a dangerous job In the bedroom scene he tells Raina that he fights only as a profession He is a Swiss man He even says that he joined the Serbian army because it came first on his way from Switzerland He says I am a Swiss fighting merely as a professional soldier Bluntschli does not care about glory He believes that the main duty of a soldier is to stay alive He openly says that all soldiers are afraid of death Soldiers are not heroes or superhumans Through this contrast Shaw shows that romantic ideas about war are false Difference in the Idea of Heroism Sergius believes in showy heroism His cavalry charge looks brave on the surface but it is actually foolish He attacked machine guns with horses The attack succeeded only because the Serbians had the wrong kind of bullets and could not shoot In the bedroom episode Bluntschli compares this attack with Throwing peas at a window He compares Sergius to Don Quixote a foolish knight from the novel Don Quixote who fought windmills thinking they were giants This comparison makes Sergius look ridiculous Through Bluntschli Shaw shows that romantic heroism often leads to stupidity and danger Difference in Personality and Nature Sergius is proud emotional and dramatic He speaks in a grand style He behaves like a hero from a romantic story However inside he is confused and unhappy Bluntschli is simple calm and practical He speaks plainly and honestly He does not pretend to be something he is not His honesty makes him strong This contrast shows that true strength lies in truth not in pretending Difference in Attitude to Love Sergius believes in showy romantic love He calls Raina his queen and acts like a noble lover But his love is shallow He flirts with Louka and easily moves away from Raina Bluntschli s idea of love is realistic He does not flatter Raina or worship her He speaks to her honestly and naturally Raina feels comfortable with him She admits that he is the first man who did not take her seriously You are the first man I ever met who did not take me seriously Bluntschli s attitude shows that real love is based on truth and understanding not empty words Difference in Practical Sense Bluntschli is highly practical He carries chocolates instead of bullets because he knows food is more important for survival He knows You can t fight on an empty stomach On the other hand Sergius lives in dreams and ideals By the end of the play Bluntschli becomes wealthy and respected Sergius feels lost and disappointed Shaw shows that practical people succeed while romantic dreamers fail To sum up Bluntschli and Sergius are complete opposites Through their contrast Shaw criticises romantic ideas about war and love Bluntschli is not a traditional hero but he is the true hero of the play