ASC DEGREE COLLEGE

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DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
PYGMALION – NOTES

Pygmalion is written in five acts. Unlike plays written with scenes that have multiple settings,
the play has only three settings: Covent Garden, Henry Higgins's apartment, and Mrs.
Higgins's apartment.

Summary

ACT 1

In Covent Garden, a district of London, a sudden torrent of rain sends people hurrying for
shelter under the portico of St. Paul's Church. Among them are a finely dressed lady and her
daughter, who have been to the theater and are now desperate to find a taxi to take them
home. Another is a man with a notebook in which he is busily writing. The lady's son,
Freddy, rushes in bearing the bad news that no cabs are available. Impatiently, his mother
sends him back out to try again. As he sets off he runs into a dirty and disheveled girl selling
flowers and sends her flower basket flying. With a swift apology he dashes out into the rain,
leaving her to pick up her scattered flowers. Despite the objections of the lady's daughter,
Clara, the lady pays the girl for two bunches of ruined violets.

Moments later, an elderly gentleman dressed in evening clothes hurries in out of the rain. He
pauses near the flower girl, who tries to sell him some flowers. He hasn't enough loose
change to pay for any but gives the girl three pence, or half pennies, and walks off. A
bystander warns the girl to give the gentleman a flower in exchange as there is another man
eavesdropping and taking down her every word. He may be a detective. Panicked that she
will be accused of soliciting for prostitution, the girl hysterically confronts the note taker,
who dismisses her fear, saying, "Oh, shut up, shut up. Do I look like a policeman?" However,
a general hubbub among the bystanders erupts in defense of the frightened girl. Things turn a
bit hostile when the note taker begins identifying where various speakers come from, based
on their speech. The people don't like the sense of being played with or patronized. The
tension eases when the note taker turns his trick on the elderly gentleman, and then on the
lady and her daughter. The note taker brags to the elderly gentleman that he could make a
duchess of the flower girl by teaching her to speak properly. Meanwhile, the rain stops, and
soon the bystanders, including the two ladies, have dispersed.

Only the elderly gentleman, note taker, and flower girl remain. It turns out the men share a
common interest in language and have been intending to seek each other out. The elderly
gentleman is Colonel Pickering, a student of Indian dialects and the author of Spoken
Sanscrit. The gentleman is Professor Henry Higgins, author of Higgins's Universal Alphabet.
Higgins invites Pickering around to his home at 27A Wimpole Street the next day, and the
two men depart for a chat over some supper. At the pricking of his conscience, Higgins tosses
a handful of coins in the flower girl's basket as he leaves. It's a fortune by her standards, and
when poor Freddy pulls up in a taxi for his mother and sister (who have taken the bus), she
takes it off his hands and goes home in style.

Analysis

Act 1 serves three main purposes: to introduce the play's three main characters, establish the
central premise of the play, and provide social context for the events that will unfold.

The first main character introduced is the flower girl, later revealed to be Eliza Doolittle.
Shaw's description of her and her first nearly unintelligible words to Freddy's mother paint
the picture of a girl doomed to a life of struggle by her appearance, manners, and way of
speaking. Translated, her statement to the mother that begins, "Ow, eez ye-ooa san, is e? Wal,
fewd dan y'de-ooty bawmz a mather ..." means "Oh, he's your son, is he? Well, if you'd done
your duty by him as a mother should, he'd know better than you to spoil a poor girl's flowers
and then run away without paying. Will you pay me for them?" Her Cockney accent attracts
the attention of the note taker (Professor Henry Higgins), and he writes down her exchange
with the gentleman, later identified as Colonel Pickering. Pickering, of course, turns out to be
a language expert like Higgins. In this way, language draws the three characters into a lasting
relationship that is basic to the plot.

Language, in fact, is the unifying thread in a network of characters that emerge as the act
progresses. Gathered beneath the portico of St. Paul's Church while sheltering from the rain,
an array of London citizenry represent the different levels of Victorian society, from the high
class of Higgins and Pickering to the low class of Eliza. The mother and daughter (Clara)
represent the genteel poor—those born into wealth but who have fallen on hard times. The
bystanders represent classes in between—those who work in service or at a trade and those
who have the potential for upward mobility.

