Heartbreak House

Heartbreak House is a play by George Bernard Shaw. Published in 1919, it first played at Garrick Theatre in 1920.

The play begins as Ellie Dunn, her father, and her fiancé are invited to one of Hesion Hushabye’s infamous dinner parties. The party is being held at the house of her eccentric father, Captain Shotover, whose house is built in the shape of the stern of a ship. Captain Stopover is an inventor well into his eighties who is trying to create a sort of “psychic ray” that will destroy dynamite.

When Ellie arrives at the house, she finds that no one is there to greet her, and so she sits and reads William Shakespeare until, eventually, she dozes off. An elderly servant, Nurse Guinness, finds Ellie asleep just before the arrival of another guest.

This other guest is Lady Utterwood, Stopover’s younger daughter who has come all the way from Australia after being away from England for twenty-three years. When she arrives, her own father pretends not to recognize her.

Mrs. Hushabye, Captain Stopover’s eldest daughter, has invited Ellie, her father, Mazzini Dunn, and Ellie’s fiancé, Boss Mangan, to the party with the intent to persuade Ellie not to marry Mangan, a millionaire industrialist who befriended Ellie’s father before declaring his intentions towards Ellie. Mangan gave Dunn money to start his own business, but it failed after just two years. Mangan bought the business and turned it into a profitable enterprise, hiring Dunn as a manager. Mrs. Hushabye objects to the union, believing that Ellie should marry someone she loves rather than someone her father owes a debt to.

While in conversation with Mrs. Hushabye, Ellie reveals that she has a secret passion for a mysterious man she has just met, whom she describes as a romantic adventurer named Marcus Darnley. When Mrs. Hushabye’s husband, Hector, enters the room, Ellie discovers that he is the man she knew as Darnley. He has been telling Ellie exaggerated tales of adventure in order to impress her and win her favor. Ellie is heartbroken and angry with Hector for having deceived her and betraying his wife and her friend. Mrs. Hushabye consoles Ellie, telling her that heartbreak is just life’s way of teaching her a lesson.

Boss Mangan arrives shortly thereafter, and Captain Shotover makes known his prediction that Mrs. Hushabye will ensure that the marriage between Ellie and Mangan does not take place. Mangan is heartbroken in hearing this. The next visitor to arrive is Randall Utterword, Lady Utterword’s brother-in-law. Randall has invited himself to the house after hearing through his brother that Lady Utterword is staying there. At the same moment, Hector meets Lady Utterword and instantly falls in love with her, which initiates the process of his heartbreak.

After dinner, Mangan reveals to Ellie that he ruined her father on purpose. He gave Dunn the money to start his business knowing that he would ultimately fail, as he saw this as the most cost-effective way to get involved in a new enterprise. Ellie states that she is still willing to marry Mangan, even though he is really in love with Mrs. Hushabye, and Ellie is actually in love with Hector. Ellie reasons that the marriage will give her access to Mangan’s money; she feels that in some way she is seeking retribution for her father.

Ellie threatens Mangan, telling him that if he calls off the marriage, she will ensure that Mangan never sees Mrs. Hushabye again. Distraught by this idea, Mangan collapses into a nearby chair, and the group proceeds to gossip about him as he overhears every word.

Suddenly, a gunshot is heard coming from upstairs. Hector and Dunn capture a burglar attempting to steal Mrs. Hushabye’s jewels. Captain Shotover tells the group that the burglar is a pirate named Billy Dunn.

Ellie pulls Captain Shotover aside and tells him that she would rather marry him than Mangan. Once Ellie leaves the room, Hector and Randall talk of their passion for Mrs. Utterword and they both vie for her affections to no avail. It is clear that she has broken both of their hearts.

Later in the evening, Mangan confesses to the group that he actually has very little money and is only in charge of running things for other investors. Ellie then declares that she will not marry him and that she never intended to follow through with their marriage plans. She announces that she has actually married Captain Shotover that very evening.

The group hears what sounds like an explosion off in the distance and realizes that there is a bombing raid going on. Nurse Guinness instructs everyone to hide in the cellar; meanwhile, Hector turns on all the lights in the house, making it the perfect target. When the raid is over, most of the group survives, and Ellie is actually disappointed with the return to the humdrum of life. Mrs. Hushabye and Ellie express their hopes that the planes will return.

Ellie renames the home the Heartbreak House after all of the disappointments experienced by herself and others this day.