A critical Analysis of Dolly At The Dentist by GB Show

 

GB Shaw was a great dramatist. He wrote 50 plays and his plays are full of wit and humour.  Show was a great critic. He shocked the society of his time by presenting the ideas that were quite opposite of popular belief. Dolly at the dentist is the opening scene of one of his plays " You Never Can Tell."

                                      Dolly is a young lady who visits a dentist to have her tooth taken out. The dialogue between the dentist and Dolly are extremely witty and entirely enjoyable.

Dolly is a young woman of eighteen. She visits a dentist named Valentine.  The dentist is known as five shillings dentist because he charges five shillings for each thing.  He has set up a clinic and he is a bachelor and has been in his clinic for six weeks.  He has had no patient so far. Dolly is his first patient. She did not let the dentist give her gas. She did not like to have gas because it would have caused her 5 shillings extra. When the dentist has taken out her death, she begins to ask him personal questions. He tells her that the premises is on-rent and the furniture belongs to the landlord and plant is on hire purchase system. He is the bachelor and lives alone.  She gives him 5 shillings coin and tells him to wear it on his watch chain.

                      Dolly's brother arrives there. Dolly immediately tells him all which she has learnt about the dentist then she adds that she and the dentist are great friends. Phillip tells the dentist that it is their first visit to England.  Their mother has told them that the English people will not like them.  He invites the dentist to lunch at Marine Hotel. Dolly tells him that they are inviting him so that they can tell their mother that respectable English man has agreed to lunch with them.  The dentist is bewildered. He tells them that he cannot lunch with perfect strangers then Philip introduces himself and his sister to the dentist. He tells the dentist that they have come from Madeira when the dentist learned that the young lady named is Dorothy. He  asks if they are the children of Mr Densmore .Doli says that they are not but Philips says that they are not sure then they tell him that their mother is a well known writer.  They tell him that she has written a number of books which are very popular in Madeira. They ask the dentist to readers that her books to improve his mind but they tell him to read them after they had left because they do not like people with improved minds.