George Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin of Protestant stock in 1856. During Shaw's fifty-eight year career he wrote novels, short stories and several reviews, essays and prefaces. Shaw's early writings were based on the unrealistic ideas of the Victorian era and written as a comedy that mocked the romance of that period. Like many other Irish writers, Bernard Shaw contributed greatly to English literature and theater with writings such as Pygmalion, a play based on part of his life and written as a comedy but received as a love story. George Bernard Shaw was born on July twenty-sixth, 1856. “Bernard Shaw was the third child and only son of George Carr Shaw and Lucinda Elizabeth (Gurly) Shaw” (Carr 7). “Bernard Shaw had two sisters, the youngest of whom died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-one, and Lucy, the eldest, made a career as a light opera singer” (Morgan 102). “George Shaw was a rather typical Irishman of his time in that he was more inclined to drink than to succeed” (Carr 7). Since George Shaw was of Anglo-Irish ancestry, he was upper middle class due to his English parents. “Shaw's mother, Lucinda Elizabeth Shaw, found emotional fulfillment in music, as an amateur singer of marked talent” (Morgan 101). The Shaws' fortunes began to decline and to save on expenses, Mrs. Shaw invited George John Vandeleur Lee, her singing teacher, to live with them. Lee was a popular musician and decided to go to London to advance his musical career. In a loveless marriage, Mrs Shaw moved to London with Lee and her two daughters. Shaw was left to stay with his father. “For two years Shaw stayed with his father and worked as a clerk in a land agency” (Morgan 101). "Sha... middle of paper ... very important to English literature in the Victorian era. Pygmalion was created from Shaw's life and romantic comedy. Many of Shaw's writings focused on unrealistic Victorian ideas of romance and left it up to you to find your own ending. Works CitedCarr, Pat. Bernard Shaw. New York: Frederick, 1976 Print. 7,9,67.Chesterson, Gilbert. “George Bernard Shaw.” Literary Resource Center. Internet. http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/tlc109043601Chesterson, Gilbert. “George Bernard Shaw”. Literary criticism of the twentieth century, 1986 ed. Flight. 21. Detroit. Literary Resource Center. Web.http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/tlc109043601Morgan, Margery, “George Bernard Shaw”. British Writers. 1983 ed. Print. 101, 102, 103. O'Neil, Patrick, ed. Great world writers of the 20th century. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2004. Print. 1355.