Mrs. Warren's Profession by George Bernard Shaw

Characters in the play:

Mrs. Kitty Warren - once a prostitute, now a owner of number of brothels

Vivie - daughter of Mrs. Warren, recently graduated from University with honours

Reverend Samuel Gardner - a minister,  possibly Vivie's out-of-wedlock father

Frank Gardner - son of Samuel Gardner, also lover of Vivie

Sir George Crofts - Mrs. Warren's business partner

Mr. Praed - a middle aged friend of Mrs. Warren

Summary of the Play:

Mrs. Warren in the title refers to Mrs. Kitty Warren, whose profession at present is prostitution,  running a number of brothels across Europe with her business partner Air George Crofts though she herself started her profession as a prostitute to support her daughter's education.  Her daughter who returns from Cambridge University after getting graduated from there with honours gets shocked to know her mother's profession.  Mother successfully explains her daughter about the conditions that forced her to take up that position.  Mother arranges for a meeting with her friend Mr. Praed but Vivie is romantically involved into an affair with Frank Gardner whose father Samuel Gardner happens to be possibly the biological father of Vivie. Since Vivie and Frank Gardner become half siblings,  the former gets rid of the latter as well as her own mother who continues her profession even when there is no longer any need for that. Sir George Crofts who is older than Vivie by 25 years is also attracted towards her and gets disappointed.  The play ends with the triumph of Vivie as a new independent woman by taking up her own office and with the heart broken Mrs. Warren whose longing to live with her daughter no longer gets fulfilled.

Criticism

Mrs. Warren's Profession is a problem play,  following the innovations of Henrik Ibsen,  dealing with contentious social issues, (here,  prostitution) in a realistic way by presenting debates between Mrs. Warren and her daughter.  It is not lust but circumstances in Britain that forced Mrs. Warren to take up prostitution to take care of her daughter.  Shaw condemns his society which gave no employment opportunities to women and portrays Vivie as a modern independent woman aspiring to find her own office and having the courage to reject marriage proposals. What we see inn Vivie is gender reformation - a woman for the first time is realistic,  pragmatic,  asexual and unromantic. The boundary between sexual desires and proposed marriages is blurred - Frank is too frank to flirt with both Vivie and her mother Mrs. Warren. Sir George Crofts, with 25 years age difference, proposes Vivie in addition to his relationship with her mother Mrs. Warren. "My work is not your work,  my way is not your way. " is not only Vivie's answer to her mother but Shaw's introduction of new woman envisioned for his Britain.