Discuss You Never Can Tell as a Drama of Ideas. 

Answer

Discuss You Never Can Tell as a drama of ideas. 

“Drama of Ideas” is a drama in which the clash of ideas and hostile ideologies expresses the most acute problems of social and personal morality. To put it differently, “Drama of Ideas” is a different type of drama that discusses creating ideas. The pioneer of “Drama of Ideas” is George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950). You Never Can Tell (1898) is a drama of ideas because it reflects social problems and personal morality.

Definition: “Drama of Ideas” is a type of drama that presents specific ideas or theories in dramatic form. It is another name for social criticism or a real sense of the development of modern society.

“You Never Can Tell” As a Drama of Ideas: Every literary work has some features, and “You Never Can Tell” is no exception. This drama has some unique features of “Drama of Ideas,” illustrated here.

Focusing on Conjugal Problems: “You Never Can Tell” is a drama of ideas. In this drama, Shaw expresses conjugal problems. We know that Conjugal life depends on mutual understanding. In the play, Mr. Crampton and Mrs. Clandon’s marital life lacks mutual understanding, so their conjugal life creates a big problem, and they become judicially separated. 

We don’t bother much about dress and manners in England, because as a nation we don’t dress well and we’ve no manners.

So it proves that ‘You Never Can Tell’ is a drama of ideas.

Dilemma in Relationship: G.B. Shaw is a genius dramatist in the Victorian period. In his drama, he reveals dilemmas in relationships through the characters of Valentine and Gloria. When Gloria learns that Valentine has already proposed to several women, she asks him directly, and Valentine, without hesitation, confesses that he has already proposed to several women. But it is the natural instinct of a man to propose to women to find true partners. 

Now, he has his perfect match, and that’s why he does not anymore to anyone. But Gloria is not convinced. But Valentine also tells her that when he saw Gloria, he felt oxygen was running in his blood. Gloria also admits that she also felt so.

Satire on Conventional Love and Marriage: Shaw satirizes conventional love and marriage. In the play, Shaw’s mouthpiece is the waiter, Walter Boon. He delivers the message of the drama – young men and women at the point of marrying regard marriage as a source of dread. Still, marriages are not as unhappy and uncomfortable as they think. Marriages create a paradise on earth by producing happiness and comfort for both the husband and the wife. Walter Boon says: 

Well, sir, you never can tell. That’s a principle in life with me, sir, if you’ll excuse my having such a thing.

Realistic Love of Valentine: Valentine tells Gloria that his love is not conventional. He does not kneel in front of her. She doesn’t worship and adore her like a romantic lover. Instead, he hugs her tightly and kisses her lips. Here, he applies his new method to overcome new women’s resistance. His work is more direct and realistic, so he easily wins Gloria’s heart.

Representation of Byronic hero: Valentine is a Byronic hero in the play. A Byronic Hero has some features, like tall, handsome, educated, adventurous, and a womanizer. These features are represented in the character of Valentine. He is anti-romantic in his attitude to love and far from being sentimental. But he feels that he is a device of the life force in fulfilling its highest purpose. He proposes to many women before seeing Gloria.

Morality: Every literary work bears morality for humans, and ‘You Never Can Tell’ is no exception. The play’s morality is that everyone can never tell what will happen in the future.  Man needs a family, and marital life needs mutual understanding. Walter Buhon says:

It’s unwise to be born; it’s unwise to be married; it’s unwise to live; and it’s unwise to die.

In conclusion, we can assert that this drama is properly a drama of ideas because it contains all the features of the drama of ideas, and here, Shaw produces his realistic view of love and marriage.