Major Barbara Author:George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and critic who was very influential in Western theatre in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Shaw, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925, was a prolific writer and considered by many to be one of the greatest dramatists in history. Shaw's most famous works include Pygmalion, Arms and the... more » Man, Man and Superman, and Saint Joan. Major Barbara is a play that centers around a woman who is serving as a Salvation Army officer. The play examines themes such as religion, capitalism, and morality.« less