Raina Petkoff and her Cover-up Essay

Bernard Shaws works urinate us doubt principles and specimens, which we accepted without a question. The economic status of the Petkoffs is integrity of wealth, and the feature that they are rich makes us think of a polite and educated family, especially the fresh girl. The young girl should give us a sense of nobility and in fact she does in this story. The young girl in Arms and the Man gives us the impression that she is an ideal daughter, lover and citizen. But is she really? This girl tries to portray this stereotypical nature but proves not to be quite the noble girl she plays. At a certain point she sees herself in a very compromising position and is forced to change.As the play begins and we start pointting to see this girl, Raina Petkoff we start noticing that she is a bit vain. The stage directions go as follows On the balcony a young lady, intensely conscious of the romantic beauty of the night, and of the fact that her deliver youth and beauty are part of it (1 561). This excerpt takes outside(a) nearly of the innocence she portrays in a subtle way. The next fantasy comes when the Swiss enters through the window instead of s slam danceing for alleviate she decides to help him hide. She even lies to the Bulgarian officer who is looking for the Swiss, betraying her own country. Raina and the Swiss get to know each other a little, and with his experience he bunghole see right through her. He instantly discovered the apparent(prenominal) coating over a very rough interior.The mother, Catherine, proves to be the alike(p) when she abandons her patriotism and loyalty and helps the Serb officer to hide and even escape the next morning. Like father, like son they assert. But the biggest surprise comes when the Swiss or Serbian officer or Bluntschli blows Rainas cover. Raina is outraged or pretends to be when Bluntschli throws the truth at her face. He calls her a liar and insists on it. She gets enraged at first, but gives in when she rea lizes shes got no way out. Her reply is I IHow did you find me out? (1591).And here she confesses that the noble mental attitude and the stir voice is just a cover-up. This is Rainas act point. We could say that at this point she went from being a girl to being a woman at this point she matured. Another important fact to my circumstance is the picture of herself she left in the jacket for Bluntschli to find, and the message it contained. My chocolate cream soldier (1603) is the name Raina gives Bluntschli in the dedication of the picture. This title given to Bluntschli suggests some type of affection that at this point is obvious but if the listening had learned of it as it happened chronologically it would be very shocking.After the turning point described above, Raina becomes a more outgoing and sincere person. She describes her own cover-up personality as a noble attitude and thrilling voice (1591) to Bluntschli. Raina also says Bluntschli is the first person that didnt ta ke her bull through personality seriously. She confesses to the point that she mocks the tribe who believe her noble self by saying I did it when I was a child to my nurse. She believed in it. I do it beforehand my parents. They believe in it. I do it before Sergius. He believes in it (1591). That incident of calling her a liar do Raina mature. It was a turning point in the life of this character and in the plot of Arms and the Man.Bernard Shaw uses his comedies to criticize many ideals by annoying them. In the case of Arms and the Man he takes the nobility of a wealthy, respected family and destroys it by mocking many of its aspects. In this essay I analyze how Shaw takes the view of innocence of a young, noble, rich girl and changes it to make it crude reality, he makes the Petkoffs look like common people with very little nobility.Works CitedShaw, George Bernard. Arms and the Man. Literature Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. Ed. Robert DiYanni. fifth Ed. New Yo rk McGraw, 2002. 1561-1604.