Mrs. Warren's Profession story
Mrs. Warren's Profession is a play written by George Bernard Shaw in 1893, and first performed in London in 1902. The play is about a former prostitute, now a madam (brothel proprietor), who attempts to come to terms with her disapproving daughter. It is a problem play, offering social commentary to illustrate Shaw's belief that the act of prostitution was not caused by moral failure but by economic necessity. Elements of the play were borrowed from Shaw's 1882 novel Cashel Byron's Profession, about a man who becomes a boxer due to limited employment opportunities.
10 total · 6 major · 4 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| boyfriend and girlfriend | major | Vivie and Frank |
| female empowerment | major | Both Mrs. Kitty Warren and Vivie were enterprising women way ahead of their time. |
| female independence | major | Mrs. Kitty Warren turned to sex trade; Vivi set out to make her own living and not rely either on her mother's dirty money or any man; Vivi also had graduated from Cambridge U with honours in mathematics |
| mother and daughter | major | Mrs. Kitty Warren and Vivie |
| prostitution vs. poverty | major | Mrs. Kitty Warren explained this to her daughter and it became the basis for judging Kitty |
| sex trade in society | major | central to the story was the question of whether and how immoral it was of Mrs. Warren to profit from brothels |
| prostitution | minor | The life of prostitutes in Mrs. Kitty Warren's brothels was alluded to. |
| sacrifice for a loved one | minor | Vivie had to briefly consider marrying old Sir Crofts in order to save her mother's reputation |
| unrequited love | minor | Vivie rejected the lecherous advances of Sir Crofts |
| young and old romance | minor | Vivie rejected the lecherous advances of Sir Crofts |