Major Barbara Morality Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Act.Line)

Quote #4

STEPHEN [coldly--almost sullenly]: You speak as if there were half a dozen moralities and religions to choose from, instead of one true morality and one true religion.
UNDERSHAFT: For me there is only one true morality; but it might not fit you, as you do not manufacture aerial battleships. There is only one true morality for every man; but every man has not the same true morality. (1.214-215)

When Stephen presses Undershaft on his moral relativism, Undershaft rejects the notion that you can just randomly pick a religion or moral system; rather, your life circumstances define your moral compass/religious path. Do you agree?

Quote #5

It's quite simple. As Euripides says, one man's meat is another man's poison morally as well as physically. (1.217)

When Charles Lomax is completely baffled by Andrew's answer about individual moralities and religions, this is how Dolly tries to explain it. Basically, he's saying that different things nourish different people (spiritually, that is); different strokes for different folks.

Quote #6

It would be most unnatural and improper of you to leave it to anyone else, Andrew. Do you suppose this wicked and immoral tradition can be kept up for ever? Do you pretend that Stephen could not carry on the foundry just as well as all the other sons of the big business houses? (3.70)

Lady B's big problem with Andrew is not really his line of work—when she talks about the immorality that broke them up, she really means Andrew's decision to leave the business to a foundling, as his family's traditions dictate, instead of to their son, Stephen.