Write an essay on the dramatic significance of 'Nicola Louka

Write an essay on the dramatic significance of ‘Nicola Louka’ episode.

The relationship of Nicola and Louka is an essential part of the plot of the play. “Arms and the Man.’ Discuss.

Ans.

Nicola, the man servant in the Petkoff house, is middle aged, of cool temperament and of ordinary but keen intelligence and has a thoroughly practical outlook on life. He intends to marry Louka, the young maid servant who scoffs at him continuously. She has a mind above her station and has a strong desire to rise into the noble strata of society. She keeps on hurling insults at him “You have no spirit, and “You have the soul of a servant, Nicola”, and again. “I believe you would rather be my servant, than my husband you would make more out of me. Oh, I know that soul of yours” and so on. But Nicola constantly guides her, instructs her, advises her and seems to be concerned about her well being. He warns her to mend her manners otherwise she will lose her job. When she says that she is in possession of certain family secrets so on one would dare quarrel with her. he immediately tells her that her masters can “discharge you for truthfulness. Who would believe any stories you told after that…..child, you don’t know the power such high people have over the like of you and me when we try to rise out of our poverty against them.” He says that he himself has been in the service of Petkoffs for the last ten years. He also knows certain truths about them but is sagacious enough not to disclose them in front of anybody. On the other hand, he tries to take full advantage of the situation by making them believe that he can be relied upon for holding his tongue-“Well, you take my advice and be respectful; and make the mistress feel that no matter what you know or don’t know, she can depend on you to hold your tongue and serve the family faithfully. That’s what they like; and that’s how you’ll make most out of them.” Nicola saves money to make his dream of opening a shop in Sofia come true and makes plans for his future married life with Louka-“we shall have our evenings to ourselves and I shall be the master in my own house, I promise you.” But Louka chides him with disgust.” You were born to be a servant. I was not. When you set up your shop you will only be everybody’s servant instead of somebody’s servant……you shall never be master in (my house),” she says. She has no sense of obligation towards Nicola even though it was only he who was responsible for making her grow like a real lady. He advised her not to use false hair or apply artificial cosmetics on her lips or cheeks. He taught her to trim her nails, keep her hands clean and be refined and sophisticated in her behaviour. Even now it is Nicola only who gives her proper advice about the secrets of behaving like an aristocratic female-“If you want to be lady your present behaviour to me won’t do at all, unless when we’re alone. The way to get on as a lady is the same as the way to get on as a servant; you’ve got to know your place; that’s the secret of it.”

Nicola definitely knows his place and the instructions given by him to Louka are certainly full of sagacity, wisdom and have practical utility. Nicola is practical enough to realize that it would be impossible for him and beyond his capacity to keep Louka happy as his wife so he assures her of his assistance in all the circumstances if any luck comes to her. And he definitely keeps his promise. He tries to raise her image in Sergius’s eyes by telling him about her habit of running up to the library to study books. Later when his engagement with Louka threatens to mar her future, he very gracefully says, “I beg your pardon, Sir. There is a mistake. Louka is not engaged to me……. She had a soul above her station and I have been no more than her confidential servant. I intend, as you know, sir, to set up a shop later on in sophia; and I look forward to her custom and recommendation should she marry into the nobility.” He thus clears all the obstacles in the way of Louka’s marriage with Sergius. Bluntschli is able to see through his real self and therefore observes. “Nicola is the ablest man I’ve met in Bulgaria. I’ll make him manager of a hotel if he can speak French and German.”

This relationship of Louka and Nicola has a great dramatic significance in the play. It throws a lot of light on the character of Louka who is highly ambitious, dissatisfied with her present status and desirous to marry into nobility. Nicola’s level headedness and wisdom are also revealed clearly. He is perfectly loyal and dutiful to his master. He is really a man of the world and suffers from no illusions or dreams just as Raina or Louka or Sergius suffer. When he finds that Louka is going to be married to Sergius, he does not feel the least shocked or even surprised because he is a perfect realist. At the last critical moment he behaves like a perfect actor and remains graceful when everybody would break down. He is also capable of judging the personalities of the people he comes into contact with perfectly well. He knows the mentality of his mistress correctly, knows that Sergius is basically a fool and Bluntschli is really a very intelligent person. He displays a peculiar shrewdness in studying human characters.

Shaw was opposed to the idea that servants are an inferior class. He held that all necessary work, however menial, is valuable as a service to the community. In the play, he has talked about the snobbery of Petkoffs, who think themselves better than their neighbours because they have a library an electric bell but in the Nicola-Louka episode he presents shrewd hints at another sort of snobbery. The snobbery of the man-servant Nicola, who regards his employers with cynical servility, despises them yet humbles himself before them because “That’s what they like; and that’s how you’ll make most out of them.”

The sharp tongued, sharp witted and sharp sighted girl Louka presents a real contrast to the romantically stupid, immature Raina and Nicola invites comparison with the romantically handsome young, fickle minded Sergius. The only one in the play whom Nicola seems to have some similarity is the protagonist of the play Bluntschli who is also the spokesman of his creator Shaw to a very large extent and as such both Bluntschli and Nicola are full of admiration for each other. The Nicola-Louka’s episode, thus, is an essential part of the plot of the play and helps a lot in the advancement of the story and in bringing to light the hidden facets of the personalities of all the major characters of the play. Therefore no one can gainsay the dramatic significance of the episode.