A summary of George Bernard Shaw’s "Heartbreak House" Automatic translate

This book is a satirical play, completed in 1917. Its entire action takes place in a manor house, the interior of which imitates an old sailing ship. The eccentric atmosphere of this house serves as a backdrop for the clash between English bohemians and the business world. In 1986, director Alexander Sokurov adapted the play into his acclaimed film, "Sorrowful Insensitivity."

Arriving at the houseboat

On a clear September evening, a young girl, Ellie Dan, awaits her hosts in a strange parlor. The room resembles the stern of a ship. No one greets her for a long time. Ellie falls asleep with a volume of Shakespeare in her hands. An elderly servant, Nanny Guinness, accidentally wakes her. Soon, the owner of the estate, eighty-year-old Captain Shotover, appears. The old man behaves extremely eccentrically and straightforwardly. Then, a beautifully dressed Lady Utterword bursts into the house indignantly. It is Ariadne, the captain’s youngest daughter. She has returned home after twenty-three years. Captain Shotover pretends not to remember his daughter at all. Ariadne is deeply offended by the chaos of her parents’ home and the complete lack of manners of her elderly nanny.

Ariadne reveals that she married Sir Hastings Utterword. Her husband served as governor of the British colonies. Captain Shotover calls Hastings a block of wood. The old man refuses to show any affection. Finally, the captain’s eldest daughter, Hesione Hushabye, appears. It was she who invited Ellie to stay. Hesione passionately wants to save the girl from a marriage of convenience. Ellie is planning to marry an elderly businessman, Boss Mangan. Ellie’s father, Mazzini Dan, has gone bankrupt. Ellie sincerely believes that Mangan nobly saved their family from utter poverty.

The Mark Darnley Mystery

Hesione begins to dissuade Ellie from marrying the businessman. She interrogates her guest in detail about her heart’s secrets. Ellie reveals that she is secretly in love with a certain Mark Darnley. This fearless socialist allegedly saved a tiger during a royal hunt. At that moment, Hesione’s husband, Hector Hushabye, enters the room. Ellie is horrified to recognize Hector as her courageous hero. It turns out that Hesione’s husband simply invented his heroic biography. Hector is indeed brave, but he constantly uses lies to easily charm gullible women.

The girl is deeply disappointed by the deception. She decides that she will now marry Mangan for good for the money. Mazzini Dan and Boss Mangan arrive at the estate. Captain Shotover bluntly tells Mangan he’s too old for Ellie. The old man advises the businessman to marry a black woman, as he did in his youth. Randall Utterword appears next. This elegant socialite is Ariadne’s husband’s brother, secretly in love with her. Everyone prepares for dinner. The captain leaves to work on creating a psychic ray designed to destroy capitalists.

Revelations and Hypnosis

After dinner, Ellie and Mangan are alone. Ellie clarifies their future relationship. The businessman admits that he deliberately ruined Mazzini Dan. He gave the honest Mazzini money, knowing exactly what would happen. Mangan is deliberately waiting for the enthusiasts to go bankrupt so he can buy up their businesses cheaply. The businessman hopes that Ellie will break off the engagement. But the girl reacts frighteningly calmly. She declares that she will still marry him for the sake of financial security. Mangan tries to wriggle out of it. He lies that he is passionately in love with Hesione. Ellie replies that she herself is in love with Hector Hushabye. The businessman is stunned by the girl’s cynicism. He gets a headache. Ellie uses hypnosis and puts Mangan to sleep.

Hesione and Mazzini Dan find their guest sleeping. Mazzini asks them not to wake him abruptly. He explains to Hesione that Mangan understands absolutely nothing about production. The businessman merely exploits other people’s ideas and forces talented people to work for him. Soon, Ellie awakens her fiancé with gentle gestures.

Debunking the capitalist

Mangen, awakened, is furious. He’s heard the entire conversation. The businessman is shouting loudly that he’s considered a complete and utter nonentity. Hesiona suddenly changes tack and begins to tenderly console her guest. She calls him "little Alf." Mangen can’t bear the tension and begins to cry. Hesiona sends him to make peace with Ellie.

Meanwhile, Hector flirts with Ariadne. Hesione’s younger sister claims to despise bohemian life, valuing only strict respectability and power. Randall torments everyone with his jealousy of Ariadne. Ariadne regularly reduces Randall to tears in order to strictly control his behavior. Hector is genuinely shocked by his sisters’ cruelty. Suddenly, one night, a shot rings out in the house. Mazzini Dan accidentally shoots a thief who broke into the second floor. The man arrested turns out to be a former sailor of Captain Shotover named Billy Dan. Nanny Guinness recognizes him as her fugitive husband.

The Caught Thief

The thief begins to play on their pity. He admits to deliberately breaking into wealthy homes and making loud noises. The owners catch him, and he asks them for money to start a new life. Billy demands to be turned over to the police or paid for his repentance. The residents of the house are completely unwilling to deal with the court. Hector gives him a pound coin and sends him away.

Billy asks to be shown a safe place to spend the night. Nanny Guinness, in a fit of anger, sends him to a sand pit. Captain Shotover keeps about fourteen kilograms of dynamite in this pit. None of the guests pay any attention to this fact.

Ellie remains in the living room with Captain Shotover. The girl explains to the old man her pragmatic view of marriage, saying that her heart is forever broken. The captain sternly warns his guest about the dangers of selling her soul. He recalls his long sea voyages and discusses the search for truth. Shotover admits that he drinks rum only to combat the dreams of old age. Ellie is captivated by the old man’s wisdom. The girl invites Shotover to become her spiritual husband in heaven. The captain, exhausted by the difficult conversation, falls asleep next to her on the sofa.

Air raid

All the inhabitants of the house move into the night garden. Ellie sits peacefully next to the sleeping captain. Mangan finally tears off his mask of successful businessman. He becomes hysterical and wants to take off his clothes from sheer mental exhaustion. The businessman desperately cries out that he has no personal capital. He only operates with the money of wealthy shareholders. Captain Shotover suddenly wakes up. The old man directly compares his native country to a ship steered by a completely drunk skipper. Hector asks what they should do. Shotover replies, "Navigation. Learn it and live."

A strange rumble is heard in the distance. Mangan cowardly assures everyone it’s an ordinary freight train. Hesione and Ellie rejoice at the loud sounds. The girls think the roar from the sky resembles the majestic music of Beethoven. It soon becomes clear that it’s a real air raid. An enemy bombardment begins. The police call and categorically demand that all the lights in the estate be turned off. Hector Hushabye acts against common sense. He demonstratively turns on the electricity in every room and rips down the curtains. Mangan, in a wild panic, runs into the garden. He hides in a sand pit with the thief Billy Dan.

A heavy aerial bomb falls directly into a sand pit. A powerful dynamite explosion instantly kills both men. The other heroes remain completely unharmed. They sit calmly on a garden bench. Hesiona and Ellie experience a strange exhilaration from the mortal danger they have endured. The girls wait with great hope for the military bombers to arrive the following night. Randall enthusiastically begins playing the flute.