Summary
Act I
The play begins on a summer afternoon in the garden of Hindhead View, a cottage situated in southern Surrey, England. Vivie Warren, a twenty-two-year-old, lies in a hammock, reading and taking notes. Her activities are interrupted by Mr. Praed, a middle-aged man who is a friend of her mother. During their initial conversation, Vivie expresses her disdain for traditional roles assigned to women. Praed admires her nonconformity until she confesses her lack of interest in romance and beauty, which clashes with his strong aesthetic values. When Vivie inquires if he thinks she will get along with her mother, whom she barely knows, Praed suggests that Mrs. Warren might be disappointed by Vivie’s unconventional nature. Vivie admits she knows little about her mother's life, making Praed visibly uncomfortable as he struggles to describe her. Vivie grows suspicious of her mother, noting Praed’s discomfort.
Mrs. Warren arrives with Sir George Crofts. As Vivie goes inside to prepare tea, Praed advises Mrs. Warren to ‘‘treat her with every respect,’’ noting that Vivie is a grown woman and probably ‘‘older’’ in maturity than the rest of them. Mrs. Warren dismisses this idea and enters the cottage to assist Vivie. Meanwhile, in the garden, Crofts asks Praed if Mrs. Warren has ever disclosed Vivie's father's identity to him. Praed admits ignorance on the matter and insists it should not concern them, emphasizing that they should ‘‘take [Vivie] on her own merits.’’ Crofts confesses his attraction to Vivie and wonders if he could be her father.
After Crofts goes inside the cottage, Frank Gardner, the local rector’s son, appears and greets Praed. Frank reveals he is staying with his father due to accumulating significant debts. He mentions to Praed that he has been spending time with Vivie, whom he describes as a ‘‘jolly girl.’’ Before Frank can explain the depth of his feelings for Vivie, his father arrives, and Praed heads inside for tea. Left alone, Frank confides his feelings for Vivie to his father, who then criticizes her social standing. After the reverend comments on Frank’s extravagant habits, Frank reminds him of a past incident where the reverend offered a woman money to retrieve letters he had written to her. Alarmed that someone might overhear, the reverend urges Frank to drop the subject. When they join the others for tea, Mrs. Warren publicly declares that she still possesses the reverend’s letters, leaving him ‘‘miserably confused.’’
Act II
That evening, Frank flirts with Mrs. Warren, urging her to accompany him to Vienna. She gently declines but then kisses him. Frustrated with herself, she urges Frank to focus on Vivie instead. When Frank confesses that he already has, Mrs. Warren is initially furious until he assures her that his intentions are honorable. Later, as Mrs. Warren contemplates the idea of Vivie and Frank together, the reverend deems it "impossible," hinting that he might believe himself to be Vivie’s father. Before this issue is resolved, Crofts announces that Vivie cannot marry Frank because he is broke. Mrs. Warren dismisses Frank’s protests that Vivie will marry for love by stating, "if you have no means of keeping a wife... you can’t have [her]." Undeterred, Frank resolves to propose to Vivie immediately.
At that moment, Vivie and Praed arrive at the cottage, halting the discussion. After the others head in for dinner, Frank and Vivie remain outside, but Frank doesn’t bring up marriage. Vivie criticizes "wasters" like Crofts, who "shift along from one meal to another with no purpose, and no character, and no grit," vowing never to end up like him. When Frank admits that he finds...
(This entire section contains 1857 words.)
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Crofts’ ability to live without a job appealing, Vivie cuts him off, calling him "tiresome."
Later, Crofts expresses his interest in Vivie, and Mrs. Warren adopts a protective, motherly tone, insisting he is not good enough for her. Ignoring the insult, Crofts argues that the three of them could live "quite comfortably" together. He then tries to buy her approval, but she angrily refuses. Enraged, Crofts storms out upon hearing the others return.
Praed, Crofts, and Frank leave for the Gardner home to retire for the night, leaving Mrs. Warren alone with Vivie. The two soon argue about Vivie’s future. When Mrs. Warren insists she has the right to decide her daughter’s path, Vivie admits she knows little about her mother and starts questioning her. Mrs. Warren becomes flustered, especially when Vivie demands to know who her father is. Suspecting that Crofts might be her father, Vivie declares she will leave the next day unless her mother tells her the truth. Mrs. Warren reveals that Crofts is not her father and admits she is unsure who is.
Vivie receives the news about her mother's promiscuity with a calm demeanor. When Mrs. Warren fails to evoke sympathy from her daughter, she becomes increasingly upset. She eventually lapses into her natural, colloquial speech and chastises Vivie for her lack of empathy. Mrs. Warren asserts that she had no other option but to live the way she did, as she lacked the opportunities that she has provided for Vivie. When Vivie contends that her mother must have had some choice in her future, Mrs. Warren recounts the hardships of her impoverished upbringing, explaining that prostitution was the only means for her and her sister to survive. She details how the profitable, "high-class" brothel they operated in Brussels granted them a degree of independence in a male-dominated world.
