Nicola is a servant of
the Major Petkoffs. Through him Shaw satirizes the bad system of master and servant.
Nicola serves as a contrast to Louka, the maid-servant of the Petkoffs house.
Nicola has the soul of a servant. But Louka has a natural dignity and a lofty
sense of equality with her employers. Shaw has described Nicola as "a
middle aged man of cool temperament and low but clear and keen
intelligence". Nicola is loyal, obedient and faithful. He has not the
revolutionary zeal of Louka. He is a man of practical wisdom. He is never, like
Louka, defiant to his master and mistress. He is always humble in his dealings
with them. As a servant he is very capable and successful. Bluntschli rightly
remarks: "Nicola is the ablest man I've met in Bulgaria."
Character of Nicola in “Arms and the Man”:
Nicola is shrewd. He
knows the secrets of Raina. But he remains silent. He never dreams of
disobeying his master and mistress. Louka is engaged to him. He always wants to
please his employers. He wants to get as much money out of them as possible and
then to marry Louka and start a shop. This is his only aim in life. He always
warns Louka that if she quarrels with the family, he never can marry her.
Nicola is a good judge
of character. Commercial gain is his main concern. He understands that Louka's
marriage with Sergius would be highly profitable for him. So he does not oppose
Louka's marriage with Sergius.
Nicola is one of
Shaw's "commonsense" characters. Nicola always remains unemotional
and unsentimental. He is not interested in the romance of love and marriage. He
is a typical servant and a practical man of the world. His only aim in life is
to make himself an established man in Bulgaria.
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