Summary
The play opens with the dignified British bachelor Roebuck Ramsden in his study, which is decorated with busts and photographs of famous figures like George Eliot and Herbert Spencer. In stage directions, the author chats about Ramsden’s looks—he’s bald and dressed luxuriously, but still in his slippers. Ramsden, we learn, fancies himself a reformer. He likes to know about new ideas, and he embraced Darwin’s theory of evolution when it first emerged. Bernard Shaw tells us decisively that he was born in 1839. A maid enters and passes Ramsden a note, announcing a guest. Ramsden instructs the maid to retrieve this guest, whose name is Octavius Robinson. We’re informed that he’s extraordinarily handsome, but morose. Ramsden and Robinson’s conversation soon clues us in to the fact that someone close to both of them has just died. The deceased man, the audience learns from the conversation between these two characters, was a father figure to Octavius (whose own father is dead) and an old friend of Ramsden’s. Ramsden tells Octavius that the dead man once privately expressed gratitude that Octavius was not his actual son—because he hoped that Octavius would one day marry his daughter, Ann. However, Ramsden says, Octavius has a single serious drawback that would make him unsuitable for Annie. He gestures to a book called The Revolutionist's Handbook and Pocket Companion, written by “John Tanner, M.I.R.C., Member of the Idle Rich Class.” It turns out that this John Tanner, also known as Jack, is a school friend of Octavius's.
Ramsden finds the book and its author abhorrent, and tells Octavius that he would disapprove of a marriage between Octavius and Ann, since Ann might have to interact with John. John used to be a regular guest at Annie’s home, but, Ramsden says, he’s now too old for his ideas to be acceptable. Besides, it seems likely that Ann’s dead father has appointed him, Ramsden, Ann’s new guardian. Therefore, Ramsden urges Octavius to cut off contact with his old friend. Octavius points out that Ann’s own father had no problem with Jack, and that Ann, out of respect for her father, will likely continue to be friendly towards the writer. Ramsden objects that Ann feels her duty to her parents too keenly, and that Jack’s ideas are far too radical, consisting of “anarchism and free love.” At that moment the maid announces John Tanner’s arrival, to Ramsden’s shock and dismay. The maid reports that he’s accompanied by Ann and Ann’s mother, Mrs. Whitefield. Bernard Shaw’s stage directions describe Tanner, as he enters the room, as a charismatic, energetic, almost mad-looking young man—almost the opposite of Ramsden’s dignified aging calm. He seems to be in a panic as he shows Ramsden a piece of paper. The paper, Tanner explains, is Mr. Whitefield’s will—and it appoints Ann not one but two legal guardians, Tanner and Ramsden himself. Ramsden is stricken to hear that he must share this responsibility with Tanner. Tanner, in turn, is distraught at the idea of sharing his duty with Ramsden, whom he considers old and full of useless old ideas. Tanner is also simply upset about being Ann’s guardian—he believes that Ann is manipulative, and compares her to a boa constrictor. Octavius, who admits to being in love with Ann, objects to Tanner’s characterization of her, just as he objected to Ramsden’s characterization of Tanner. Their argument escalates, with Tanner and Ramsden each insulting the other's ideas, until they agree to consult Ann herself.
While Octavius fetches Ann, Tanner expounds on a personal theory regarding Ramsden’s dislike of him. He argues that the idea of respectability is basically akin to shame: therefore, Ramsden hates Tanner because Tanner does not feel enough shame. Octavius returns with Ann and her mother, Mrs. Whitefield. The stage directions tell us that Octavius truly loves Ann. Ann is pretty but not extraordinary-looking: what makes her appeal to men is her “vitality” and her air of total self-control and self-possession. Mrs. Whitefield is small and somewhat whiny, though Octavius treats her kindly. Tanner and Ramsden ask Ann and her mother who they would prefer as a guardian (it appears that Ann has a sister, Rhoda, who is referenced in passing several times). Ann’s mother declines to decide. A minor side conversation reveals that Ann calls Ramsden “Granny,” which is short for grandfather, though he is not her biological grandparent. Ann announces that she will obey her father’s judgment and have both men as her guardians, but Ramsden objects, on the basis that, had Annie’s father read Tanner’s book, he might not have considered him a fit guardian. Ann shows interest in reading the book herself, and Tanner makes to hand her a copy. However, Ramsden forbids her to read it. Eventually, it becomes clear that Ann will not choose one guardian over another, and that her father’s wishes will be carried out. She is happy and refers to Octavius by an affectionate nickname, prompting her mother's disapproval and a brief discussion of nicknames, during which she tells Tanner that she will call him “Don Juan.” Mrs. Whitefield reminds her daughter that they are in a period of mourning, prompting renewed, somewhat dramatic sadness from Ann. She and her mother leave accompanied by Ramsden.