The origins of all the characters can all be identified by their patterns of speech. For example,
Eliza's Cockney accent places her home in Lisson Grove, a former slum area in central
London—not "fit for a pig to live in," according to Eliza—urbanized during the mid-19th
century and remaining poor into the 20th century. Higgins identifies the bystander as coming
from the seaside village of Selsey, and the sarcastic bystander's speech patterns place him in
the trade and manufacturing center of Hoxton. Shaw uses the characters, especially Eliza, to
establish the main premise of the play: the role of language in determining a person's place in
society. Shaw asks, can an expert in speech teach a common girl speaking "kerbstone
English" to pass as a member of the elite class?

Higgins specializes in helping people hide their places of origin by teaching them to speak
properly. As he says, it "is an age of upstarts," and society is changing. Industrialization and
capitalism have created the possibility of upward mobility. Yet, Victorian class standards still
prevail, and speaking properly is key. As Higgins says, men who begin in Kentish Town—a
working-class district of London—and end in upper-crust Park Lane "want to drop Kentish
Town; but they give themselves away every time they open their mouths." Just as he claims
to help them, he says that he could pass Eliza off as a duchess at an ambassador's garden
party if given just three months with her. This plants the seed in Eliza's mind that leads her to
Higgins's home in Act 2; it also foreshadows her later triumph at the ambassador's party.

Clothing is also an important feature in this act and throughout the play. Eliza's dirty, shabby
clothes, worn boots, and soot-blackened hat are clear indications of her impoverished state. In
contrast, the fine evening clothes of Pickering, Freddy, the mother, and Clara place them in
the upper classes. When Higgins is first mistaken for a policeman or informer, the bystander
points out, "It's all right: he's a gentleman: look at his boots." As the play progresses, Eliza's
clothing will reflect various stages of her transformation into a lady.

In the 1941 published play, Shaw added scenes inspired by the film adaptation of Pygmalion,
which starred Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller. The first one appears at the end of Act 1
when Eliza takes a taxi to her lodgings. Shaw describes the damp, dreary room decorated
with pictures torn from newspapers—a hint that Eliza dreams of something better for herself.
When the light of the gas lamp goes out, she is torn between spending another penny for light
or going to bed. At the time that Shaw wrote Pygmalion, people paid for the gas supply for a
room or house as needed by depositing a coin in a meter. Eliza's "gnawing sense of the need
for economy" wins and she crawls into bed, sleeping in her clothes to keep away the cold. In
this scene, Shaw shows the deprivation that Eliza endures and will attempt to escape.

ACT 2

The morning after the gathering under the portico of St. Paul's
Church, Pickering visits Higgins at his home and laboratory on Wimpole Street. As the
professor winds up an exhaustive demonstration of the various devices he uses to study
speech, his housekeeper, Mrs. Pearce, announces the arrival of a young woman. She is "quite
a common girl," has a dreadful accent, and insists on seeing Higgins. Thinking this may offer
an opportunity for further demonstrations, Higgins tells Mrs. Pearce to send the young
woman in.
Immediately he recognizes the flower girl from the night before and, having no further use
for her, tells her to go away. But the flower girl, whose name is Eliza, stops him with the
revelation that she has come for speech lessons, "and to pay for em, too." Eliza aspires to
become a lady in a flower shop "stead of selling at the corner of Tottenham Court Road. But
they won't take me unless I can talk more genteel." She reminds Higgins of his claim that he
could teach her, and offers him a shilling an hour to do so—quite a substantial sum for a
person with her income. The challenge intrigues Higgins. Pickering says he'll pay for the
lessons if Higgins succeeds, and count him the greatest teacher alive. Higgins accepts the
wager, vowing to "make a duchess of this draggletailed guttersnipe" in six months. Then he
instructs Mrs. Pearce to find a room for Eliza to stay in and to give her a bath, burn her
clothes, and order new garments.
Mrs. Pearce chides Higgins for thinking he can "take a girl up like that as if you were picking
up a pebble on the beach." She advises Eliza to go home to her parents, but Eliza says they
have turned her out to earn her own living. Mrs. Pearce sternly asks Higgins on what terms
Eliza will stay in the house and what will become of her when the experiment is done.
Impatient with such details, Higgins leaves them to Mrs. Pearce to settle with Eliza.

