Early in his career, Shaw came to the conclusion that most people were more or less mentally Incompetent, and that incorrect ways of life were probably the product of their own mental Incompetence, "He believed that If he Inverted an idea, he would most probably come upon a truth. This idea had to be expressed wilh absolute conviction, force and humour. Shaw had grown rich on abusing the ingush people. 'The English liked criticism. 'They were prepared to accept It. It was a desire to test things, even themselves, by experl= ence, But while. the English delighted in self-criticism, behind this trait, probably subconsciously, lay' 3 feeling that such eritielem could not be tru, Shaw had had a very wide influence fon one, and perhaps two, generations young English people, as wide as any except one of two of his con temporaries, "He had attacked roman-clem, with the result that Iiterature Became less emotional, but more analytical, "He had attacked prietically every British institution in ex-fat ence, all with a sense of assertion that sprang from a mind that had the quality. to think everything out afresh for itself. Shaw had thought Out his own diet, his own clothes, and even had his own method for pub-Hishing his books, Dealing with, pects of Shaw's life, Prot. or Evans said that, just as the European War blind a tremendous effect upon every rear imaginative writer, so it had profound effect upon Shaw. After the war, he began to suspect the supreme functioning of reason. He saw before him the possibilliy of becoming a mystic, and about that lime he wrote "St Joan." This released from him a feeling of romance, Interest tu institutions and their power, a belief in something that was Intangible, He had since found himself in troubled waters. "The one person who most detests the way in which Shaw Is moving Is Shaw himself" said Professor Ifor Evans, The Problems of Adjustment In many ways, Shays later plays hud! been a struggle to adjust himself with tis own dilemma, He had felt " profound sense of dissatisfaction in the manner in which England. was adjusting herself to changing conditions. "He had seen in Europe other powers adjusting themselves and forming "new slates. "They were vibrating with life, in spite of. the distrust Which they inspired. "Shaw Fealized that this type of adjustment Was only possible through revolution, and the question he was asking him= self was "Should a section of the people be put to death In order to make thingy right?" He was trying to convince himself that it was right] that they should be put to death.
Professor Evans said that he was convinced that Shaw had a profound senso of kindliness, which was not] wholly detached from a sense of fear. His nature might have Jed him to revolution, {0 murder and the firing squad. "I remember once -esking Shaw whether if a revolver were put his hand he could Kill anybody.
don't think he could" said Prof.
Bvang. if was not eric for a mat to ask other pee would not do sch a thing himself.
Shaw was struggling, He found himself Ina position where he had cither to tend towards mysticism, hold on to a political theory the come miltments of which he could not} bring himself to justify, He was ike man wearing a black shirt and a le—and the red tle was some times partly obscured by a beard. The solution he was now working out was a, personal solution, as he had Jest touch with the main current of thought of the English people,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.