ideologies, with Barbara representing a moralistic view challenged by her father's pragmatic approach to life and wealth. This conflict serves as a critique of social institutions and the effectiveness of traditional forms of charity, suggesting that true change requires addressing underlying economic conditions rather than merely providing temporary relief.
Ultimately, "Major Barbara" raises important questions about the nature of goodness and the means of achieving social justice. Through sharp dialogue and witty exchanges, Shaw reveals the limitations of both charity and inherited wealth, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of social responsibility. The play remains relevant in discussions about ethics, poverty alleviation, and the role of wealth in society.
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The value of money is subjective, depending on age. At the age of one, one multiplies the actual sum by 145,000, making one pound seem like 145,000 pounds to a one-year-old. At seven – Bertie's age – the multiplier is 24, so that five pounds seems like 120 pounds. At the age of twenty four, five pounds is five pounds; at forty five it is divided by 5, so that it seems like one pound and one pound seems like twenty pence. {All figures courtesy of Scottish Government Advice Leaflet: Handling your Money.}
Alexander McCall Smith
Look, if you say that science will eventually prove there is no God, on that I must differ. No matter how small they take it back, to a tadpole, to an atom, there is always something they can't explain, something that created it all at the end of the search.
And no matter how far they try to go the other way – to extend life, play around with the genes, clone this, clone that, live to one hundred and fifty – at some point, life is over. And then what happens? When the life comes to an end?
I shrugged.
You see?
He leaned back. He smiled.
When you come to the end, that's where God begins.
Mitch Albom
You say you should have died instead of me. But during my time on earth, people died instead of me, too. It happens every day. When lightning strikes a minute after you are gone, or an airplane crashes that you might have been on. When your colleague falls ill and you do not. We think such things are random. But there is a balance to it all. One withers, another grows. Birth and death are part of a whole.
Mitch Albom