Major Barbara Character Analysis

Andrew Undershaft

Andrew Undershaft was a foundling—either an orphan or an illegitimate child abandoned by living parents—who escaped poverty when the previous Andrew Undershaft adopted him as protégé and heir to the Undershaft weapons empire. His wealth… read analysis of Andrew Undershaft

Barbara Undershaft

Barbara Undershaft is the daughter of Lady Britomart and Andrew Undershaft; she is the sister of Sarah and Stephen and the fiancée of Adolphous Cusins. She is a member of the Salvation Army… read analysis of Barbara Undershaft

Lady Britomart

Lady Britomart is the estranged wife of Andrew Undershaft and the mother of Stephen, Sarah, and Barbara. She comes from a wealthy aristocratic family, and she thus represents the ways in which… read analysis of Lady Britomart

Adolphus Cusins

Adolphus Cusins is the fiancée of Barbara Undershaft. He is a professor of Greek who joined the Salvation Army after he fell in love with Barbara; one of his chief joys in life is… read analysis of Adolphus Cusins

Stephen Undershaft

Stephen Undershaft is the only son of Lady Britomart and Andrew Undershaft. At the beginning of the play, he is an ineffectual young man completely under his mother’s control; he does what she wants… read analysis of Stephen Undershaft

Charles Lomax

Charles Lomax is engaged to marry Sarah Undershaft with the blessing of her mother, Lady Britomart. Charles is a shallow, fashionable man who tends to accept and adopt the beliefs and habits of the… read analysis of Charles Lomax

Bill Walker

Bill Walker is a young man who comes to Barbara’s Salvation Army shelter in search of his girlfriend Mog Habbijam, whom he intends to beat for abandoning him. He’s an angry, blustering man… read analysis of Bill Walker

Snobby Price

Bronterre O’Brien Price—called “Snobby” because of his intelligence and his pretentious attitude, is a down-on-his-luck painter who finds himself at Barbara’s Salvation Army station seeking shelter and food after getting laid off from work… read analysis of Snobby Price

Peter Shirley

Peter Shirley is a middle-aged and impoverished worker who comes to the Salvation Army for help when he’s laid off and cannot find more work. He mocks Bill Walker for abusing women but being afraid… read analysis of Peter Shirley

Rummy Mitchens

Rummy Mitchens is an impoverished housewife who pretends to have fallen into a life of sexual sins to gain the sympathy and aid of the Salvation Army. She exemplifies a hollow version of Christianity… read analysis of Rummy Mitchens

Jenny Hill

Jenny Hill is a young member of the Salvation Army. She exemplifies the Army’s charitable aspirations in her care of Snobby Price, Rummy Mitchens, and Peter Shirley. And she embodies Christian… read analysis of Jenny Hill

Todger Fairmile

Todger Fairmile is a former beerhall boxer who gained notoriety in a bout against a famous Japanese wrestler. He stops boxing when he finds religion and joins the Salvation Army, after which he and… read analysis of Todger Fairmile

Mog Habbijam

Mog Habbijam is Bill Walker’s former girlfriend, who leaves him on account of his violence and abuse. She joins the Salvation Army, where she meets Todger Fairmile. Despite leaving Bill, she extends… read analysis of Mog Habbijam

Minor Characters

Mrs. Baines

Mrs. Baines is a Salvation Army commissioner who accepts large financial donations from Horace Bodger and Andrew Undershaft to fund the Salvation Army’s work.

Horace Bodger

Horace Bodger is a whiskey distiller who uses his wealth to fund various philanthropic projects. When he offers money to the Salvation Army, Mrs. Baines accepts it happily, since the Army needs it, even though this gives society the impression that it condones Bodger’s business.

Sarah Undershaft

Sarah Undershaft is the daughter of Lady Britomart and Andrew Undershaft. She is engaged to marry Charles Lomax.

Bilton

Bilton is an explosives supervisor at Andrew Undershaft’s weapons factory.

Morrison

Morrison is Lady Britomart’s butler.

Major Barbara Characters