Essay Questions

Why does Barbara choose to marry Adolphus even after he accepts Undershaft's inheritance of war?

Barbara tells Adolphus that if he would have declined her father's offer she would have left him and married the man who he appointed to take over. The reason being that she has set her sights on the human souls of the factory that she believes her father has corrupted into believing his ways are right. Her desire is to convert their souls rather than the weak souls starved in bodies from the Salvation Army.

How did Andrew Undershaft come to inherit the great Undershaft fortune?

The Undershaft factory which produces weapons of war was created generations prior to Undershaft being given the keys. The tradition of the family is to give the inheritance to a foundling and teach him in the ways of making weapons and this tradition is to be carried on from generation to generation. Andrew was chosen, as he was a foundling, to take the reigns of the company.

Why does Barbara quit the Salvation Army?

Barbara leaves the Salvation Army where she was a Major in rank. The reason being that the organization accepted her father's money even though they were unwilling to accept the shilling Bill offered. The hypocrisy of this is that the sin of the wealthy is overlooked as their money allows the Salvation to carry on while the poor man has not enough to make a dent in a day's spending. By accepting Undershaft's money Bill's soul is lost when it could have been saved by rejecting his money as it is the result of making weapons that kill men day in and day out and perpetrate war.