See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/341447203

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN GEORGE BERNARD SHAW’S CANDIDA

Article · May 2020

DOI: 10.31838/jcr.07.07.86

CITATIONS READS
0 55

1 author:

Hariharasudan A.
Kalasalingam University
16 PUBLICATIONS   31 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Postmodernism View project

Postmodern Narration View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Hariharasudan A. on 17 May 2020.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Journal of Critical Reviews
ISSN-2394-5125 Vol 7, Issue 7, 2020

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN GEORGE BERNARD SHAW’S CANDIDA

1A. Hariharasudan*
Faculty of English, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Anand Nagar, Krishnankoil 626126, Tamil Nadu, India;
dr.a.hariharasudhan@gmail.com
Corresponding Author: dr.a.hariharasudhan@gmail.com

Received: 13.02.2020 Revised: 10.03.2020 Accepted: 08.04.2020

Abstract
The aim of the paper alleges on domestic violence in George Bernard Shaw’s Candida. Domestic violence is the focal concept in literature.
It concerns about violence, especially those who are having problems inside the family. The issue of domestic violence abbreviates on the
problems inside the family. George Bernard Shaw is the vitalized writer. His famous work Candida is about the couple James Morell and
Candida. James is a Christian socialist clergyman, and Candida is very young and housewife. When the character Eugene Marchbanks
enters into their home, and their family is in the state of confusion. So, this paper abbreviates the character Eugene Marchbanks under
the issue of domestic violence. The famous domestic violence theorists are Nicole Westmarland, John Hamel, Tonia Nicholls, Elizabeth
Kandel Englander, Amartya Sen and Martin Bidder. Countable articles are published under the title of domestic violence and analyze
domestic violence theorist’s theory by various authors. The issue of domestic violence in Candida is analyzed by using the theories
related to violence. The incidents are discussed and compared with other studies. Finally, the concept of domestic violence contributes to
the work of Bernard Shaw through the character of Eugene Marchbanks because of his activity in the family of Morell. Eugene creates
many problems in Morell’s family.

Key words: family, domestic violence, domination and problems.

© 2020 by Advance Scientific Research. This is an open-access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.31838/jcr.07.07.86

INTRODUCTION
Domestic violence is the most familiar concept in literature. It
deals with violence in the domestic setting. Firstly, this term
address to the Parliament of the UK by Jack Ashley in 1973.
Domestic violence focuses on violence that projects in family,
especially marriage. According to the depiction of National
Family Health Survey, every woman after the age of 15 has faced
domestic violence. The famous domestic violence theorists are
Nicole Westmarland, John Hamel, Tonia Nicholls, Amartya Sen,
Elizabeth Kandel Englander and Marion Bidder. The renowned
person Max Cordova abbreviates that “The boys had always been
her reason to stay, but now for the first time they were her
reason to leave. She’d allowed violence to become a normal part
of their life” [1].
While coming to English literature, George Bernard Shaw is a
famous writer, and his popular fiction is Candida. In this fiction,
Candida is the protagonist, and her husband name is James
Morell. He is a clergyman. This present study focuses on the
character of Eugene Marchbanks under the issue of domestic
violence because he is a boy who writes love poem for James’s
wife Candida. He knows that Candida is a married woman and
pregnant also. But he creates some troubles in her family. There
is a quarrel between James and Eugene. He makes only problems
in their family, and he too creates a clash between Morell and
Candida also.
There are several studies related to domestic violence; however,
from the studied literature, it is observed that there is no such
research pertaining to the work of Candida focusing the domestic
violence. It motivates the researcher to conduct research in this
field.
The rest of the paper contains four sections. They are literature
review, methodology, discussion and conclusion. The literature
review is important to the researcher to find the gap between the
existing literatures, so section two deals the same. The third
section abbreviates the methodological adoption of theories
concerning Candida. The fourth section deals with the discussion,
which analyses the present study with other researches. The last
section sums up the present study and mentions that domestic
violence projects in Shaw’s Candida.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The literature review is the second section of this paper and
contracts with the articles regarding domestic violence. List of
the articles published under domestic violence. Those articles
have different perceptions and different theories used by various
authors.
The study of Laura Wexler abridges about domestic violence in
Carolyn Kay Steedman's Landscape for a good woman. Laura
declares one incident that a girl stands near the steps. A woman
told that this house is not fit to that girl. Here, the author points
out that the domestic violence is there inside the house by
neighbours or surrounding people. Sometimes, another person
makes trouble inside the family. The author notes that domestic
violence is always there in American fiction, and they define that
domestic violence leads to sentimental activity [2].
The study of Gordian W O Fulde et al. assumes that most of the
violence happens in the Australian community. The authors focus
on Australian community people and how they suffer through
domestic violence, especially the authors point out the role of
alcohol. This is the main cause of domestic violence performed by
men. The authors collect data regarding violence and how many
people having this problem. The authors state that violence
happens in society, and it is a factual idea or fiction. The authors
project violence that occurs through the role of alcohol [3].
The study of Kerrie James points out how women’s violence is
towards men. The author puts the title itself rhetorically. The
author compares both the violence of men and women and how
they suffer. The author explains women’s violence as stress and
exasperation and men’s violence as dominate and control. This
exposure depicts that men come under violence, not women.
They explicit their violence through stress and frustration, only
not like men’s dominates and control power [4].

