CHARACTER STUDY: LOUKA

Women constitute an important part of Shavian drama. In George Bernard Shaws

popular anti-romantic comedy, Arms and The Man, Louka plays an integral role and depicts
strength, determination and ability for taking action. She is shown superior to the male servant
in the play, named Nicola.
Louka is a maid servant in the Petkoff household. She is a young and attractive woman
with considerable physical charms. She is introduced as a handsome proud girl in a pretty
Bulgarian peasants dress with double apron, so defiant that her servility to Raina is almost
insolent. She is afraid of Catherine but even with her goes as far as she dares.
She is an ambitious girl who wants to elevate her social status by marrying a wealthy man
of nobility. Though a poor servant, she has a soul above her status. She rejects the advice of
Nicola when he says, Be warned in time, Louka: mend your manners. She rather remarks, You
have the soul of a servant, Nicola. It is her ambitious nature that has made her seem rude,
defiant and a fashion-loving coquette to the audience.
Louka was engaged to Nicola. Though both hold the rank of servants, there exists a hell
and heaven difference between their thoughts. Louka treats Nicola contemptuously. She
authoritatively says to him, Go and put those logs on fire: thats the sort of thing you
understand, and on another occasion she even says, I believe you would rather be my servant
than my husband. Louka does not treat Nicola as a man.
The ambitious young woman is defiant and insolent in her attitude towards Catherine,
Nicola, Bluntschli and at times even towards Sergius. She says to Nicola, I do defy
her(Catherine), I will defy her. She intentionally annoys Raina by praising Sergius and belittling
Bluntschli: he has not much heart, that Swiss. He has no word of grief for his poor father. She
is bold enough to say to Sergius, I dont care, now I have found out whatever clay Im made of,
youre made of the same. It appears that her rude behavior and defiant attitude is the result
of her status and her ambition to elevate it to that of those whom she is serving. With no
advantage of birth, she has to rely completely on her brain, wit, resourcefulness and her physical
charms to gain her ambitious end.
Louka is clever and tactful. It is she, who reveals the secret of her mistress, Raina, to
Sergius and thus brings about a misunderstanding between the two to gain her selfish end. In
keeping with her desire to marry a wealthy man, Louka needs to charm a rich man. She is not
afraid of using Sergius stubborn noble attitude to her own advantage. She taunts him and
challenges him to bring him to her side. She uses her personal charms and skills in repartee to
attract Sergius and is successful in entrapping him. She acts romantic and is so clever and tactful
that Sergius ultimately falls a victim to her tricks.
 The clever girl is a keen observer and shrewd judge of human nature. Raina is successful
in deceiving Catherine and the Russian officer. But Louka seeing the pistol on the ottoman at
once predicted the presence of the fugitive behind the curtain. Excellence in Loukas judging of
human nature is seen when he says to Sergius, I tell you that if the gentleman comes here
again, Miss Raina will marry him, whether he likes it or not. It is proved later that her view is
quite sound. Louka is successful even in predicting Sergius true nature and using it to her
advantage to attain her goal.
Louka is a true opportunist who makes the best use of circumstances and resources
available to reach the zenith. She may, to the audience and readers seem to be a cunning vixen,
but must be appreciated and admired for her persistence to make her ambition come true.