How He Lied to Her Husband.docx

How He Lied to Her Husband.docx

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HowHeLiedtoHerHusband

HowHeLiedtoHerHusbandbyGeorgeBernardShawPREFACELikemanyotherworksofmine,thisplayletisapieced'occasion.In1905ithappenedthatMrArnoldDaly,whowasthenplayingthepartofNapoleoninTheManofDestinyinNewYork,foundthatwhilsttheplaywastoolongtotakeasecondaryplaceintheevening'sperformance,itwastooshorttosufficebyitself.IthereforetookadvantageoffourdayscontinuousrainduringaholidayinthenorthofScotlandtowriteHowHeLiedToHerHusbandforMrDaly.Inhishands,itserveditsturnveryeffectively.

Iprintithereasasampleofwhatcanbedonewitheventhemosthackneyedstageframeworkbyfillingitinwithanobservedtouchofactualhumanityinsteadofwithdoctrinaireromanticism.

Nothinginthetheatreisstalerthanthesituationofhusband,wifeandlover,orthefunofknockaboutfarce.Ihavetakenboth,andgotanoriginalplayoutofthem,asanybodyelsecanifonlyhewilllookabouthimforhismaterialinsteadofplagiarizingOthelloandthethousandplaysthathaveproceededonOthello'sromanticassumptionsandfalsepointofhonor.

AfurtherexperimentmadebyMrArnoldDalywiththisplayisworthrecording.In1905MrDalyproducedMrsWarren'sProfessioninNewYork.ThepressofthatcityinstantlyraisedacrythatsuchpersonsasMrsWarrenare"ordure,"andshouldnotbementionedinthepresenceofdecentpeople.ThishideousrepudiationofhumanityandsocialconsciencesotookpossessionoftheNewYorkjournaliststhatthefewamongthemwhokepttheirfeetmorallyandintellectuallycoulddonothingtochecktheepidemicoffoullanguage,grosssuggestion,andravingobscenityofwordandthoughtthatbrokeout.Thewritersabandonedallself-restraintundertheimpressionthattheywereupholdingvirtueinsteadofoutragingit.Theyinfectedeachotherwiththeirhysteriauntiltheywereforallpracticalpurposesindecentlymad.TheyfinallyforcedthepolicetoarrestMrDalyandhiscompany,andledthemagistratetoexpresshisloathingofthedutythusforceduponhimofreadinganunmentionableandabominableplay.Ofcoursetheconvulsionsoonexhausteditself.Themagistrate,naturallysomewhatimpatientwhenhefoundthatwhathehadtoreadwasastrenuouslyethicalplayformingpartofabookwhichhadbeenincirculationunchallengedforeightyears,andhadbeenreceivedwithoutprotestbythewholeLondonandNewYorkpress,gavethejournalistsapieceofhismindastotheirmoraltasteinplays.

Byconsent,hepassedthecaseontoahighercourt,whichdeclaredthattheplaywasnotimmoral;acquittedMrDaly;andmadeanendoftheattempttousethelawtodeclarelivingwomentobe"ordure,"andthusenforcesilenceastothefar-reachingfactthatyoucannotcheapenwomeninthemarketforindustrialpurposeswithoutcheapeningthemforotherpurposesaswell.IhopeMrsWarren'sProfessionwillbeplayedeverywhere,inseasonandoutofseason,untilMrsWarrenhasbittenthatfactintothepublicconscience,andshamedthenewspaperswhichsupportatarifftokeepupthepriceofeveryAmericancommodityexceptAmericanmanhoodandwomanhood.

Unfortunately,MrDalyhadalreadysufferedtheusualfateofthosewhodirectpublicattentiontotheprofitsofthesweaterorthepleasuresofthevoluptuary.Hewasmorallylynchedsidebysidewithme.Monthselapsedbeforethedecisionofthecourtsvindicatedhim;andeventhen,sincehisvindicationimpliedthecondemnationofthepress,whichwasbythattimesoberagain,andashamedofitsorgy,histriumphreceivedarathersulkyandgrudgingpublicity.InthemeantimehehadhardlybeenabletoapproachanAmericancity,includingeventhosecitieswhichhadheapedapplauseonhimasthedefenderofhearthandhomewhenheproducedCandida,withouthavingtofacearticlesdiscussingwhethermotherscouldallowtheirdaughterstoattendsuchplaysasYouNeverCanTell,writtenbytheinfamousauthorofMrsWarren'sProfession,andactedbythemonsterwhoproducedit.

Whatmadethishardertobearwasthatthoughnofactisbetterestablishedintheatricalbusinessthanthefinancialdisastrousnessofmoraldiscredit,thejournalistswhohaddoneallthemischiefkeptpayingvicethehomageofassumingthatitisenormouslypopularandlucrative,andthatIandMrDaly,beingexploitersofvice,mustthereforebemakingcolossalfortunesoutoftheabuseheapedonus,andhadinfactprovokeditandwelcomeditwiththatexpressobject.Ignoranceofreallifecouldhardlygofurther.

