Squashed Cabbage Leaf to Queen

Squashed Cabbage Leaf to Queen of Sheba: The Path Was Rife With Problems, Starting From Within Henry Higgins Himself

Pygmalion" is a tale of change. It is a tale of transformation imposed upon a woman who swallows her own considerable pride to be taken in by a man with perhaps the greatest degree of hubris in modern literature.

Professor Henry Higgins takes Eliza Doolittle in as a challenge, not for her in her conversion from "flower-girl" status to "Queen of Sheba," for himself in his polemic structure and style. But truth be told, the real challenge was for his ability to accomplish anything he desired.

Henry Higgins is the ultimate dilettante: He has the means to survive without truly toiling, and he has the social status to enjoy his life in the company of similarly educated people (such as Colonel Pickering). However, he feels a certain emptiness, and this emptiness is in challenge and a sense of urgency. That is where Eliza Doolittle acts as a Deus Ex-Machina for him: Suddenly, a challenge and sense of urgency veritably falls into his lap.

Take Higgins' conversation with his mother, for instance, in Act III: "Well, she must talk about something. [He controls himself and sits down again]. Oh, she'll be all right: don't you fuss. Pickering is in it with me. I've a sort of bet on that I'll pass her off as a duchess in six months. I started on her some months ago; and she's getting on like a house on fire. I shall win my bet. She has a quick ear; and she's been easier to teach than my middle-class pupils because she's had to learn a complete new language. She talks English almost as you talk French."

Higgins places all the focus not on changing a woman's life, but on the bet he has made with Colonel Pickering. The focus is on himself, and that is a major impediment to triumphing over his obstacles. In fact, upon close examination of the text, it is Eliza Doolittle's eagerness to learn that eventually results in a successful experiment, not necessarily Henry Higgins' polemic style or his motivational force or even his sheer knowledge of the English language.

Higgins triumphs despite an entirely selfish attitude, one that is bred in his secure position in life. He has all that he needs or seeks; when a new challenge erupts, he chooses to bring this new challenge into his world without at all modifying his world to meet the challenge. This almost results in failure at the ball, but in the end, success results because of Eliza Doolittle's sheer energy and willpower; and perhaps even because of her love for Higgins.

Eliza Doolittle changes into a Queen of Sheba, yes, but not through Henry Higgins' doing. His heavy-handed pedagogical techniques send her yearning for her simpler days in Covent Garden. In fact, there is no concrete proof in the play that his techniques motivate Eliza at all. She is not propelled to excel because of any of Higgins' outbursts or cruelties.