Pygmalion: Social Class and Liza

1. Signifi poopce of Title The significance of the title, Pygmalion is in course of actionical mythology, The t give birth Cyprus Pygmalion was a king who deeply fell in love with the statue of Aphrodite. Pygmalion had fancy nonhing provided beauty in his mind. He worked human racey numberless days and nights in search of loveliness beyond his powers of expression. The statue got the life, in his avocation for ideal beauty and divines grace. Over time the dickens were married and he gave her the name Galatea. In contrast to Shaws play, Pygmalion professor Higgins the scientist of phonetics is a Pygmalion and a convent garden flower young lady Eliza is a Galatea the statue, who bequeath be later alter by Higgins into an focal ratio cast lady. though Higgins creates a new Liza, he doesnt marry her unlike the Greek leg closedown. The title has mythic and suggestive appeal to it.2. Setting The sicting of Pygmalion is set in England around the late 1800s and azoic 1900s. Why Shaw chose this setting, it is when and where he lived, alone it is important to the story in m both ways. He was an effective complaisantist, in many of his overbolds they were based on companionable and political issues like capitalist economy and socialism. In Pygmalion, Shaw lays down his beliefs and teaches us active society in the early 1900s. This was a time when people were just scratch line to be qualified to move up in society, if you were poor at birth, you could raise yourself to a higher level by working hard, like Liza. Women were finally starting to be considered more than just the homebuilders they were starting to be viewed as the oculus of the family.Shaw supported the idea that women should get the same opportunities as men, as well he believed strongly in equality for all mankind. In this story it tells about a working young lady who gets an opportunity to become top(prenominal) class lady. Throughout the novel, Shaw keeps the contrast between wor king class and the essence class by using strong characters from twain sectors. The setting provides events and opinions from both sides of class divided. When the two different worlds be clashed unitedly the results be interesting. England is also a major part of the setting, because it had a more rigid social structure at the time of the story than America did. It was easier to spot the releases that unbroken Liza stapled to the gutter of society.3. Theme There are many reputations in this novel. One of themes is Professionalism, the idea of fe young-begetting(prenominal) professions were somewhat new, in this time period. Women were slackly housewives before this period and there is some resistance to the idea of that male professions being entered by womanlys. When Liza opening a flower glom and she comes from the lower class, its al more or less treating to the males because its one job that the female took away from them. Gentility and Manners is another theme. The upper class was associated with generally good manners. The origins position on manners was a bit unclear.Since hes a socialist, a person big businessman think he wouldnt pay off no time for them because they are a maker of class divisions. though Pickerings treating everyone like a duchess, while Higginss pattern is treating everyone like trash. At the end of the novel Liza thanks Pickering for teaching her manners if it wasnt for him she would have neer learned them. Change and Transformation is also another theme. The central theme and plot of the novel is the transformation of Liza. At first it appears to rest in the power Higgins expresses buy achieving his transformation. He quotes, How f castigatefully interesting it is to take a homosexual being and change her into a quite different human being by creating a new speech for her. Liza becomes the central in the play. The learning of independence and the sense of inner self-worth is the true greatness that allows her to leave Higgins.4. Characters Liza Doolittle is around eighteen and twenty years of age, a cockney flower girl who is energetic and street-smart. She is intelligent though was not educated by the traditional standards. Innocent vanity and consequential broadcast describe the deplorable figure. Liza is a quick learner, who learns a civil accent from Higginss and washed and dressed exquisitely as a duchess. As she is alter, she is shocked that Higgins has lost interest in her afterwards. Liza notices the difference between a flower girl and a lady and she learns that the social graces and class not the true measure of a persons worth.Henry Higgins is described as, a robust, vital appetizing sort of man, also an energetic scientific type. He is an expert in the phonetics and the author of, Higginss Universal Alphabet. His manners range from genial bullying. When he transform Liza, he is shaken by the independence Liza demonstrates and by the end of the play Higgins is able to respect her. Another character is Alfred Doolittle is an elderly except vigorous man. He thinks he deserves as much as others Though never gets anything because the disapproval of middle class morality. Alfred is a moocher that finesses loans from the more or less miserly of people.5. Conflicts There are several conflicts in this play. Higgins and Colonel Pickering have a playful bet that Higgins cant make the flower girl speak and act like a duchess. There is the issue of what we actually hear and maintain as opposed to what we think we hear and say. Higgins transforms the flower girl into an upper class duchess, and this is why Higgins forgets about her as soon as transformed her because he won the bet. Another conflict was that Liza Doolittle wants to better herself in life, than just be a lower class flower girl but is rather stuck in her position since her income fluctuates and her education is limited. This conflict is solve when Liza decides to open her own flower show, because that is what she k right offs how to do. Plus she enjoys it.6. Symbolism and imagination One of the symbols in this play is chocolate. Higgins loves chocolate while he does his studies he displays them on desk. He tried to Convince her Liza to be transformed into a duchess, he lures her with chocolate. She takes a bite of half of one. Before she can reply he pops one in his mouth. In the chocolate dish before leaving his house, Liza leaves a sentimental ring presumptuousness to her by him.Liza taking a bite of chocolate represents trust. capital would be another symbol because it defines the difference between lower, middle, upper class depending how much money you have. The ring is also another symbol. Usually a ring symbolizes love and marriage though Higgins and Liza were never together she leaves the ring by the chocolate dish. This indicates that she doesnt trust him no more, since she left the ring by the chocolates and that she doesnt have any more feelings for him. Eliz a has now moved on.7. Authors style Shaws style in his novel, Pygmalion is Intellect vs. Entertainment Shaw not only wants to just entertain his audience, he also wants them to learn about social issues. Usually theatre plays are strictly to just entertain Shaw adds his own twist to it (to learn as well). Rather than dramatic tension, his plays do tend toward discussion. Shaw understood what made plays theatrical performance thats why he succeeded in his plays. His belief in the wishing for social improvement didnt however discourage him for adding humor into his plays. Pygmalion most people would think that his novel would have to do with romance but it doesnt at all. After reading the novel you might examine that it is a romance novel, because Eliza and Higgins. Romance has been distinguished as exotic, exaggerated narratives and view characters. And Pygmalion is a romance not the typical one but because of the witching(prenominal) transformation throughout the play.8. Key Qu otations A woman who utters such demoralise and disgusting sounds has no right to be anywhere no right to live (Act.1 ) By this quote Higgins does accept all the class divisions. He believes that since Liza didnt inherit in being an upper class lady, only he can bestow worth upon her, by share her become a lady in societys eyes. You bustt grapple. I know you dont care. You wouldnt care if I was dead. Im nothing to you-not so much as them slippers (Act4 pg64) This shows Lizas transformation and how it changed her, they even though she completely changed in appearance deep down she is nothing like Higgins or any upper class person.She has a different way of explaining things and she wants to be her own person, but still use the traits of an upper class lady. You are surely are a pretty pair of babies, playing with your live hoot(Act3 pg.53) Mrs. Higgins doesnt agree with what her husband is doing with Liza, at first she was somewhat authorise with the idea, but now she thinks its wrong because he going to have nothing to do with her afterwards.