OneconsequencewasthatMrDalycouldnothavekepthisfinancialengagementsormaintainedhisholdonthepublichadhenotacceptedengagementstoappearforaseasoninthevaudevilletheatres[theAmericanequivalentofourmusichalls],whereheplayedHowHeLiedtoHerHusbandcomparativelyunhamperedbythepresscensorshipofthetheatre,orbythatsophisticationoftheaudiencethroughpresssuggestionfromwhichIsuffermore,perhaps,thananyotherauthor.Vaudevilleauthorsarefortunatelyunknown:

theaudiencesseewhattheplaycontainsandwhattheactorcando,notwhatthepapershavetoldthemtoexpect.SuccessundersuchcircumstanceshadavaluebothforMrDalyandmyselfwhichdidsomethingtoconsoleusfortheveryunsavorymobbingwhichtheNewYorkpressorganizedforus,andwhichwasnotthelessdisgustingbecausewesufferedinagoodcauseandintheverybestcompany.

MrDaly,havingweatheredthestorm,canperhapsshakehissoulfreeofitasheheadsforfreshsuccesseswithyoungerauthors.

ButIhavecertainsensitiveplacesinmysoul:

Idonotlikethatword"ordure."Applyittomywork,andIcanaffordtosmile,sincetheworld,onthewhole,willsmilewithme.Buttoapplyittothewomaninthestreet,whosespiritisofonesubstancewithourownandherbodynolessholy:

tolookyourwomenfolkinthefaceafterwardsandnotgooutandhangyourself:

thatisnotonthelistofpardonablesins.

POSTSCRIPT.SincetheabovewaswrittennewshasarrivedfromAmericathataleadingNewYorknewspaper,whichwasamongthemostabusivelyclamorousforthesuppressionofMrsWarren'sProfession,hasjustbeenfinedheavilyforderivingpartofitsrevenuefromadvertisementsofMrsWarren'shouses.

Manypeoplehavebeenpuzzledbythefactthatwhilststageentertainmentswhicharefranklymeanttoactonthespectatorsasaphrodisiacs,areeverywheretolerated,playswhichhaveanalmosthorrifyinglycontraryeffectarefiercelyattackedbypersonsandpapersnotoriouslyindifferenttopublicmoralsonallotheroccasions.Theexplanationisverysimple.TheprofitsofMrsWarren'sprofessionaresharednotonlybyMrsWarrenandSirGeorgeCrofts,butbythelandlordsoftheirhouses,thenewspaperswhichadvertizethem,therestaurantswhichcaterforthem,and,inshort,allthetradestowhichtheyaregoodcustomers,nottomentionthepublicofficialsandrepresentativeswhomtheysilencebycomplicity,corruption,orblackmail.Addtothesetheemployerswhoprofitbycheapfemalelabor,andtheshareholderswhosedividendsdependonit[youfindsuchpeopleeverywhere,evenonthejudicialbenchandinthehighestplacesinChurchandState],andyougetalargeandpowerfulclasswithastrongpecuniaryincentivetoprotectMrsWarren'sprofession,andacorrespondinglystrongincentivetoconceal,fromtheirownconsciencesnolessthanfromtheworld,therealsourcesoftheirgain.Thesearethepeoplewhodeclarethatitisfeminineviceandnotpovertythatdriveswomentothestreets,asifviciouswomenwithindependentincomeseverwentthere.Thesearethepeoplewho,indulgentorindifferenttoaphrodisiacplays,raisethemoralhueandcryagainstperformancesofMrsWarren'sProfession,anddragactressestothepolicecourttobeinsulted,bullied,andthreatenedforfulfillingtheirengagements.ForpleaseobservethatthejudicialdecisioninNewYorkStateinfavoroftheplaydoesnotendthematter.InKansasCity,forinstance,themunicipality,findingitselfrestrainedbythecourtsfrompreventingtheperformance,fellbackonalocalbye-lawagainstindecencytoevadetheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates.TheysummonedtheactresswhoimpersonatedMrsWarrentothepolicecourt,andofferedherandhercolleaguesthealternativeofleavingthecityorbeingprosecutedunderthisbye-law.

NownothingismorepossiblethanthatthecitycouncillorswhosuddenlydisplayedsuchconcernforthemoralsofthetheatrewereeitherMrsWarren'slandlords,oremployersofwomenatstarvationwages,orrestaurantkeepers,ornewspaperproprietors,orinsomeothermoreorlessdirectwaysharersoftheprofitsofhertrade.Nodoubtitisequallypossiblethattheyweresimplystupidmenwhothoughtthatindecencyconsists,notinevil,butinmentioningit.Ihave,however,beenmyselfamemberofamunicipalcouncil,andhavenotfoundmunicipalcouncillorsquitesosimpleandinexperiencedasthis.AtalleventsIdonotproposetogivetheKansascouncillorsthebenefitofthedoubt.Ithereforeadvisethepublicatlarge,whichwillfinallydecidethematter,tokeepavigilanteyeongentlemenwhowillstandanythingatthetheatreexceptaperformanceofMrsWarren'sProfession,andwhoassertinthesamebreaththat[a]theplayistooloathsometobebearablebycivilizedpeople,and[b]thatunlessitsperformanceisprohibitedthewholetownwillthrongtoseeit.Theymaybemerelyexcitedandfoolish;butIamboundtowarnthepublicthatitisequallylikelythattheymaybecollectedandknavish.

Atallevents,toprohibittheplayistoprotecttheevilwhichtheplayexposes;andinviewofthatfact,Iseenoreasonforassumin