Exploring the Deconstruction of Heroism in George Bernard Shaw’s Play Arms and the Man: A Post-Structuralist Study

Authors

  • Sayyad Muhammad Hasnain Shah M. Phil Research Scholar, Department of English Language and Literature, Qurtuba University of Science & Information Technology, D. I. Khan, Pakistan
  • Samana Gull, Research Scholar, Department of English Language and Literature, BZU, Bahadur Campus Layyah, Pakistan.
  • Muazzma Batool Research Scholar, Department of English Language and Literature, Qurtuba University of Science & Information Technology, D. I. Khan, Pakistan.

Abstract

This study examines the deconstruction of the traditional image of hero in George Bernard Shaw’s play Arms and the Man (1894) through post-structuralist perspective. George Bernard Shaw questions the conventional perception of heroism through the portrayal of characters who athwart the romanticized ideals like love, bravery and war. Shaw presents the criticism of the rigid binaries of heroism vs. cowardice, romanticism vs. realism and honour vs. practicality. The research applies post structural concepts of deconstruction by Jacques Derrida (1976) to interpret the Shaw’s language which destabilizes the fixity of conventional heroism. The study examines the character interactions, language and dramatic structure to reveal the Shaw’s intended message about war and heroism. The close textual interpretation through critical perspective and historical context, finds out that the play Arms and the Man (1894) has not only deconstructed heroism but also reconstructed a unique and nuances comprehension of human valour. This study contributes to the broader discussion on fluidity of literary meanings and transformations of the concept of heroism in modern literature.

Keywords: Deconstruction, heroism, post-structuralism, reconstruction, textual analysis

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Published

2025-03-25

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2025): Liberal Journal of Language & Literature Review

Section

Articles