Shaw’s Philosophy of Life Force the Reference to You Never Can Tell

Life force is a power which seeks to perfect creation through evolution. According to Shaw, man is the instrument of life force for the evolution of higher forms. He conceives the life force as working through woman to create man who is designed to carry life to higher levels. In Man and Superman, Shaw writes, “Sexually woman is Nature’s contrivance for perpetuating its highest achievement. Sexually man is woman’s contrivance for fulfilling Nature’s behest in the most economical way.”

In You Never Can Tell Shaw presents Gloria as an instrument of life force. When Mr. Crampton asks Valentine if he is in love with Gloria, Valentine tells him that ‘love’ is not appropriate word for his feeling for Gloria. It is more than love. ‘Love’ is too vulgarized a word for his lofty feeling for her. This feeling has strengthened within him the desire for life; it has restored faith in him; it has made of him a man and promises heavenly bliss to him, It is the silent working of life force. Because of the influence of life force, Valentine has been completely transformed. In the grip of life force, he thinks that the feeling Gloria inspired in him is something more elevated and refined than love.

In the play Valentine also gives an. explanation of the philosophy of life force to Gloria. He is an intoxicated lover who has fallen in love with Gloria at first sight. In the lovemaking scene he tells her that his blood was oxygenated when he saw her in the morning. Gloria replies that the same sensation happened to her. Being a rationalist Gloria Wants a scientific explanation of this feeling. Valentine says that this feeling is the working of Nature. It is Nature which works through the hearts of men and women who are nothing but toys in the hands of Nature. She at first allows her children to act independently but then she catches men and women in her firm grip, bring them together for the propagation of the race, for the procreation of children. Nature, here, is synonymous with life force. As Valentine and Gloria are the vehicles for life force, they cannot resist the influence of Nature. It is the plan of life force that woman should be the hunter and man should be the hunted. Gloria being the victim of life force hunted Valentine by captivating him in the morning with her charm and beauty.

Valentine and Gloria are drawn to each other by the influence of the life force. Being a rationalist, Gloria wants a scientific explanation of this feeling. Gloria is unwilling to term the working of life force as ‘love’. To her ‘love’ is a_ vulgar word for this sensation. Valentine agrees with her. According to him, this sensation is something more than ‘love’. He describes it in terms of chemistry-the new science of the day. In chemistry, we hear of chemical combination, chemical action, chemical affinity etc. He tells her that chemical laws work in the relation of men and women. Just as elements combine together and make new compounds, so men and women combine to procreate children. Men and women are drawn to each other by the irresistible chemical forces.

Though Gloria is a hater of love, she is utterly helpless in the grip of life force. At last she firmly grips Valentine’s arms and kisses him with all warmth. She tries to hate Valentine but inwardly 'she is attracted to him and united in marriage.

Dolly is another instrument of the life force in fulfilling its purpose. She had accepted the offer of the first officer in the ship without being troubled at all by the question of her parentage. Mrs. Clandon outwardly hates her husband Mr. Crampton but inwardly the eternal feminine IS always attracting her to her husband. This is the Operation of life force in woman.