Try reading the text of Major Barbara or the introduction or the preface. The operative word is try. A professor of English literature might read a passage to a select group or to a lecture hall full of students. The professor might then stop to ask rhetorically what Shaw had said. The professor would have a Buckleyesque advantage. He would be familiar with every syntactical twist and turn. He would be familiar with the semantic ramification of every esoteric term and of every archaic expression as well as with the precise definition of each word. Which would not be fair at all. Who said life was fair? Certainly not George Bernard Shaw. He says many things which would not be tolerated in today's political climate if anyone were to understand what he had said.

Understanding Major Barbara:
Some examples from Major Barbara.

Bill Walker. If money talks and BS walks, Bill Walker certainly walks the walk. Bill apparently took a bath once a week, whether he needed it or not. See if you can figure out wot e sez.

On Conscience

SHIRLEY
[angrily] Who made your millions for you? Me and my like. What's kep us poor? Keepin you rich. I wouldn't have your conscience, not for all your income.
UNDERSHAFT
I wouldn't have your income, not for all your conscience,Mr. Shirley.
- Act ll, Major Barbara

BILL
[doggedly] Aw did wot Aw said Aw'd do. Aw spit in is eye. E looks ap at the skoy and sez, "Ow that Aw should be fahnd worthy to be spit upon for the gospel's sike!" e sez; an Mog sez "Glaory Allelloolier!"; an then e called me Braddher, an dahned me as if Aw was a kid and e was me mather worshin me a Setterda nawt. Aw edn't jast nao shaow wiv im at all. Arf the street pryed; and the tather arf larfed to split themselves. [To Barbara] There! are you settisfawd nah?
BARBARA
[her eyes dancing] Wish I'd been there Bill.
BILL
Yus: youd a got in a hextra bit o talk on me wouldnt you?
JENNY
I'm so sorry, Mr. Walker.
BILL
[fiercely] Down't you gow bein sorry for me: youve no call. Listen eah. Aw browk your jawr.
JENNY
No, it didn't hurt me: indeed it didn't, except for a moment. It was only that I was frightened
BILL
Aw down't want to be forgive be you, or be ennybody. Wot aw did Aw'll py for. Aw trawd to gat me aown jawr browk to settisfaw you-
JENNY
[distressed] Oh no-
BILL
[impatiently] Tell y' Aw did: cawnt you listen to wots bein taold you? All Aw got be it was bein mide a sawt of in the pablic street for me pines. Well, if Aw cawnt settisfaw you one wy, Aw ken anather. Listen eah! Aw ed two quid sived agen the frost; an Awve a pahnd of it left. A mite o mawn last week ed words with the judye's gowing to merry. E give er wot-for; an e's bin fawnd fifteen bob. E ed a rawt to itt er cause they was gowin to be merrid; but Aw ednt nao rawt to itt you; sao put anather fawv bob on an call it a pahnd's worth. [He produces a sovereign]. Eahs the manney. Tike it; and lets ev no more o your forgivin an prying and your Mijor jawrin me. Let wot Aw dan be dan an pide for; and let there be a end of it.
JENNY
Oh, I couldn't take it Mr. Walker. But if you would give a shilling or two to Rummey Mitchens! you really did hurt her; and she's so old.
BILL
[contemptuously] Not lawkly. Aw7d give her anather as soon as look at er. Let her ev the lawr o me as she threatened! She ain't forgiven me: not mach. Wot Aw dan to er is not on me mawnd - wot she [indicating Barbara] mawt call on me conscience - no more than stickin a pig. It's this Christian gime o yours that Aw wownt ev plyed agen me: This bloomin forgivin an neggin an jawrin that mikes a menn thet sore that iz lawf's a burdin to im. Aw wont ev it, Aw tell you; sao tike your manney and stop thraowin your silly beshed fice hap agen me.
JENNY
Major: May I take a little of it for the Army?
BARBARA
No: the Army is not to be bought. We want your soul, Bill; and we'll take nothing less.
- Act lll, Major Barbara.

Major Barbara for performance and study includes Shaw's complete Preface. It also includes a highly regarded twenty-four page introduction, a list of the principal dates in the life of Bernard Shaw, and a selected bibliography.
Shaw's best and potentially most edifying to society,
Major Barbara was trivialized into obscurity by the attention attenuation effect of a silly newspaper cartoon series, Little Orphan Annie.

Remember Undershaft or Daddy Warbucks?