Character Mrs. Meldon

Character Mrs. Meldon

CHARACTER

Mrs. Meldon

INTRODUCTION

Mrs. Meldon is a character from a play named Progress written by St. G. Ervine. The play was acted in 1919, just one year after the First World War Mrs. Meldon is aged about forty-three. She is a sensitive looking widow. She was suffering deeply from her memories. She is not a fretful, complaining woman who had suffered bereavement and when in the course of play, she speaks of her loss; she does so with grace and beautiful dignity. Her son was killed in the First World War and her husband died away out of heart failure. Therefore, she was the victim of adverse circumstances. She has a strong sense of tolerance.

A Dignitful Lady

Mrs. Meldon had a character full of dignity and grace. She was a woman who had faced the emotional sufferings of life. A woman having a compassionate, patient, gentle, sensitive and graceful appearance is what Mrs. Meldon looked like. She was dressed in black clothes, partly because she was a widow and mainly because it was the third death anniversary of her son. Her dignity became apparent when she opined about war.

A Bereaved Widow and Mother

Eddie was her only son, killed in First World War. She had brought up her son with a great care and love. She wanted him to be great in future. Her son enlisted himself in war. She could not decide to be happy or sorry but chiefly she was happy. The sight of the messenger made her heart sink and she remained worry about her son. He came on his first and second leaves all safe but he did not come for third visit. He was killed in a moment by the men, who had never seen him. This was the most shocking news. Her husband could not bear it and died away out of heart failure. She remained all-alone in this miserable world.

“I sometimes wonder why I was not granted me of death. Why I should be compelled to live alone.”

The words of the play reflects her loneliness:

“ I had a husband and a son, when the war began, I had neither when it was over. I am the loneliest woman – cruelly alone.”

Her Hatred for War

She hated wars. She considered them as an organized butchery of the young ones. She though wars to be the most terrible thing, which was responsible for the destruction of human peace. She wanted ban on wars. She wanted the scientists to stop making dangerous weapons. This was the war, which made her widow and which snatched away her beautiful young son. She said:

“Yes, people with broad views, because you are fools. Someone like me, not clever, create beautiful things like my son, and you, will all your cleverness can only destroy it.”

A Brave Woman

Mrs. Meldon was a brave woman. In spite of losing all what she had, she bore the tragedy patiently. She always suffered from old memories, but never showed her bereavement. She behaved as a calm and uncomplaining person.

A Friend of Humanity

On knowing that her brother had invented a dreadful bomb, she became deeply grief. She opposed her brother and called him The Most Stupid Man on Earth. She cared for all the mothers as she had seen the fury of life. She wanted that other boys like Eddie must not fell prey to horrors of devastating wars. Mrs. Meldon, as a symbol of peace for all, did not rejoice at the wicked achievement of her brother. She perfectly reflected her friendship towards humanity.

War Antagonist

Mrs. Meldon was a true well-wisher of human beings. She was totally against war because she thought that war was an organized butchery of young people. She said that:

“War is an organized butchery of Boys.”

The woman wanted complete abolition of war. She dreamed that peace, love, care and harmony should prevail in the world and the earth should depict the shades of Heaven.

A Passionate Woman

Mrs. Meldon was an enthusiastic person. She became extremely emotional when her brother denied destroying his invention. When Professor told his motives to her, her limit of patience and endurance got crossed.

“It will bring me fame and fortune. I shall be rich now, but more than that I shall be famous.”

She grew extremely emotional and impulsive and in the interest of humanity. She took the matter into her own hands. To save the human race from the deadly invention, she picked a knife and stabed her cruel brother to death.

CONCLUSION

She was shocked to know that her brother had invented a bomb, which would destroy the whole nation within twinkling of any eye. She requested him that for the sake of young sons and for the sake of peace, he must destroy his invention. Her brother did not realize the intensity of her emotions and refused to destroy it for the sake of mere sentiments. Therefore, she killed him won the sympathies of the readers

LihatTutupKomentar