Pygmalion Theme Essay

Analyze a Theme

As you read Pygmalion, you took annotations to focus on a few thematic ideas presented in the play. They were:

  • Appearance vs. Heart: Shaw did not like the attitudes of the wealthy people he met who thought they were better and had more value as humans because they looked and sounded pleasing. In Pygmalion, he critiques these ideas by asking: What makes a person good? Is it their appearance or their heart?

  • Upper vs. Lower Class / Societal Expectations: From a middle-class family, Shaw had plenty of criticism for the upper-class Englishmen. Especially since his political views aligned more with a socialist perspective; he thought the power to rule should be in the hands of the common man, not in the hands of whoever was the richest. He did not like to see the significant disparity between the rich and poor. In Pygmalion, he contrasts these two societies, asking questions like, Who is happier? Who is better? Who is truly growing/transforming, and who is stagnant? 

  • Science vs. Humanity: Like the Greek myth, the wealthy Professor Higgins attempts to sculpt the perfect woman for himself. During the play, Shaw examines if this type of scientific approach is actually helping the poor girl or serving to strip away the humanity of Eliza Doolittle.

Take a moment to look over your annotation charts. Which of these themes did you discuss the most?

What Is a Theme?

A theme is a universal statement that can be drawn from one work of literature and broadly applied to life or other literary works. 

This means "creation" is not a literary theme, but by examining how Pygmalion looks at the idea of creation, you can draw a theme based on the lesson or big idea Shaw was communicating about creation. For example, you could say that a theme of Pygmalion is:

  • "When men try to re-create other humans in their own image, they end up causing more harm than good."

This statement could be defended from the text of Pygmalion but also applied to other literary works. It is also a statement that can be applied in your own life and help form you as a person. 

Analyzing a Theme

Review the theme ideas you annotated as you read:

  • Appearance vs. Heart

  • Science vs. Humanity

  • Upper vs. Lower Class / Societal Expectations

Decide which one you would like to analyze further. Then:

  • 1

    1

    Brainstorm: Jot down ideas of how Pygmalion deals with the theme idea. What is the major lesson or takeaway about this idea you discovered in the play? 

    Example: This play deals with ways it is harmful to try to re-create another human in your own image like Higgins wanted to re-create Eliza after himself.

  • 2

    2

    Craft a universal statement. What might you say if you had to explain one theme to someone who had never read Pygmalion? Imagine you are simply trying to say what moral or lesson you learned from this play without any burden to explain the characters or plot.

    Example: When men try to re-create other humans in their own image, they end up causing more harm than good.

  • 3

    3

    Using your annotations, gather evidence of how the universal theme you have written is seen throughout the play. 

    Example:

    • Higgins says he can re-invent her into a duchess (Act I). 

    • Higgins ends the experiment by saying he has "Created this thing out of the cabbage leaves" (Act V). 

    • Eliza, Mrs. Higgins, and Mrs. Pearce all ask what will become of Eliza after this experiment—they all worry for her identity and person as she is being made into something new (Acts II, IV). 

  • 4

    4

    Brainstorm a few real-world scenarios where you could use or apply this theme.

    Example: Young people get into dating relationships thinking they will change the other person to be more like them or more like their ideal boyfriend/girlfriend, but this ends up hurting both of them.

  • 5

    5

    Come up with your thesis statement. What is the main argument or point you would like to express about this theme in Pygmalion? In the example thesis statement below, you can see the essay will focus on Shaw's theme of re-creation and why it is seen as negative in the play. The essay will focus on two main points: how this type of re-creation harms the person doing it and the person receiving it. 

    Example: In Pygmalion, Shaw explores the idea that humans attempting to re-create each other is harmful to both the "creator" and the "creation."

Your Essay

Your essay should:

  • Be a minimum of two (2) pages. 

  • Include an introduction paragraph that clearly states the theme you have written and includes the thesis statement to give direction to the argument/essay. 

  • Include specific examples from the play to support your argument. You can use your annotations charts to help you gather this evidence.

  • Include at least one example of how this theme might be seen in a real-life situation. You might include this in one of your main argument paragraphs or the conclusion paragraph.

  • Be organized with an introduction paragraph, body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. 

  • Be edited for appropriate grammar/spelling.