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Similes
Act 2
Explanation and Analysis—Divine Sanction:
In the following excerpt from the end of Act 2, Mrs. Warren interacts tenderly with her daughter, though mostly for her own reassurance. She looks to Vivie for confirmation that she was a good mother; then, in a moment of situational irony, she promptly seeks validation from God:
MRS WARREN [fondly] I brought you up well, didn't I, dearie?
VIVIE. You did.
MRS WARREN. And youll be good to your poor old mother for it, won't you?
VIVIE. I will, dear. [Kissing her) Good-night.
MRS WARREN [with unction] Blessings on my own dearie darling! a mother's blessing! [She embraces her daughter protectingly, instinctively looking upward for divine sanction.]
In the above excerpt, Mrs. Warren searches for a "divine sanction" for her daughter, "instinctively looking upward" after embracing Vivie. This wish for a "divine sanction" is ironic, considering Mrs. Warren's career choices and her own ill ease with Christianity. Despite eschewing the rules and regulations of polite society, Mrs. Warren cannot help but search for affirmation from God. She rejects morals and propriety, but she cannot avoid the pull of societal pressure to conform by looking towards religious figures for purpose and approval. In moments of upset or uncertainty, Mrs. Warren turns to what she knows, regardless of whether or not it aligns with her worldview.
Related Themes:
