Man And Superman

Act I opens in London, in the study of Roebuck Ramsden. It is morning and Ramsden, an affluent older gentleman, is opening mail. A maid enters and hands Ramsden a visitor’s card. Ramsden, pleased, tells the maid to escort in his visitor, Octavius Robinson, an attractive young man who is wearing black to signify he is in mourning. Ramsden offers “a long, affectionate [hand]shake which tells the story of a recent sorrow common to both” (48) and invites Octavius to sit. Octavius is mourning the sudden death of Mr. Whitefield, a man who had no sons of his own (only daughters) but who treated Octavius like a son. Octavius becomes somewhat more cheerful when Ramsden mentions Whitefield’s daughter Ann, suggesting that Whitefield had hoped that Octavius might one day marry her.

Clearly smitten with Ann, Octavius protests that he could never be good enough for her because “she thinks a man’s character is incomplete if he is not ambitious” (50), and he is not nearly successful enough to satisfy her. Ramsden insists that Ann will respect her late father’s wishes above all, but Octavius replies that he wouldn’t want Ann to marry him merely to satisfy what her father wanted. Ramsden agrees that he must win her but points out that Octavius has one black mark on his character—his friendship with John Tanner. John Tanner, known familiarly as Jack, has published a text called The Revolutionist’s Handbook and Pocket Companion. Ramsden, who has not read the handbook but has read about it in newspapers, calls it “the most scandalous, the most mischievous, the most blackguardly book that ever escaped burning at the hands of the common hangman” (51).

Octavius smiles at this, but Ramsden emphasizes the gravity of the situation, commenting that Jack is far too friendly and familiar with Ann. Ramsden feels certain that when the lawyer reads Mr. Whitefield’s will, it will name him Ann’s guardian, and Ramsden feels very strongly that Ann must not endure such familiarity just because Jack is Octavius’s friend. Octavius protests that Ann has always welcomed Jack because of his association with her father, but Ramsden insists that if he becomes Ann’s guardian, he will no longer allow her to associate with Jack, and he expects that Octavius will do the same if he wants to be with Ann. The maid enters again, announcing that Jack Tanner has arrived to call upon Ramsden. Outraged, Ramsden tells the maid to turn him away, but Jack is already in the drawing room, having entered the house with Ann, her mother, and Violet, Octavius’s sister. Ramsden, furious, tells the maid to fetch Jack. Octavius notes that he is surprised that Jack has arrived with the Whitefields since “he’s so desperately afraid of Ann,” surmising, “there must be something the matter” (54).

Jack enters and, in a flurry of agitation and panic, shows Ramsden Mr. Whitefield’s will and informs him that Mr. Whitefield named both Ramsden and Jack as Ann’s legal guardians. Jack pleads, “Ramsden: get me out of it somehow. You don’t know Ann as well as I do. She’ll commit every crime a respectable woman can; and she’ll justify every one of them by saying that it was the wish of her guardians” (56). Jack confesses that the guardianship is his own fault, as he had argued with Mr. Whitefield about the wisdom of “leaving a young woman under the control of an old man with obsolete ideas” (56) and that “the proper thing was to combine the experience of an old hand with the vitality of a young one” (56-57). Ramsden suggests that Jack refuse to act as her guardian, as Ramsden intends to refuse to act as a joint guardian with Jack. But Jack laments that she will not accept their refusal and will treat them as guardians anyways because “her father’s wishes are sacred to her” (57).

Ramsden wonders why Whitefield would choose Jack instead of Octavius, but Octavius admits that he told Mr. Whitefield that he did not want to force his authority upon Ann because he loves her. Then Octavius sulks, indignant at Jack’s less-than-flattering comparison of Ann’s willfulness to that of a boa constrictor “once it gets round your neck” (58). Jack notes that Whitefield left money to Ramsden to compensate him for serving as Ann’s guardian, as well as money for Octavius for both himself and as a dowry for his sister (which causes Octavius to begin weeping), and if Ramsden doesn’t obey the will, it will upset all of it. Jack insists that Octavius must marry Ann and take her off of his hands. He calls Ramsden old-fashioned, and Ramsden criticizes his book. Jack is delighted to see that Ramsden has a copy, but Ramsden insists that someone gifted him the book and tosses it angrily in the trash can.

Octavius reminds the other men that Ann might have an opinion on these matters. Jack comments that Ann will do whatever she wants and manipulate her new guardians to tell her to do it but suggests that Octavius fetch her and bring her in the room. Ramsden calls Jack impudent, and Jack gives a speech about how being ashamed dominates all of their lives, so he feels fortunate not to feel any shame. When Jack exclaims that he is just as honorable as Ramsden only not ashamed to talk about his own virtues, he immediately offends Ramsden. Jack replies, “Cultivate a little impudence, Ramsden; and you will become quite a remarkable man” (63). Before Ramsden can argue, Octavius enters with Ann and her mother. Ann greets Ramsden with a kiss, and although Jack offers her a chair, she takes Jack’s chair instead.

Once they are all seated, Ramsden “opens the proceedings” (66) by bringing up the joint guardianship in the will and explaining that he won’t share the position and Ann will simply have to choose. Ann turns to her mother, but Mrs. Whitefield insists that she has no opinion—and even if she did, “it would probably not be attended to” (66). Ann goes on to say that she can only accept the arrangement set forth by her father. Ramsden asks if she would still feel the same way if he had done something disgraceful that Mr. Whitefield had been unaware of before death. Ann wonders why he would ask since he hasn’t done anything of the sort, and Jack chimes in to explain that Ramsden is talking about him. Ramsden is convinced that if Mr. Whitefield had read Jack’s book, he would never have deemed him an appropriate guardian.

Since Ann hasn’t read Jack’s book, Jack suggests that she read it and decide, but Ramsden angrily forbids Ann from reading the book. This brings up the question of what happens when the two guardians give Ann opposing orders. Ann insists that she is “too young, too inexperienced” (69) to make such decisions, and Mrs. Whitefield criticizes that pushing the decision-making onto Ann is shirking their responsibilities. Ann exclaims that the problem must be coming from Jack since she trusts Ramsden, and when Jack reluctantly agrees to serve as her guardian, Ann pronounces the matter resolved, happy to be fulfilling her father’s wishes. Ann calls the men by nicknames that she has given them, which Mrs. Whitefield deems inappropriate. Ann worries that she has offended them and wonders if she ought to be more formal, but Octavius, smitten, insists that she should call him by his nickname.

Ramsden exits, accompanying the women to the door. Octavius confesses to Jack that he wants to be a poet and playwright and that he wants to write about Ann. Jack warns Octavius that if he does that, Ann might end up marrying him and Ann might just eat him. Upset at Jack’s comments, Octavius exclaims that he wants Ann to eat him. Jack replies, “[T]hat’s the devilish side of a woman’s fascination: she makes you will of your own destruction” (72), and that Ann will only use and enslave him. Octavius responds, “What matter, if the slavery makes us happy?” (73-74) Jack tells him that as an artist, Octavius will make a bad husband, glorifying his wife with his art while neglecting her in real life. Octavius refuses to agree with this, commenting, “You know, Jack, I should have to run away from you if I did not make it a fixed rule not to mind anything you say” (75).

Ramsden reenters suddenly with Ann following with a sense of determination. Ann, upset, pushes Ramsden to reveal to Octavius that Octavius’s sister, Violet, “called on a strange doctor yesterday with a wedding ring on her finger” (77), implying that she is pregnant. But Violet has refused to tell the name of the baby’s father. This news horrifies Octavius, but Jack accuses him of overreacting, more upset about what ought to be a happy occasion than they were about Mr. Whitefield’s death. Ramsden dislikes having such talk in his house. Jack asserts that he plans to find Violet and congratulate her, even if Ramsden wants to shun her. Ann begs Ramsden not to reject Violet, pushing Ramsden to insist angrily that he only plans to offer her help. All but Jack agree that the man who impregnated Violet is “a damned scoundrel” (79) who can redeem himself by marrying Violet.

