As a work of art, The Admirable Crichton is simple, consistent, and complete.

Formally, it is dramatic comedy with a rather unusual twist at the end. Crichton and Tweeny are obviously members of society with whom the audience is meant to sympathize. Lord Loam and the other nobles are mostly shallow people in a shallow society where playing cricket and uttering epigrams is as serious as life gets. On the island, life suddenly becomes more fundamental. A new society crystalizes, with the morally correct character as leader. The old, unreasonable rules have been replaced by more natural rules in a more significant society. But in the end the social boundaries of the London drawing room are reestablished. Crichton and Tweeny are again blocked from realizing their full potential. Still, Crichton can resign, thus escaping the disappointing Lady Mary and his untenable position in the Loam household...