Examine how G. B. Shaw redefines the "New Woman" in Candida

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Introduction

In Candida, George Bernard Shaw reinterprets the late-Victorian concept of the “New Woman”—a woman who seeks independence, moral agency, and equality. Shaw challenges traditional expectations that women should be passive, submissive, and confined to domestic roles, and he presents Candida as intelligent, morally strong, and decisive.

1. Shaw’s challenge to Victorian ideas of Love

Shaw rejects the sentimental, male-dominated model of love common in Victorian fiction. In the play, love is not possession or domination; instead, it is based on mutual respect and emotional honesty. Candida herself is calm, perceptive, and emotionally mature—she understands both Reverend Morell and the young poet Marchbanks and responds to each with clarity rather than hysteria. Thus Shaw makes love an ethical, rational bond rather than mere sentiment.

2. Redefining Marriage

Shaw subverts the Victorian norm that the husband is head of the household. Candida manages domestic affairs, provides emotional stability, and often guides Morell’s moral choices. In the famous auction-like scene where Candida must choose, she demonstrates agency and wisdom: she chooses the man who actually needs her—thus reversing the trope that a woman 'needs' a man for protection. Marriage becomes a partnership of equals founded on practical understanding rather than legal or social hierarchy.

3. Reworking Gender Roles

Victorian gender roles placed women in a dependent, ornamental position. Shaw undermines this by making Candida the intellectual and moral center of the household. She is decisive, witty, and commanding when necessary. By showing that both Morell (the preacher) and Marchbanks (the idealist poet) rely on Candida’s judgment, Shaw suggests that the New Woman is capable of superior moral reasoning and should be recognized as an equal partner in public and private life.

Conclusion

Through Candida, Shaw presents a new model of womanhood: independent, reasoned, and morally authoritative. He critiques Victorian conventions about love, marriage, and gender, arguing for a modern, egalitarian relationship between sexes. Candida therefore stands as Shaw’s celebration of the liberated, self-determining New Woman.