Journal of critical reviews 492

 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN GEORGE BERNARD SHAW’S CANDIDA
The study of Jacobson et al. states the violence between husband
and wife. The couples may have problems but those problems
project on the wife. She handles the problem by stress and agony
that leads to violence towards her husband. While comparing the
violence of her husband, it is unbeatable and cannot control
because she is powerless and husband dominates her wife.
Sometimes, the wife wants to stop the violence, but she cannot
do anything against her husband. Here, the domestic violence is
inside the house between husband and wife [5].
The study of Bronwen Lichtenstein abbreviates that domestic
violence through HIV infected women. Most of the women
affected by HIV/AIDS that leads to domestic violence. The author
projects violence through HIV infected women in USA. The
author mentions that people treat HIV infected women as weak-
minded and other people suppress their feelings and thoughts.
So, all the HIV infected women gather and give voice against
those people to treat them as normal. In this study, the author
projects domestic violence on HIV infected women [6].
The study of Rachel Jane Lynch states Irish women and culture.
The author mentions the Irish work of Edna O’Brien. Emily is the
protagonist and author takes the character of Emily to discuss
the idea of domestic violence. She marries her lover and leads a
miserable life, but she expects much better. When she becomes
pregnant at that time, she agonises a lot because of her
neighbour, the way treated by her. She also attempts suicide, and
her life seems to be strange because of her neighbour’s activity
[7].
The study of Seetha Menon exhibits domestic violence through
dowry. The author portrays the dowry system in India. Though
the dowry system is prohibited, it is not entirely eradicated in
India. Dowry is the concept that destroys women’s life. The
bridegroom does not know the value or background of the
family, and they get dowry from the bride, especially they
demand gold and household things etc. The author takes a survey
regarding dowry and how many women’s life destroyed, and her
study concludes that the concept of dowry spoils women’s life in
India [8].
The study of Patrick Morris abbreviates that domestic violence
and childhood abuse in three texts of Bronte. Isabella is the
protagonist and helpless woman. She leads her life with
sufferings and agony and no one support and encourages her.
She also commits suicide because of her family members. These
ideas depict the form of domestic violence [9].
Above-reviewed literature represents domestic violence in
various studies by various authors. All the research focuses on
different aspects such as HIV infected women, marriage, dowry
system, etc. There is no such study regarding domestic violence
in Shaw’s Candida. Through the literature review, it is evidenced
that no one conducts research under domestic violence in Shaw’s
work.
METHODOLOGY
The methodology is the third section of this paper, and it deals
with the theoretical adoption of Shaw’s Candida. This part of the
paper also emphasises the incidents regarding domestic violence.
Nicole Westmarland is a popular violence theorist. He reveals
that women use violence against their family, especially towards
their husband and children. Sometimes, they use violence inside
the family. He states that “Women use violence against men,
against children and against other women-within intimate
partnerships, within the family” [10]. Likewise, Shaw’s character
Eugene Marchbanks creates a problem inside the family of
Morell. Candida is the wife of James Morell, and she is pregnant,
but Eugene writes a poem and makes problem in this family. He
writes that “Her shawl, her wings, the wreath of stars on her
head, the lilies in her hand, the crescent moon beneath her feet”
Journal of critical reviews
[11]. Though his poem, he proposes his love for Candida. Then,
Morell gets wrath on Eugene Marchbanks. Here, Eugene creates
the problem in Candida’s family and this is also a kind of
violence.
John Hamel and Tonia Nicholls abbreviate violence that men
treat their family members dominatingly by using violence or
without violence. Men control their family and partners at the
same time they protect their family members also. He states that
“Men can more effectively use physical intimidation as a way to
dominate their partners with or without the use of violence. Men,
who can better protect themselves and gain physical control over
their partner” [12]. Likewise, Eugene wants to protect Candida,
but she is a married woman, and he protects someone’s partner.
Eugene explains to Morell that “She does not ask those silly
questions. It is she who wants somebody to protect, to help, to
work for: somebody to give her children to protect, to help and to
work for (…) Oh, you fool, your fool, you triple fool!” [11].
Another incident, Eugene insists Morell that to encourage and
motivate to grow up here and his duty is to motivate Candida.
Eugene tells that “I desire nothing now but her happiness. Oh,
Morell, let us both give her up” [11]. Here, John’s theory links
with Shaw’s text through the character of Eugene Marchbanks
[12].
Amartya Sen is also known for his theories related to violence. He
eulogises that violence arises into the world with some cruel, and
that creates confusion among people regarding their identities.
Sen abbreviates that “The cultivation of violence sectarian
violence across the world is no less crude (…) there is also a big
conceptual confusion about people’s identities” [13]. Likewise,
Eugene Marchbanks shows violence with love and his love
towards Candida that creates confusion in the role of Eugene and
Morell. Because Candida is a married woman and Eugene tries to
win the love of Candida. That is only Eugene predicts himself as a
fool and makes such funny elements in this family. Eugene tells
that “Only that I have been making of a fool of myself here in
private whilst you have been making a fool of yourself in public”
[11]. Then, Candida says that Eugene is a pretender and coward
and this proves Eugene’s character. Candida tells that “You must.
If you give any explanation but the true one, you are a liar and a
coward” [11]. James Morell reveals the character of Eugene that
he is a foolish boy and a cunning serpent. Morell states that “That
foolish boy can speak with the inspiration of a child and the
cunning of a serpent” [11].
Elizabeth Kandel Englander is a trendy violence theorist. She
explains violence that social class classifies with both pan-
violence and street violence. These two violences are associated
with “Social class may be an important correlate of both pan-
violence and street violence; it is much less strongly associated
with domestic violence” [14]. Domestic violence happens among
the family. Likewise, Eugene tells that “you'll find it in the Bible. I
imagine King David, in his fits of enthusiasm, was very like you.
But his wife despised him in her heart” [11]. Here, Eugene
explains the mindset of Candida as wrongly. This is the issue
created by Eugene in the family.
Acording to Amartya Sen and Hariharasudan and Gnanamony,
“Poverty, violence and the sense of injustice if religion and
community are associated with global violence in the minds of
many people” [13, 15]. Likewise, violence and injustice are there
in the character of Eugene that is why he creates a problem in
Candida’s life. Eugene explains that he meets much violence that
time he cannot do anything, and he cries only. He elucidates that
“I can do nothing but cry with rage when I am met with violence-
because I can't lift a heavy trunk (…)” [11].
From the methodological analysis of Shaw’s Candida, it is
understood that there are many domestic violences in the select
work. Those domestic violences are emphazised and
substantiated by the theories related to domestic violence. Those
493
 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN GEORGE BERNARD SHAW’S CANDIDA
incidents in the select text are connected with violence theories.
The present research bridge the gap between existing literature.
Thus, the adoption of theories related to domestic violence
proves domestic violence in the Candida.
DISCUSSION
Discussion is the fourth section in this paper, and it compares the
present research with other studies. This section deals with the
discussion and illustrates with Shaw’s Candida. Domestic
violence is there in the work of Shaw that is proved by
comparison and explains with some other studies. The following
studies deal with different ideas, and those ideas are elucidate
with domestic violence in Shaw’s Candida.
The study of Laura Wexler abbreviates domestic violence in
Carolyn Kay Steedman's Landscape for a good woman. In this
novel, the author mentions about the violence and how the