Tanner and Octavius are left together. Tanner begins to lecture his friend about the dangers of womankind, telling him that a true artist—of the kind Octavius wants to be—must live solely for his art and without the distractions of women. In fact, he says, artistic men should prey on women, studying them as artistic material while rejecting love and marriage. Furthermore, Tanner explains, women only want to use men, and keep them from achieving their potential. Octavius protests, and Ramsden and Ann return. Ramsden and Ann are somber when they enter, and tell Octavius that they have terrible news concerning his sister Violet. Octavius worries that she is dead, but Ramsden says that the news is even worse—it seems, though he won’t say it directly, as if Violet has become pregnant out of wedlock. Nobody knows who the father is, or whether she’s married him, though she has been sighted with a ring on her finger. Ann believes that Violet must be taken far away as soon as possible. Tanner is angry about these responses. Pregnancy, he says, is not worse than death. Rather, it’s a joyful occasion, since Ann is fulfilling her true purpose as a woman: reproduction. Ramsden reveals that Violet is in his house at that moment, having sought help, which prompts a fresh round of arguments. Ramsden wants to help Violet but believes that this is best achieved by making sure she marries the baby’s father. Tanner also wants to help, but sees no reason why Violet should marry the man who impregnated her. Both Tanner and Ramsden imply that the other is in fact the baby’s father, and then each one, in turn, debunks the accusation, growing steadily more furious. Ann worries out loud that Violet won’t consent to wait out her pregnancy abroad. Octavius, who wishes to help his sister but is unsure how to do so, is so distressed that he walks out. Ann then reminds Ramsden that he, too, should go tell Mrs. Whitefield about the agreement they’ve come to concerning Whitefield’s will.
This leaves Ann and Tanner together. Ann begs Tanner to be friendlier to her, and Tanner reiterates that he dislikes Ann and believes her to be manipulative and dangerous. Ann responds that they have known each other since childhood, which seems to trigger an upsetting memory for Tanner. They seem to have different memories of their childhood friendship. Tanner recalls acting badly and telling Ann about it in confidence, which she betrayed. Ann remembers these confidences less seriously, and doesn’t seem to regret sharing them with others. They even disagree about each others’ motives. Tanner accuses Ann of pressuring him to kiss girls and display bravado, and says that Ann never told him any secrets of her own. Ann responds that she was simply never given a chance to talk, and that she had no intention of encouraging any misbehavior from her friend. Tanner insists that, as he grew, he developed a “moral passion” while others simply began to fall in love. Ann argues that all passions are inherently moral, but commends Tanner’s growth, since, she says, he was a destructive child. Tanner replies that he has become more destructive, using his advanced moral sense to destroy obsolete ideas, but Ann disinterestedly says that she is simply too feminine to see the good in any kind of destruction. The conversation turns to the attraction between Ann and Tanner. Tanner assures Ann that, though he once loved her and remains attracted to her, he now is too grown-up to love her, and in fact views her as a dangerous “boa constrictor.” Ann flirtatiously wraps her boa around his neck, and hints that she is not as attached to Octavius as she appears. After more flirtation mixed with scolding, Tanner rings the bell to call Ramsden back.