Upon hearing her mother's story, Vivie is visibly moved and tells Mrs. Warren that she is "a wonderful woman... stronger than all England." Mrs. Warren confesses to feeling a mix of shame and pride in raising her daughter as a "lady." Vivie insists that they will be "good friends now," and the evening concludes with the two women embracing lovingly.
Act III
The next morning in the reverend's garden, Frank reprimands his father for the drunken tales of "his fiery youth" he shared late into the previous night. Praed advises Frank to show his father more respect. Frank then reveals his true feelings about Mrs. Warren's social status by admitting that his mother likely went to town that morning to avoid her visit. He cautions his father to conceal the truth about his relationship with Mrs. Warren and expresses his disgust at the thought of Vivie spending time with her.
Later, when Vivie and Mrs. Warren arrive, Vivie warns Frank against mocking her mother and demands he show her respect. Frank refuses and criticizes Vivie for her newfound "sentimentality" towards her mother. Vivie retorts that her previous attitude made her a "prig" and that she now understands and appreciates her mother's struggles. Their argument over Mrs. Warren's character and Vivie's ongoing relationship with her continues until Frank shifts to a romantic tone, soothing Vivie with playful baby talk. Vivie momentarily gives in to his affection, admitting she wants to forget about her mother, but then quickly snaps out of it, insisting they are being childish.
When Crofts arrives, Frank leaves. Crofts criticizes Frank's lack of a profession and then proposes marriage to Vivie, offering her substantial wealth and social standing. Vivie declines, but Crofts persists, suggesting that, due to his old age, she would soon become a wealthy widow. He reveals that he has been and continues to be her mother's business partner, shocking Vivie, who had believed her mother had abandoned her life in prostitution. Crofts explains that Mrs. Warren has successfully managed "businesses" across various European locations and that Vivie would benefit from the family's profits. When Vivie acknowledges that these businesses are brothels, Crofts becomes furious.
Vivie rejects Crofts's marriage proposal with "contemptuous self-possession," deeming him "a pretty common sort of scoundrel" for exploiting her mother for financial gain. Crofts laughs at her superior attitude and points out that many in the upper class engage in similar dubious dealings to maintain their wealth. Vivie then realizes that her education was funded by her mother's earnings from these businesses and shamefully admits that she is "as bad as" Crofts. When Crofts tries to reassure her that society doesn't care about the source of one's wealth, Vivie angrily condemns a society that supports men like him who exploit young women for profit.
As a furious Crofts threatens her, Frank suddenly reappears with a gun, warning Crofts that he can be "careless" with firearms. Before Crofts leaves in a huff, he tells Frank that Vivie is his half-sister and that the reverend is her father. As Frank aims at the retreating figure, Vivie grabs the gun and presses it to her chest, insisting that Frank fire. Frank drops the gun immediately and extends his arms to her in a romantic gesture. Disgusted, Vivie turns away and leaves.
Act IV
Frank and Vivie meet in her London office. He tries to persuade her to enjoy a leisurely Saturday afternoon with him, but Vivie insists she must work. When Frank asserts that he doesn't believe she is his sister and even if she were, it wouldn't change his romantic feelings for her, Vivie tells him that she only wants a sisterly relationship with him. Frank assumes she has fallen for someone else. Praed arrives shortly to bid farewell before leaving for Italy. He makes another attempt to awaken an aesthetic sensibility in Vivie, but she insists that there is "no beauty and no romance in life" for her. When
Praed comments on the charm of Brussels, which ignites Vivie's anger as she recalls that the city is home to one of her mother's brothels. She sternly warns them that if they wish to remain friends, they must avoid discussing love and beauty and instead treat her "as a woman of business, permanently single and permanently unromantic." Despite her resolve, Vivie is unable to contain her frustration over her mother's ongoing profession and eventually reveals the truth to Frank and Praed. Both men assure her that they will stay loyal friends, and Praed praises her bravery. Once Vivie leaves the room, Frank confesses to Praed that he can no longer marry Vivie because of the origins of her family's wealth and his inability to let her support him.
Mrs. Warren arrives shortly after, prompting Frank and Praed to leave to give the mother and daughter some privacy. Vivie informs her mother that she plans to support herself from now on and that they should lead separate lives. Mrs. Warren tries to dissuade her, arguing that no one will hold Vivie accountable for her mother's actions. She begs her daughter not to forsake a comfortable life and "break [her] heart." However, Vivie stands firm, asserting that she would be "worthless" if she accepted her mother's money.
When Vivie demands to know why her mother continued the business after achieving financial independence, Mrs. Warren explains that she is not fit for any other work and believes it causes no real "harm." Vivie rejects what she calls her mother's "cheap tears and entreaties" to stay with her, which infuriates Mrs. Warren. They part ways with Mrs. Warren refusing to shake Vivie's hand, and Vivie returns to her work.
