A story where different views and approaches when it comes to caring for your family. It shows how a common daughter of an ordinary businessman, like Ellie, show how much she respects and love his parents that she is willing to give up herself for the sake of her father’s business status. That Ellie is willing to embrace and marry a man like Boss Mangan, whom she doesn’t love, only because it happens that he is his father’s boss and he has their family’s business on his own hands. Ellie had made up her mind that she is to marry Mangan as a return of favor, and making herself believe that soon somehow she will get to love him too.
Her father, Mr. Dunn thankfully accepted his daughter’s decision. However, this idea is not acceptable to Hesione, Ellie’s friend. Hesione invited Ellie to her home, so to be able to talk some sense to her. Upon arrival to the house, Ellie met the master of the house, Captain Shotover. An old man whose words are far different from normal aged men. He has this commanding tone where every member of the family takes a high regard to it. Ellie met the Captain, she felt he is a nice man however Nurse Guinness tells her not to mind his words.
Still Ellie felt something nice towards the old man, like she can be just as open and warm with him around. A few other members and friends of the family are bound to arrive in the house. Came a very good looking woman, sophisticated but rather demanding, Lady Utterword –Ariadne, Hesione’s younger sister who left 23 years ago to escape their father’s rule and is believe never to come back. Now, she’s back and she wants some attention, but seems she’s not getting any. His own father, the Captain failed to recognize her, so as Hesione.
This made her feel taken for granted, and more she felt regretting coming back. But Ariadne would not stop until her father and sister will give her the attention she wanted. She stayed, by this she meets Hesione’s good looking playful husband, Hector Hushabye. She got his attention as expected, however, it seems that Ellie knows him as well. Ellie calls him as Marcus Darnley, a man she confessed she is in love with to Hesione. Revealing her warm emotions towards Marcus to Hesione, just to find out that Marcus and Hector is but one man only… Hesione’s husband.
Hector did not deny that fact but instead asked Ellie to forget whatever he had told her, but it seems too late for Ellie as she had poured her heart for him already. On the other hand, Boss Mangan came for everyone to know he is the Boss of Ellie’s father and the one she is to marry. Mangan was not spared, the Captain had to tell him bluntly that he is too old for Ellie, and that he is not fit to be her husband. It came as a surprise for Mangan, all he knows is that he will be accepted as a good catch for a husband to Ellie, seems not. He felt humiliated, never in his life has he been treated as such.
He was exposed to all the members in the house how badly he has taken advantage of Ellie’s father, Mr. Dunn, on their business. How he had taken their money, but out of it all Mangan still came out to be a poor businessman who cannot handle a business on his own. Thus, he seeks men like Mazinni Dunn to operate his businesses, but makes sure he gets their hardworked money from them. Making it look like they owe it all to him so they have no reason to complain. Hideous, but it works. By and by Hesione asked her not to go on with the wedding, still Ellie believes she is alright to go on.
Breaking her heart to Marcus who is also Hector made her feel stronger. It hit her heart like a dagger but she is well composed that she will still marry Mangan. In the meantime, a gentleman came in to the house, claiming he is Randall Utterword, brother of Lady Ariadne’s husband Hasting Utterword. How he acts he seems to be in love with his brother’s wife. And Ariadne is loving how she sees him as that, and knowing she can twirl him with his fingers. Randall doesn’t seem to bother, he is in love with her too much. And this made him feel jealous to know that his beloved Lady Utterword seem to be fond of Hesione’s husband Hector.
But no matter how he tells Lady Utterword, she would just wave her hand to him and tell him off. It breaks his heart, but still he stays to look out for her even he aches as he sees her happily talking to Hector. The day went fast as everyone are tangled in each other’s affairs. As Ellie talked to Mangan about their soon to be wedding, laying out to him coming clean, and seriously pointing out that she will still marry him inspite of what everyone else, especially Hesione, have told her. He, Mangan, on the other hand is quite confused of her decision.
After being called too old for her by the Captain, he is now having second… no… third thoughts of marrying her. Not to mention his sudden feelings for Hesione, and her appreciating it. Hesione taking Mangan out to the garden, Lady Utterword lying in the hammock talking to Hector, Randall going upstairs after Ariadne had scolded him, Mazzinni Dunn retiring for the night, Ellie was left with Captain Shotover. At this moment, Ellie is sure of something else. She is sure that her heart was broken, broken by the man whom he knew with lies he has told her, yet she loved him.
Marcus. She had openly told Captain Shotover of all what’s in her heart. From being a good daughter willing to marry his father’s boss, to loving a liar and breaking her heart. Ellie feels that maybe it’s just right that the Captain be the one to console her heart. Everyone in the house had had a broken dream, had a broken heart. Each member has their own hurt and yet they keep on moving and seem to accept each other. Heartbreak house as Ellie calls it. Where everyone who steps foot learns that deep inside each man had a hidden aching.
A heartbreak they had never thought existed and not felt, but now. Mazinni of his business, Randal of Ariadne, Mangan of his reputation, Lady Utterword of his husband, Hector of his lies, Ellie of Marcus, the Captain of his youth, and Hesione of her heart. Tousled and twisted each others’ affairs may have been, they stayed together. For in the Heartbreak house, is where they learn to feel the real meaning of life.
Works Cited
Shaw, George Bernard Heartbreak House, by George Bernard Shaw (November, 2002 [Etext #3543] http://www. gutenberg. org/etext/3543