The Adventures of The Black Girl in Her Search For God.

SHAW, George Bernard.

$150.00

Item Number: 137188

London: Constable & Company Limited, 1932.

First edition of Shaw’s controversial 20th century retelling of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Octavo, original pictorial boards, pictorial endpapers, illustrated with wood-cut engravings by John Farleigh. In near fine condition with light rubbing to the extremities. Small bookplate to the pastedown.

The Black Girl, as protagonist in the present volume, serves the same purpose as Christian in John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress; that is to say her own "inner", or "spiritual" life is represented as a series of physical events and encounters. After becoming dissatisfied with the inconsistencies of the answers the missionary who has converted her gives to her questions, the Black Girl wanders into the forest on a literal search for God. Having a powerful intellect capable of formulating searching theological questions, and exposing vapid answers, the Black Girl so becomes superior to the inferior insipid white missionary woman, challenging popular prejudice, both in sex and race.