Ramsden, Miss Ramsden, and Octavius reappear. Miss Ramsden has decided not to help Violet, since she seems unrepentant about her pregnancy. In fact, a cab has been called to take her away. While the others discuss Violet’s case, Violet herself arrives. Shaw compares her to Ann in his stage directions: she is pretty but without affectation, and comes across as stern rather than fun. She scolds the others for their cruelty to her. Jack announces that he sympathizes with Violet, but Violet has no patience for Jack’s radical notions and does not wish to be identified with them. In fact, she announces, she is a married woman, with reasons of her own for not revealing her husband’s identity. The others beg for her forgiveness, but Violet does not bend, and leaves the house.
Analysis
While a typical play might consist primarily of dialogue, sprinkled with stage directions in order to provide external information, Man and Superman feels almost novelistic because of its detailed stage directions. These stage directions provide plenty of information that a director might use when putting on a production of Man and Superman, but they also provide backstory that no director could incorporate explicitly into the play—such as the year of Ramsden’s birth. These directions create the impression of a bond between the playwright/narrator and the reader, who may well be a director or actor involved in putting on the play. Their tone is light and gossipy, so that, while the characters themselves act increasingly cartoonish and exaggerated, the narrator is humanized and nuanced. Among other things, this narrator offers respite to a reader feeling overwhelmed by the intense, often absurd conflict among the characters (since this play is meant, of course, to be performed, audiences without access to a script must seek that respite elsewhere—possibly by sharing laughter with other members of the audience).
This first act introduces a series of philosophical and political oppositions embodied by various characters. If Ramsden represents the old guard of the British elite, Tanner is a strange, new class of intellectual. Beyond his progressive politics, he subscribes to some unusual ideas about the roles of men and women. He believes that it is in the nature of women to pursue men for their own interests and to oppress their husbands, and he simultaneously thinks that male artists should use women as muses without becoming close to them. As the play continues, we will see that Tanner believes in many of the philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche. Among these is the belief in a "Life Force," which is necessary for the continued improvement of mankind and the eventual formation of a "superman," an ideal, fully-realized person. Since Tanner thinks that women have the potential to drain the life-force, he's opposed to romance for both himself and his friend Octavius.
Ramsden is obsessed with respectability, even while he fancies himself an intellectual maverick. His sister, Miss Ramsden, is so attached to her principles that she declines to help someone in need. Octavius is reasonably sympathetic, but cannot pick a side in any conflict. He is also easily flustered, not to mention in love with a woman who flirts with his friend. Ann, meanwhile, has a refreshing ability to speak with honesty, but only when she chooses to—otherwise, she puts on an exaggerated performance of childlike femininity in order to get sympathy. And Ann’s mother, Mrs. Whitefield, cannot make decisions on her own, and is intensely unmemorable.
Tanner, meanwhile, presents a host of paradoxes. On the one hand, his charisma and fearlessness make him difficult to dismiss, and at times he speaks with great resonance. For instance, he argues that “respectability” is merely another word for shame, and that shame has great currency among Britain’s elites. Certainly, this assertion seems prescient when Violet’s pregnancy is announced. Most characters want her to hide in a foreign country in order to disguise the pregnancy, which seems certainly to stem from the idea that she should be ashamed of her actions. On the other hand, while Tanner has strong opinions about politics, he follows those principles so far that he often neglects to actually care for others.
This is visible at first in his speech to Octavius about women: he essentially rejects women on the basis that they use men for their own ends, then insists that male artists should use women entirely for their own ends. It becomes more visible in his treatment of Violet. Tanner is so devoted to his own ideas about gender that he is unable to consider what Violet herself might want—which is to say, to simply be listened to and respected. Through the lens of gender politics, Tanner becomes particularly confusing. He advocates certain ideas that seem to benefit women, including the belief that pregnancy out of wedlock is not a moral failing. But at other times he expresses chauvinistic and misogynistic views. In fact, even his defense of Violet has bizarre resonances: he claims that women should be respected even if they have a child out of wedlock, but reasons that this is because they are fulfilling their ultimate duty to reproduce. He compares Ann to a boa constrictor, a metaphor with misogynistic undertones—and yet Ann is indeed trickier than she lets on, lending some credence to the metaphor. In short, while Tanner is both infuriating and mesmerizing to his fellow characters, he is equally slippery and fascinating to modern audiences and readers.