While Eliza bathes, "an elderly but vigorous dustman" who claims to be Eliza's father visits
Higgins and Pickering. He is Alfred Doolittle, a callous, unprincipled scoundrel who has
come to touch Higgins for money in exchange for Eliza. Higgins is struck by Doolittle's
natural gift of rhetoric and shocked by the man's lack of morals. But Doolittle unabashedly
explains that he is too poor to afford them, and he assures Higgins that the money will be
well spent: "There won't be a penny of it left by Monday ... Just one good spree for myself
and the missus." As he leaves five pounds richer, he encounters a young "Japanese lady" in a
blue kimono. Begging her pardon, he is astonished to discover that it's Eliza. She has cleaned
up quite nicely. With a last word of advice to Higgins to take a strap to her if he wants her
mind improved, Doolittle departs.
Eliza is darkly pleased to see him go and has no desire to see him again. Moments later, her
new clothes arrive, and with a howl of delight she rushes from the room to try them on.
Higgins and Pickering can see they have "taken on a stiff job."

Analysis

Act 2 sets up the experiment that will raise Eliza from low- to upper-class status. It also
reveals the personal reasons Eliza, Higgins, and Pickering have for taking on the daring task.
Two additional characters are introduced—Mrs. Pearce and Alfred Doolittle—who will play
minor, though influential, roles in Eliza's story.
As described, Higgins's laboratory was intended to be a drawing room—a room in a large
private house in which guests can be received and entertained. The fact that Higgins has
turned it into a laboratory symbolizes his disregard for convention as well as conventional
behavior or expectations. In general, the room reflects the character of an intellectual, social
nonconformist who has the enthusiasm for his field of study and the required skill to gamble
on transforming a flower girl into a lady. There are spots of comfort, like the easy chair near
the fire and the dessert dish heaped with fruits and sweets. Otherwise, everything is useful
and handy, set up for Higgins's tastes, interests, and pursuits. Even the art on the walls echoes
his scientific nature, featuring subdued architectural engravings and portraits in steel or
copper. There are no paintings, which reflects his preference for austerity over Victorian art's
vibrant colors.

When Eliza presents herself to Higgins, she has attempted to clean herself up and dress for
the occasion. There is verbal irony in her exchange with Higgins when he calls her "so
deliciously low—so horribly dirty." Knowing no better, Eliza wails in reply, "I ain't dirty: I
washed my face and hands afore I come, I did." However, there is nothing to laugh at when
Eliza reveals her reason for wanting lessons. She is nothing but a Cockney flower girl yet she
dares to tell two gentlemen—one of whom has shown her little respect—that she dreams of
being a lady in a flower shop some day. It is a bold, courageous leap that could have cruelly
ended in crushed hopes. The willingness to take a risk is one of Eliza's strengths. Other
strengths were glimpsed earlier in Act 1, such as her inherent self-respect ("My character is
the same to me as any lady's") and a strong sense of propriety ("I'm a good girl, I am").
Higgins takes on the challenge of turning Eliza into a lady without thought to what it will
mean to Eliza. The prospect fascinates him, and he considers it one of life's "inspired follies"
that should not be missed. Pickering is similarly interested, though from the beginning he
views Eliza as a person and treats her kindly. Throughout the play, he will act as a foil for
Higgins—his respectful demeanor and consideration for Eliza counterbalancing Higgins's
rudeness and insensitivity.

Higgins's housekeeper, Mrs. Pearce, does her part in protecting Eliza from Higgins—at first,
pressing him to be reasonable and to send Eliza back to her parents. Discovering that Eliza is
on her own, Mrs. Pearce then asks Higgins to consider what's to become of her when he
completes his teaching. She knows Higgins is not cruel in his thoughtlessness and is equally
reckless about outcomes for himself. "When you get what you call interested in people's
accents," she says, "you never think or care what may happen to them or you." She assumes a
motherly sternness as she takes Eliza in hand, gets her scrubbed and cleaned, and presents her
to Higgins and Pickering. This relationship will continue to strengthen as the play progresses.
The introduction of Eliza's father, Alfred Doolittle, provides insight into Eliza's rough
upbringing and her father's perspective on being one of the "undeserving poor." Doolittle has
no interest in Eliza's welfare beyond the money he can wheedle out of Higgins. "What's a five
pound note to you?" he asks Higgins. "And what's Eliza to me?" While Eliza wants to better
herself, Doolittle has no desire to better himself. He explains, "Undeserving poverty is my
line. Taking one station in society with another ... it's the only one that has any ginger in it, to
my taste." There is little love lost between daughter and father, and Eliza states after Doolittle
leaves, "I don't want never to see him again, I don't. He's a disgrace to me."
As in the previous act, Shaw carefully describes clothing and appearances. Doolittle's
dustman (garbage man) garb and "professional flavor of dust" leave no doubt as to his social
status. Eliza's appearance after her bath represents the first step in her transformation. The
dirty flower girl is gone, replaced with "a dainty and exquisitely clean young Japanese lady in
a simple blue cotton kimono" that even her father does not recognize—until, of course, she
speaks.
Two optional scenes are included in the 1941 version of Act 2. The first is the bath scene,
which is only alluded to in the original text. Here, Eliza expresses genuine dread of taking a
bath, certain that it will be the death of her. The idea of the bath also offends her sense of
decency, as she will have to remove her clothes. When Mrs. Pearce tells her that she will be
expected to remove her clothes nightly and wear a proper nightdress, Eliza's fear that she will
"lie awake shivering half the night" provides a glimpse into the deprivation that she has dealt
with. "But you don't know what the cold is to me," she says, "how I dread it."

