5. Pygmalion is in many ways a Cinderella story with its transformation of a poor but lovely young girl into a princess. But is Eliza the only character to undergo such a transformation? Consider her father, Alfred Doolittle, as well as Henry Higgins himself. Describe the other transformations. Whose transformation is the most significant? Why?
In the play of Pygmalion written by George Bernard Shaw, many significant characters undergo a major transformation during the plot. Primarily Eliza, who is transformed from pauper to princess in the short span of six months by her Phonetics mentor Higgins. Eliza’s father Doolittle also undergoes a dramatic change when he is offered a decent career from a joke pulled by Higgins. All of these character’s transformations parallel to the theme that one’s social class does not matter really, and that status is obtained by extremely superficial means.
George Bernard Shaw shows extreme transformation of characters from the street into the upper and middle class to signify the ridiculousness of the class system and the snootiness of the upper class. Once Eliza and Mr. Doolittle have any money at all and change their appearances in a presentable way, people suddenly start caring about them. In Eliza’s case, her transformation into a beautiful ‘princess’ evidently changes the way everyone around her treats her, “Eliza, who is exquisitely dressed, produces such a remarkable distinction and beauty as she enters that they all rise, quite fluttered. Guided by Higgins’s signals, she comes to Mrs. Higgins with studied grace(Shaw73).” In a room with the very same people Eliza met on the street as a flower girl, they are suddenly treating her with admiration and respect. Before, they treated her with a flippant attitude that could hardly be considered polite even from a higher class family like the Hills, “THE DAUGHTER: Make her give you the change. These things are only a penny a bunch(Shaw17).” The Hill’s rudeness towards Eliza highlights their hypocrisy when they treat her like royalty when she transforms into a ‘duchess’. Mr. Doolittle’s transformation, while perhaps not as radical as Eliza’s, brings him the reverse effect. After Doolittle comes into middle class wealth, he detests it. He says that he now has to have ‘middle class morality’. Both of these transformations, though different, signify the unimportance of class when it comes to people’s personalities.
In conclusion, George Bernard Shaw hides his message of how artificial social class distinctions are by showing the transformations of the characters Eliza and Mr. Doolittle. He shows the hypocrisy of upper class, and how they really can’t tell if someone is better than everyone else or not. Eliza and Doolittle’s complete transformation show that status and social class are obtained by trivial means.
In the play of Pygmalion written by George Bernard Shaw, many significant characters undergo a major transformation during the plot. Primarily Eliza, who is transformed from pauper to princess in the short span of six months by her Phonetics mentor Higgins. Eliza’s father Doolittle also undergoes a dramatic change when he is offered a decent career from a joke pulled by Higgins. All of these character’s transformations parallel to the theme that one’s social class does not matter really, and that status is obtained by extremely superficial means.
George Bernard Shaw shows extreme transformation of characters from the street into the upper and middle class to signify the ridiculousness of the class system and the snootiness of the upper class. Once Eliza and Mr. Doolittle have any money at all and change their appearances in a presentable way, people suddenly start caring about them. In Eliza’s case, her transformation into a beautiful ‘princess’ evidently changes the way everyone around her treats her, “Eliza, who is exquisitely dressed, produces such a remarkable distinction and beauty as she enters that they all rise, quite fluttered. Guided by Higgins’s signals, she comes to Mrs. Higgins with studied grace(Shaw73).” In a room with the very same people Eliza met on the street as a flower girl, they are suddenly treating her with admiration and respect. Before, they treated her with a flippant attitude that could hardly be considered polite even from a higher class family like the Hills, “THE DAUGHTER: Make her give you the change. These things are only a penny a bunch(Shaw17).” The Hill’s rudeness towards Eliza highlights their hypocrisy when they treat her like royalty when she transforms into a ‘duchess’. Mr. Doolittle’s transformation, while perhaps not as radical as Eliza’s, brings him the reverse effect. After Doolittle comes into middle class wealth, he detests it. He says that he now has to have ‘middle class morality’. Both of these transformations, though different, signify the unimportance of class when it comes to people’s personalities.
In conclusion, George Bernard Shaw hides his message of how artificial social class distinctions are by showing the transformations of the characters Eliza and Mr. Doolittle. He shows the hypocrisy of upper class, and how they really can’t tell if someone is better than everyone else or not. Eliza and Doolittle’s complete transformation show that status and social class are obtained by trivial means.