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RAINA. (laughing and sitting down again). Yes, I was only a prosaic little coward. Oh, to think that it was all true—that Sergius is just as splendid and noble as he looks—that the world is really a glorious world for women who can see its glory and men who can act its romance! What happiness! what unspeakable fulfilment! Ah!
Raina delivers these lines in Act I as she learns of Sergius’s acts of heroism on the battlefield. In this moment, Raina reveals that she secretly had doubts about whether or not idealized stories about love and war could come true in real live. This admission, which her mother is quick to criticize, foreshadows the reveal of Raina’s inauthentic “noble attitude” toward the end of the play. She may seem to believe in heroism, glory, and higher love, but the uncertainty she expresses implies that she can see through such ideals.
RAINA. Gratitude! (Turning on him.) If you are incapable of gratitude you are incapable of any noble sentiment. Even animals are grateful. Oh, I see now exactly what you think of me! You were not surprised to hear me lie. To you it was something I probably did every day—every hour. That is how men think of women. (She walks up the room melodramatically.)
When Raina finally has the chance to speak to Bluntschli privately in Act III, she expresses frustration toward his understanding of lies. He explains that, as a soldier, he has grown accustomed to hearing people lie, and Raina takes offense to the idea that her willingness to trick the authorities in order to protect him was an insignificant act. Her over-the-top reaction in this moment serves as a final attempt to maintain the pure, idealistic identity that she has created for herself.
RAINA. Yes, I suppose I do mean that. (Cosily, quite at her ease with him.) How strange it is to be talked to in such a way! You know, I’ve always gone on like that—I mean the noble attitude and the thrilling voice. I did it when I was a tiny child to my nurse. She believed in it. I do it before my parents. They believe in it. I do it before Sergius. He believes in it.
Once Bluntschli finally confronts Raina about her inauthentic “noble attitude” in Act III, she admits that her romanticized view of the world was merely an act she put on for the benefit of those around her. This reveal follows the play’s broader thematic arc which aims to shed light on the realities of war and love, suggesting that these types of performances are what allow glorifying narratives to develop and endure. For Raina, admitting to her false personality is quite liberating.
