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"I am not a teacher: only a fellow-traveller of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead - ahead of myself as well as you."

- George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

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George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) was an Irish comic, dramatist, literary critic, and socialist.

Early Life

He was born on 26 July 1856 in Dublin, Ireland. He was the third and youngest child of George Carr Shaw and Lucinda Elizabeth Gurly Shaw.

He grew up in an atmosphere of "genteel" poverty, which was more humiliating than being poor.

His uncle, a cleric, first tutored him, and then he rejected the schools he attended. By the age of 16, he was working in an estate agent's office.

Under his mother's influence, Shaw developed a broad knowledge of music and literature.

In 1872, his mother left her husband and took her two daughters to London.

Career

In 1876, Shaw decided to become a writer. He joined his mother and elder sister (the younger one having died) in London.

In his 20s, Shaw suffered continuous frustration and poverty. He depended on his mother's income.

He spent afternoons in the British Museum, reading what he had missed at school. He wrote novels and attended evening self-education lectures and debates.

Publishers rejected his semi-autobiography and first four novels.

Eventually, in 1885, Shaw found work as a journalist. He wrote art and book reviews and musical columns.

Works

He's best known for his plays. They often feature sharp wit, social commentary and observation of human nature.

Shaw was one of the most prolific playwrights of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He remains highly regarded in the literary world.

Some of his most famous works include:

• Pygmalion, a play that inspired the musical My Fair Lady, and
• Saint Joan, a dramatisation of Joan of Arc's life.

His other notable plays include:

• Man and Superman,
• Mrs. Warren's Profession and
• Major Barbara.

Shaw's plays often challenged society's norms and conventions. They addressed topics such as:

• Class distinctions,
• Gender roles, and the
• Hypocrisy of the British upper class.

He was also a prominent public figure and advocate for social causes. He was a staunch socialist and a member of the Fabian Society. The Fabian Society sought to advance socialist principles through reform rather than revolution.

Shaw's political views are evident in his works. They often criticised capitalism, imperialism and war.

Shaw was also a prolific essayist and critic. He wrote about a wide range of topics, including literature, music, art, and politics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. Its stimulating satire is often infused with a singular poetic beauty.

Legacy

Shaw's legacy endures through his plays and essays. They influenced later generations of writers and intellectuals. His wit, insight and commitment to social justice inspire readers and thinkers worldwide.

He died on 2 November 1950 in Ayot St Lawrence, Hertfordshire, England.