Arms and the Man

Arms and the Man is a comedy written by George Bernard Shaw. Arms and the Man questions conventional values and uses war and love as his satirical targets. A young woman named Raina takes great pride in the Bulgarian army's recent victory over the Serbians. She unexpectedly takes in a Serbian soldier who fled the battle with pieces of chocolate in his pockets in place of ammunition. Though she initially despises the Serbian soldier for being a coward, she ends up falling in love with him and gives him a picture of her to take with him. When he leaves, she gives him a coat and a picture of her to take with him. Four months later, the man, Captain Bluntschli, returns the coat as an excuse to see Raina again. Sergius, the Bulgarian commander who won the battle at the beginning of the play, doesn't recognize Bluntschli. Sergius grows jealous of his connection with Raina. Sergius and Bluntschli agree to a duel, but Raina comes in and tells them that she isn't in love with Sergius anymore. Bluntschli proposes to her, and she accepts.