Write a detailed note on the character of Bluntschli.

What is the dramatic importance of the character of Bluntschli ?

Do you agree that Bluntschli is the mouthpiece of Shaw?

Consider Bluntschli as a realist.

Ans.

“What a man ! Is he a man !” exclaims Sergius and this seems to be a very appropriate estimate of the pivotal figure of the play ‘Arms and the Man i.e. captain Bluntschli. He happens to be the most significant character in the very beginning of the work not because he marries the heroine of the play Raina Petkoff but because he is the spokesman of Bernard Shaw. It is through his mouth that Shaw has expressed his viewpoints on war. love and in fact on human nature and human life as a whole.”

(1) His Appearance: Captain Bluntschli is a man about thirty five years of a middling stature and undistinguished appearance. He has a of age strong neck and powerful shoulders. His head is round, obstinate “covered with short, crisp, bronze curls. He has clear quick eyes and good brows and mouth, hopelessly prosaic nose like that of a strong minded baby, trim soldier like carriage and energetic manner and with all his wits about him inspite of his desperate predicament……” Yes, when we meet him for the first time he is definitely in trouble being chased by the enemy cavalry and running for life. At that time he is “bespattered with mud and blood and snow” and his condition is described by Shaw as “unwashed unkempt”. Later, however, he comes before us in a highly improved condition – “clean, well brushed, smartly uniformed”. He appears so different that Raina cannot resist the remark,” You look ever so much nicer than when we last met. What have you done to yourself?” To this Bluntschli remarks “washed brushed, good night’s sleep and breakfast. That’s all.”

(2) His Social Position: Captain Bluntschli is an army officer serving with the Serbs. He is a Swiss person by nationality but a mercenary who has joined the Serbian army only because this army “came first on the road from Switzerland.” He has the rank of an officer and the standing of a gentleman. He knows three native languages i.e., French, Italian and German. When the play ends the fact comes to be known that he was an exceedingly rich man who possessed six hotels, two hundred horses, seventy carriages with twenty four of them having the capacity to seat twelve inside, two on the box excepting the driver and the conductor. He presents such a big list of his belonging that Petkoff exclaims with childish awe, “Are you the Emperor of Switzerland ?” The list includes two livery stables, a tea garden and a private house. He has won four medals for distinguished services. In him Raina’s parents find a very suitable match for the daughter.

(3) His Realistic Attitude: Captain Bluntschli has a really realistic attitude towards war and love and in fact towards life as a whole. He embodies in himself all the typical characteristics of the Swiss race. Bluntschli suffers from no jaundiced vision, no complexes, no illusions no dreams and no prejudices and evinces himself to be a thorough realist in his attitude towards war. Bluntschli regards war as evil and stupid. He cherishes no romantic illusions about it. He himself says “I fight when I have to, and am very glad to get out of it when I haven’t to. You (Sergius) are only an amateur: You think fighting is an amusement.” Instead of ammunition he carries chocolates in his cartridge cases because of having found that food is more useful in battle than bullets. “There are only two sorts of soldiers old ones and young ones…. You can always tell an old soldiers by the inside of his holsters and cartridge boxes. The young ones carry pistols and cartridges; the old ones grub……”

(4) His Romanticism: Bluntschli himself says that he has an incurable romantic disposition.” To prove his statement he points that in his boyhood he ran away from home two times and refused to join his father’s flourishing business. Instead he decided to become a mercenary soldier. While running for his life he decided to climb the balcony rather than diving into the nearest cellar like a sensible man. In place of returning Major Petkoff’s coat he came sneaking back to have another look at Raína. Besides these illustrations provided by Bluntschli himself, there are a few other instances also in the play which indicate towards his romantic nature. He appreciates the beauty of Louka and points it out to Sergius. “That’s a remarkable looking young woman?” He seems to like the title of Chocolate Cream Soldier which Raina so mischievously gives to him. It is due to this romantic disposition only that Bluntschli agrees to marry Raina despite the fact that she is absolutely different from him and that she has been long wooed by Sergius. It is due to this alone that he heartily congratulates Sergius upon his choice to marry Louka.

(5) His Instinct for Self-Preservation unheroic Hero: Bluntschli is a normal human being who like others has a real sense of self-preservation. “Well, I do not intend to get killed if I can help it”, he says. And again, “It is our duty to live as long as we can.” He is an anti-hero with no halo of glory or greatness about him. Despite being a soldier by profession, in our first encounter with him, we see him getting nervous at the slightest cause. On one occasion, Raina accidentally sits on his pistol and jumps up, then we see that Bluntschli gets even more frightened and shies like a terrified horse to the other side of the room. When Raina throws out the empty box of chocolate creams, he shies again like a child and admits “I am as nervous as a mouse”. He says that if Raina wants to see him cry all she has to do is to scold him as if he were a little boy and she his nurse. He asks for chocolate creams and devours them like a small boy. When asked to quit the house, he refuses to climb down the waterpipe-“Down that waterpipe ! Stop! Wait! I can’t! I daren’t.”

