Pygmalion SBIT Review

Eliza

“Oh you’ve no feeling heart in you: you don’t care for nothing but yourself. Here! I’ve had enough of this. Im going. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, you ought.”

Higgins

“Besides, you shouldn't cut your old friends now that you have risen in the world. Thats what we call snobbery”

Mrs. Pearce

“Nonsense, sir. You musnt talk like that to her”

Hughes’ characterization of Pygmalion in the myth

Pygmalion is AFRAID of women: the curse of the “whores” connects to all women in his mind and he lives with a phobia of women

Pope’s characterization of Pygmalion in the myth

Pygmalion HATES women

Boer’s characterization of Pygmalion in the myth

Pygmalion DISDAINS women: he is offended by the “vices nature often gives the female mind”

Metamorphoses

Series of myths that act as cultural history of Rome, illustrates how change is only constant in life, features humans at the mercy capricious gods, many written by Ovid

Metamorphosis

process of transformation (immature → adult), by natural or supernatural means

myth

symbolic story, explains the unexplainable, reflects beliefs of a particular time, place and people

George Bernard Shaw birth

July 26 1856

George Bernard Shaw death

November 2 1950

Characteristics of Shaw

Socialist, advocate, feminist, ahead of his time, opinionated, outspoken

Eliza Armstrong case

Mother sells her 13 year old daughter into prostitution for 5 pounds, brought to light in 1885

GBS’s Pygmalion produced in

1914, pre war Britain

Victorian Morality

“Manners maketh man,” strict class order, exercise of good orders, prudent (careful in what you do/say, unwilling to do anything inappropriate), frugal, life driven by duty rather than personal enjoyment

Definitions of romance in literature

Fiction with love, chivalry, obsession of someone or some idea, and mysterious adventures OR a work free from adhering to realistic verisimilitude, describing what has never happened or is not likely to

Beliefs Shaw advocated for

minimum wage for working class, universal healthcare, women’s right to vote, abolition of hereditary privilege

Shaw nationality

Irish

gentleman

class

genteel

character

Preface summary

Shaw criticises the English spelling and pronunciation, arguing that the spelling is sometimes chaotic and illogical. He associates poor language with lower social classes and that people in England are judged by how they speak. Shaw emphasises the importance of phonetics and argues that learning it can help a person climb socially. Henry Sweet inspired Henry Higgins.

Act 1 summary

Begins with a rainy night outside St. Paul’s Church. Eliza is trying to sell flowers to passersby. Higgins is writing down Eliza’s dialect. Pickering is introduced. Higgins claims he can teach Eliza to speak like a duchess in six months.

Act 2 summary

Takes place in the Lab of Higgins the next Day. Eliza asks for speech lessons. Ms. Pearce is introduced. Doolittle arrives, and Higgins pays him 5 pounds so he can keep Eliza. 

Pickering makes a bet with Higgins to pay for Eliza’s lessons. Ms. Pearce is introduced. Doolittle arrives, and Higgins pays him 5 pounds so he can keep Eliza.

Act 3 summary

Eliza visits Mrs. Higgins’ house for her athome. At the garden party, Eliza passes in the Garden party “fashionable and eccentric” rather than improper. She has won Higgins’ bet. 

Act 4 summary

Higgins and Pickering take all of the credit for Eliza’s progress. Eliza becomes upset and beings to realize her true position amongs all of this. Eliza leaves Higgins.

Act 5 summary

Eliza has gone to Mrs. Higgins’ house. Higgins and Pickering come looking for her, and so does Mr. Doolittle, who has joined the middle class. Higgins and Eliza argue, and the play ends with her leaving, saying she will marry Freddy, and Higgins laughing.

Sequel summary

Shows how Shaw wanted the ending to go, commentary on the play and how it relates to life. Depicts the struggles of Freddy and Eliza’s flower shop, and how Pickering often has to give them money to stay afloat. Discusses Clara’s belief of the importance of social standing although she is very poor. References the pygmalion myth.

Higgins

“The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she is treated.”

Higgins

“I can place any man within six miles. I can place him within two miles in London.”

Eliza

“I sold flowers. I didn’t sell myself.”

Eliza

“I’m a good girl, I am!”

Doolittle

“I’m one of the undeserving poor.”

Doolittle

“Middle class morality claims the victim.”

Pickering

“I assure you, Miss Doolittle, that you shall be treated as a lady.”

Mrs. Higgins

“Henry, you certainly are a pretty pair of babies, playing with your live doll.”

Freddy

“I shall miss you, Eliza.”

Clara

“Oh its alright mamma, quite right. People will think we never go anywhere or see anybody if you are so oldfashioned”

Ms. Pearce

“You must be particularly careful about your language before the girl.”

Mrs. Pearce

“I can’t have the girl here if she’s going to be treated like this”

Higgins voice clues

arrogant, intellectual, obsessed with language and accents

Pickering voice clues

polite, respectful, gentlemanly, permitting of Higgins' behavior

Eliza voice clues

emotional, defensive early on, later confident and assertive

Mrs. Pearce voice clues

direct, practical, slightly scolding, concerned with propriety, more about household order and manners, protects Eliza’s dignity

Mrs. Higgins voice clues

intelligent, critical of Higgins, socially aware, more about social situations and behavior

Clara voice clues

Pretentious, like a young girl

Doolittle voice clues

humorous, philosophical, blunt about class and money, critical of middle class

Freddy voice clues

romantic, gentle, naive

Ms. Warren’s profession

written by Shaw, to draw attention to the truth that prostitution is caused, not by female depravity and male licentiousness

Wimpole street

Higgins’ lab

Tottenham Court Road

street where Eliza sold flowers

Covent Garden

area where Eliza sold flowers