CHARACTER SKETCH FROM PLAY- PROGRESS. MRS. MELDON:INTRODUCTION: Mrs.

Meldon is a character from a play named Progress written by S t. G. Ervine. The play was sent in 1919, just one year after the first World War . Mrs. Meldon was aged about forty-three. She is a sensitive looking widow. She was suffering deeply from her memories. She is not a fretful, complaining women who had suffered bereavement and when in the course of play, she speaks of her l oss, she does so with grace and beautiful dignity. Her son was killed in the Fir st World War and her husband died away out of heart failure. So she was the vict im of adverse circumstances. She has a strong sense of tolerance. QUALITIES OF THE CHARACTER: The qualities and the character of Mrs. Meldon as presented in play are: A DIGNITFUL LADY : Mrs. Meldon has a character full of dignity and grace. She is a lady who has faced the emotional sufferings of life. A woman having a compass ionate, patient, gentle, sensitive and graceful appearance is what Mrs. Meldon l ooks like. She is dressed in black clothes, partly because she is a widow and ma inly because it was the third death anniversary of her son. He dignity becomes a pparent when she opines about war. A BEREAVED WIDOW AND MOTHER: Eddie was her only son, killed in First World War. She had brought up her son with a great care and love. She wanted him to be grea t in future. Her son enlisted himself in war. She could not decide to be happy o r sorry but chiefly she was happy. The sight of the messenger made her heart sin k and she remained worry about her son. He came on his first and second leaves a ll safe but he did not come for third visit. He was killed in a moment by the me n, who had never seen him. This was the most shocking news. Her husband could no t bear it and died away out of heart failure. She remained all-alone in this mis erable world. I some times wonder why I was not granted the mer of death. Why I should be compe lled to live alone. The words of the play reflects her loneliness: I had a husband and a son, when the war began, I had neither when it was over. I am the most lonely woman cruelly alone. HER HATRED TO WAR: She hated wars. She considered them as an organized butchery of the young ones. She though wars to be the most terrible thing, which was resp onsible for the destruction of human peace. She wanted ban on wars. She wanted t he scientists to stop making dangerous weapons. This was the war, which made her widow and which snatches away her beautiful young son. She said: Yes, people with broad views, because you are fools. Some one like me, not clever , create beautiful things like my son, and you, will all your cleverness can onl y destroy it. A BRAVE WOMEN: Mrs. Meldon was a brave woman. In spite of losing all what she ha d, she bore the tragedy patiently. She always suffered from old memories, but ne ver showed her bereavement. She behaved as a calm and uncomplaining person. A FRIEND OF HUMANITY: On knowing that her brother has invented a dreadful bomb, she becomes deeply grief. She opposed her brother and called him The Most Stupid Man on Earth. She cared for all the mothers as she had seen the fury of life. S he wanted that other boys like Eddie must not fell prey to horrors of devastatin g wars. Mrs. Meldon, as a symbol of peace for all, did not rejoice at the wicked achievement of her brother. She perfectly reflected her friendship towards huma nity. Love and Peace can make the world a Heaven.

CONCLUSION: She was really shocked to know that her brother has invented a bomb, which will destroy the whole nation within twinkling of any eye. She requested him that for the sake of young sons and for the sake of peace, he must destroy h is invention. Her brother did not realize the intensity of her emotions and refu sed to destroy it for the sake of mere sentiments. So she killed him. In the end she saw the wreath of son ruined and out of sudden passion, she killed him and wins the sympathies of the readers. PROFESSOR HENRY:INTRODUCTION: The author titles the play, The Progress ironically. He laughs at the attitude of war-mongers and the scientists who believe that they are contrib uting to the progress of science by inventing deadly weapons. In Professor Corrie, the playwright has created a self-centered scientist aged b etween fifty and sixty who is a confirmed bachelor. His sole interest in life is his scientific experiments. He captivates our attention from the beginning till the end of the play. His wolfish snarls and physical features, speak a lot abou t his inhuman behaviour. A WICKED PERSN: He felt pleasure in destruction. He wanted to make the wars horr ible. He invented a dangerous bomb full of corrosive gas, which could obliterate whole cities within no time. He wished to make the war so horrible that no nati on will engage in one unless absolutely driven to it. He said: With a single bomb, we could wipe out the population of a city as a big as Manche star. AS A REPUTED SCIENTIST: There is no doubt that Professor Corrie is a great scien tist, who is extremely dedicated and devoted in his scientific experiments. When the curtain goes up, we find Professor Corrie engrossed in his experiment. His experiment is a success and he has succeeded in inventing a lethal and devastati ng bomb, which is so powerful that according to him: I ve discovered a combination of explosives and gases that will obliterate thousand s at once! Thousands. The above quoted words show the deep faith Corrie has in the destructive quality of the bomb and his cruel nature and inhuman behaviour. AS A SELF-WILLED PERSON: Professor Corrie is an extremely selfish and self-wille d person. He is out and out a materialist. He has discovered the formula of the bomb to earn fame and fortune. He is delighted at the thought that his invention would make him famous and well-known all over the world. He did not care about the feeling of his sister wanted her rejoices his invention. He wished her to fo rget her tragedy and suggested taking a broad point of view. She must imagine he rself a statesman. He said: Oh, a mother s feelings, of course, but look at the matter from a broad point of vi ew. Put you own feelings aside. AS A UNPATRIOTIC MAN: Professor Corrie is crazy and unpatriotic. He wants to sel l the formula of the bomb, to any government, which would pay him the highest pr ice. As he says: I shall offer it first to the British Government, of course, but if they won t pay my price, I shall offer it to somebody else. The above lines speak of his unpatriotism and greed for money. CORRIE'S DESIRE FOR IMMORTALITY: Corrie was mad for immortality. That is why he invented the bomb. He hopes: This will bring fame and fortune to me. I shall be rich and now but more than tha t I shall be famous. My name will live forever.

CORRIE'S TRAGICAL END: Mrs. Meldon is absolutely horrified, when she learns of his terrible invention. She repeatedly requested him to destroy the formula of t he bomb. She says: Henry, I beg you to destroy your invention. Professor Corrie pays no attention to her, so Mrs. Meldon, in a state of frenzy, drove a sharp knife in his back. Corrie falls on his face, dead cold. Thus the curtain draws on the play, with his tragic end.