(6) His Real Bravery : But despite all this we can never call him a coward. If he behaves in such a cowardly unheroic manner, it is only due to the fact that he has been under fire for three days without food, without sleep, extremely exhausted, constantly struggling to save his life. When Sergius challenges him to fight with sword as his rival he remains undaunted and accepts the challenge.

(7) His Wit and Shrewdness: Bluntschli is wise, clever and intelligent, so much so that he can almost be called a shrewd man. These exceptional qualities of this man are borne out by other people’s comments about him and also by his own actions also. He exhibits his shrewdness in the exchange of prisoners. When he has to keep Major Petkoff’s coat safely somewhere, he pawns it. Raina considers this to be a mean action but in reality it was a remarkable thought. He possesses a penetrating insight and is able to see through Raina’s pretence quickly. In fact, he is the only person who is able to comprehend the reality about her. He is able to solve the problem of sending the regiments to Philippopolis with so much sagacity. wit, intelligence and swiftness that Sergius feels envious irritation at his own incapacity. His estimate of all the other characters is absolutely correct and even in his talks we catch glimpses of his exceptional brilliance.

(8) His Chivalry: Outwardly however, Bluntschli appears to be a coarse, rough and shrewd person but in reality from inside he is a chivalrous gentleman. He may use Raina’s cloak for his defence but as soon as it is of no use to him, he hands it over to her. He calls Sergius a fool and considers his cavalry charge a stupid act but as soon as he comes to know that Raina is engaged to him he apologizes. He nourishes no ill feeling against his rival Sergius and wishes the best for Raina and him. Later too even when Sergius declares his intentions to get married to Louka, he keeps silent about his feelings towards Raina because he thinks that Raina is only a young girl of seventeen and so unripe and immature to decide for herself. It is only when he comes to know that she is a grown up lady of twenty three that he comes out with the proposal of marriage to her.

(9) Sense of Humour: Bluntschli also exhibits a remarkable sense of humour in his personality. He mocks at the romanticism of others in a highly subtle way. The way he pronounces ‘Petkoff and thus pricks the baloon of Raina’s inflated ego, speaks volumes about his sense of humour. Similarly he pretends to be afraid of Raina’s fiance. Sergius and requests her not to tell Sergius about his midnight adventure in her bedroom knowing fully well that Sergius stands no chance at all in front of him. He reduces Raina’s romantic hero to a mere caricature when he compares him to ‘Don Quixote’. All these are fine illustrations of his capacity to laugh at the lighter side of life.

(10) Symbol of Shaw’s Life-force: In a sense Bluntschli also becomes a symbol of Shaw’s concept of life Force and Creative Evolution. This life Force, according to Shaw is a spiritual power in the universe. It is neither all powerful nor all knowing but it strives to become both through its own creations. Man’s present brain and intellectual capacity are not adequate enough to accomplish life’s ultimate purpose. For the purpose man needs a more evolved mind, a special brain which is a sort of “minds eye that shall see, not the physical world but the purpose of life and thereby enable the individual to work for that purpose instead of thwarting and baffling it by setting up shortsighted personal aims as at present.” Bluntschli seems to have that highly evolved brain and seems to embody Shaw’s Life Force exhibiting it surmounting all that comes in its way.

(11) Reflection of Shaw’s own Personality His Mouthpiece : Bluntschli, to a very large extent seems to be a reflection of the personality of his own creator. His capacity to tear off the mask of everybody, the mask of hypocrisy, falsehood and insincerity is typically Shavian. He opens the eyes of everyone around him to truth reason and justice. Raina, Sergius, Major Petkoff and his wife all become wiser and give up their foolish impractical notions when they come into contact with Bluntschli. This protagonist of the play puts forth different facets of Shaw’s personality Shaw the critic, Shaw the cynic, Shaw the frank realist, Shaw the disbeliever in the glories of war or in the reality of true love. After this long analysis of his personality perhaps we have found the answer to the question posed by Sergius and quoted in the very beginning of our discussion-“Is he a man ?” The answer is -No. He is not a man. He is a Superman. “The play” says Ward. “is a success not because of its ideas-impressive though they are, but because Bluntschli picks up the play and walks off with it on his shoulders.”