Shaw\'s Pygmalion Q\'s Shaw Claimed

Shaw's Pygmalion Q's

Shaw claimed to be an early feminist, believing women were very much equal to men in terms of cognitive ability and philosophical reasoning. Does this sentiment correspond with what you see in Eliza? Is she the true equal of her mentor? Although in many ways it appears as though Eliza is not equal to Henry Higgins, she is in fact many ways superior -- she is the one who tracks down the professor, meaning she determines her own future and is bright enough to see when opportunity is available. In the end, she has education, manners, and a heart, while Higgins is left alone; Eliza has surpassed her teacher, 2) Does Shaw truly unsettle the boundaries between classes in this play or does the end of the play ultimately affirm class boundaries and divisions? Then end of the play, too, could be read as reaffirming class divisions, but it is Eliza who rejects the upper-class and its treatment of the lower. Shaw does not suggest a breakdown of the class system, but he points out his hypocrisies and prejudices, in some ways glorifying the lower class.

3) What makes this a "classic," a "masterpiece" that transcends its original time and place? The themes the play deals with are timeless; the tile comes from a Greek myth -- the idea of creation and manipulation substituting--poorly -- for love is something that echoes with probably everyone who has ever been in any sort of relationship. This includes pretty much every human being everywhere, in any time and place.

4) One consistent theme in this play is the oddity that is the English language. Some have even argued that Shaw, like the early British Broadcasting System (BBC), wanted to standardize English pronunciation. Do you agree? or, can we read Eliza's dialect in some positive rather than critical way? Eliza's dialect is viewed with a certain negativity in this play. It is highly possible that Shaw wished to standardize English pronunciation. At the same time, Higgins uses dialects to obtain a lot of information about people; it is possible that Shaw enjoyed this fact and wouldn't wish to have it changed. Also, the dialect in no way reflects Eliza's character; Shaw is careful to point out the difference between perceived class and the true worth of an individual.