protagonist suffers from her neighbour. The neighbour tells that
this house is not fit for this girl, and they create the problems [2].
Likewise, Shaw’s character Eugene creates the problems in
Candida’s family. But Candida treats Eugene as her boy, and he
takes advantages that to write a love poem for Candida. He
makes some troubles between Candida and Morell. Here, Eugene
is not a neighbour, and he is one of the person in Candida’s family
[11].
The study of Gordian W O Fulde et al. assumes that most of the
violence happens in the Australian community. The authors point
out the role of alcohol and how it affects the life and family
members [3]. Likewise, Eugene writes love poems for Candida
that destroys the life of Candida. He tells that Candida is a very
sweet girl and she does not love her husband inside the heart.
Everything creates by Eugene as wrongly. In that study, alcohol
creates a problem in the family and Shaw’s Candida Eugene’s
love poem creates the problems in Candida’s family [11].
The exceeding studies have some bond with Shaw’s work. Some
of the incidents are also portrayed similarly in other studies.
Finally, domestic violence strongly projects in the work of George
Bernard Shaw’s Candida through the discussion and comparison
with Shaw’s work and other studies.
CONCLUSION
This paper spotlights the domestic violence in Shaw’s work. The
concept of violence diverges from text to text. Every text has
different aspects of violence and its impact. Many studies are
conducted under the issue of violence and no one conduct under
the issue of domestic violence in Bernard Shaw’s Candida
through the character of Eugene Marchbanks. Then, the issue of
domestic violence is proved by using of theories related to
violence. Through difference, domestic violences are there in the
work of Bernard Shaw. The limitations of the study are: lots of
articles are there with the issue of violence and countable articles
are there under domestic violence. That is a different task to find
articles regarding domestic violence. The limitation of the study
is restricted with studies existing in the present literature. It
creates difficulties to the author to find out the suitable research
to substantiate the present study. That is a different task to find
articles regarding domestic violence. The study also recommends
for further studies in the areas of Christian beliefs, triangle love,
capitalism, middle-class family life, eternal love between
husband and wife, quest for identity, and so on.
CONflICTS OF INTEREST: The author declares that there is no
conflict of interest.
Journal of critical reviews
View publication stats
REFERENCE
1. Cordova, Max. Everyday Power. 5 January 2020.
<https://everydaypower.com/domestic-violence-quotes/>.
2. Wexler L. Tender Violence: Literary Eavesdropping,
Domestic Fiction and Educational Reform. The Yale J of
Criticism; 2004.
3. Fulde Gordian WO, Cuthbert M, Kelly, R. Violence in Society:
fact or fiction. Emergency Med; 1991.
4. James K. Truth or Fiction: Men as Victims of Domestic
Violence? Australian Family Therapy. Hobart; 1996.
5. Jacobson N, Gottman J, Waltz J, Rushe R, Babcock J,
Holtzworth Munroe A. Affect, Verbal Content,
Psychophysiology in the Arguments of Couples with a
Violent Husband. J of Consult and Clinical Psy; 1994.
6. Lichtenstein B. Domestic violence, sexual ownership and
HIV risk in women in the deep American south. Soci sci and
Med; 2004.
7. Lynch RJ. A Land of Strange, Throttled, Sacrificial Women:
Domestic Violence in the Short Fiction of Edna O'Brien. The
Canadian J of Irish Stds; 2014.
8. Menon, S. The effect of marital endowments on domestic
violence in India. J of Developments Economics; 2019.
9. Morris P. The Depiction of Trauma and its Effect on
Character Development in the Brontë Fiction. Bronte
Studies; 2013.
10. Westmarland N. Violence Against Women: Criminological
Perspectives on Men's Violences. Routledge; 2015.
11. Shaw, GB. Candida. Surjeet Publications; 2016.
12. John H, Tonia N. Family Interventions in Domestic Violence.
Springer Publishing Company; 2007.
13. Sen A. Identity and Violence: The illusion of destiny.
Penguin Random House; 2007.
14. Englander EK. Understanding Violence. Third Edition.
Psychology Press; 2012.
15. Hariharasudan A, Gnanamony R. An Application of Strain
Theory in Aravind Adiga’s Postmodern Indian Fiction: The
White Tiger. Jour of Adv Research in Dynamical and Control
Systems; 2017.
494