Shaw, George Bernard: 1856-1950

Saint Joan, 1923 - Thematic Parallels: Individualism

Individualism emphasizes the importance and moral worth of the individual. It values personal independence, self-reliance, and freedom of choice over collective control or conformity to group norms.
Shaw, George Bernard: Saint Joan, 1923
The play explores Joan’s individualism, faith, and nationalism, showing her as a visionary who challenges corrupt institutions — the Church, the feudal system, and patriarchal authority.
The following books are thematically simliar. They lend themselves well to being read in groups, compared with one another, or used to teach a similar topic over an extended period with a class:
- Albee, Edward: The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, 2002, ~60pp
  This is a play that explores unconventional individuality and the challenge it poses to societal norms.
  - Both characters are visionaries or innocents destroyed by social conformity. They represent the danger of being “too different” — whether spiritually or sexually — for society to tolerate. The playwrights question whether society’s moral codes are truly moral — or merely tools to enforce conformity.
- Auster, Paul: The Music of Chance, 1990, ~210pp
  This is a story about individuals forging their own destinies and choices even when faced with randomness and societal rules.
  - Both works question whether individuals can truly exercise autonomy — whether through divine will (Saint Joan) or random chance (The Music of Chance), both protagonists are caught in systems that strip their agency.
- Chopin, Kate: The Awakening, 1899, ~200pp
  This is a novel about personal freedom, awakening, and resistance to traditional constraints, emphasizing the protagonist’s journey toward individualism.
  - Both characters refuse to conform to the roles society has prescribed — Edna to the domestic ideal of “mother-woman,” Joan to the male-dominated church and military hierarchy. Both question what it means to live authentically as a woman in a repressive culture.
- Maugham, W. Somerset: The Moon and Sixpence, 1919, ~210pp
  This novel delves deeply into individualism and the sacrifices involved in pursuing one’s artistic genius, with the protagonist defying society to follow personal ambition.
  - Both works critique society’s failure to recognize genius or spiritual authenticity until it is too late. In each case, the author challenges the audience to rethink heroism: is greatness compatible with goodness? Can one serve truth without serving others?
List of general discussion questions on Individualism (pdf)
List of essay prompts on Individualism (pdf)