However, if Violet won’t reveal her lover’s name, there is nothing they can do. Jack wonders if Octavius suspects him of being the father, and Octavius questions him. Jack reassures him that Violet doesn’t like him, and if he had impregnated her, he would be proud instead of secretive. Violet remains sequestered in the housekeeper’s room while everyone else in the house talks about her future, possibly sending her abroad to have the baby and avoid scandal. Ann comments that Violet will resist that idea. They send Octavius off to speak to Violet, although he doesn’t know what the right option is. Ramsden and Jack argue about the morality of the situation, as Jack believes that Violet’s child should not bear the shame of the situation. Ann sends Ramsden to talk to Miss Ramsden, his unmarried sister, and Mrs. Whitefield about their intended course of action.

Alone with Jack, Ann asks if he is glad to be her guardian. Jack replies that the position is setting him up to be her scapegoat. She pleads with him not to reject the guardianship or her friendship. Jack and Ann talk about their relationship, which began when they were children. Ann was always well-behaved but would manipulate other children into breaking the rules. Ann had also made a pact with Jack that they would tell each other everything, but somehow had never divulged any secrets of her own. And as a child, Jack would get into mischief solely to have stories to tell Ann. Ann insists that she never wanted Jack to behave so badly, and Jack admits that most of the stories he told were lies. But in one instance, Ann had threatened to tell someone because Jack had started a relationship with a young woman. Ann claims that she saved the girl from destruction by stopping the relationship.

At the same time, Jack had stopped confiding in Ann because he realized that he had developed a soul that he did not want to share with her. Jack insinuates that a romance might have inevitably bloomed between them, but he decided to forsake romance for the pursuit of “moral passion” (90). Ann states that that was when he stopped being destructive as a boy, and Jack insists that he is much more destructive now. Ann wonders if there is still romance between them, and Jack tells her that he remains too invested in his own moral passion and sense of individuality for love, and that he had pushed Ann away because she would have held him back. Jack calls her a boa constrictor and Ann laughs, flirting with him, and eliciting an angry response. Ann and Jack talk about Octavius, whom Jack pities for his love for Ann. Ann accuses Jack of blatantly flirting, which Jack denies.

The conversation comes to a halt when Ramsden and Octavius reenter with Miss Ramsden, who pronounces, “I wash my hands of this whole affair” (98). Miss Ramsden takes offense because Violet will not leave London, insisting that it’s because she is still carrying on with the father of her baby. Jack suggests that if Violet talks to this mysterious man, he will doubtlessly urge her himself to go abroad. But unless Violet promises to cut ties with the man, Miss Ramsden will not help her. A maid enters to announce that a cab is waiting for Violet. Violet won’t allow Octavius to accompany her, which Miss Ramsden insists means that she is running off to see her lover. Jack remarks that their treatment of her has undoubtedly pushed her away into his arms. Ramsden worries that Jack is right, but Miss Ramsden is steadfast.

Violet enters but refuses to continue the conversation and is only informing them that she has left the bracelet that Miss Ramsden gave her for her birthday. Jack begs her to stay, shocking everyone by congratulating her. Violet responds angrily, insulted that Jack would consider her to share his morals. Violet reveals that she is, in fact, actually married. However, she claims that she has reasons for keeping his name a secret. This news relieves Octavius but mortifies Jack. Only Miss Ramsden is skeptical, but Violet insists that she owes her an apology. Violet is even more infuriated to learn that the thought Jack was the man in question. Violet leaves, and Ramsden muses that she wasn’t quite fair to all of them. But Jack replies that they are the ones at fault, not Violet.