The second optional scene, placed at the end of Act 2, presents Eliza's first speech lesson.
Though it ends in tears of frustration, Eliza shows that she has a quick ear and the talent to
learn.

ACT 3

The story moves to the drawing room at the home of Higgins's mother. Elegantly furnished, it
reflects a woman of wealth and refinement. It is Mrs. Higgins's day for receiving visitors, and
she is not pleased when her son bursts in without warning. He lacks social graces and tends to
insult her guests. Higgins further surprises her with news that he has asked a common flower
girl whom he has taught to speak properly to come see her. However, as he explains, while
her pronunciation is quite good she still needs to learn what to talk about. He hopes his
mother can help. The extent of the problem soon becomes humorously clear.
Mrs. Higgins's other guests arrive, and among them is Mrs. Eynsford Hill, the genteel lady
from Act 1 who purchased the flowers spoiled by her son, Freddy. He, too, is present, as are
her daughter, Clara, and Pickering—the last to arrive before Eliza makes her entrance.
Elegantly dressed, the former flower girl creates an impression of exceptional beauty and
sophistication while she perfectly articulates her greetings. As Mrs. Higgins later comments,
Eliza is "a triumph of [her son's] art and of her dressmaker's." Nevertheless, in a scene that is
both hilarious and nerve-racking, Eliza soon slips into an unsuitable family tale of a
"pinched" straw hat, a suspected murder, and some hard gin drinking. With a bit of quick
thinking, Higgins passes it all off as "the new small talk," and Eliza tells the tale so
charmingly that the Eynsford Hills suspect nothing. Freddy, in fact, is captivated by her
loveliness and odd ways. As she leaves, he takes her to the door and inquires if she intends to
walk home. Her reply, "Not bloody likely. I am going in a taxi," is shocking but fails to
destroy the overall delightful impression she has made.
Once alone with Higgins and Pickering, Mrs. Higgins passes judgment on the whole affair,
telling them that Eliza is not presentable and gives herself away "in every sentence she
utters." Learning more about the experiment, she chides both men for treating Eliza like a live
doll—a thing to be dressed and taught to speak but with no feelings or future. The results of
teaching Eliza to look and sound like a fine lady will likely leave her caught between two
worlds—one in which she still needs to earn a living, the other in which her new status
disqualifies her from doing so. Both men miss the point completely, vaguely assuring Mrs.
Higgins that "we'll do what's right." Then they leave with plans to take Eliza to a Shakespeare
exhibition. Alone with her frustration over the obtuseness of the two, Mrs. Higgins cries out,
"Oh, men! men!! men!!!"
In later editions of the play, an important "optional scene" follows, influenced by the
screenplay Shaw wrote for the film adaptation of Pygmalion. The setting is a party one
summer evening at an embassy in London, where Higgins puts Eliza's education to the final
test. The greatest obstacle to her success is Nepommuck, a Hungarian interpreter and
Higgins's former student who may expose her as an aristocratic impostor. Nepommuck does
accuse her of being a fraud, but for speaking English too perfectly. He determines she is a
Hungarian princess. The experiment proves a success, and Higgins wins the wager with
Pickering.

Analysis

The key developments in Act 3 are the introduction of Mrs. Higgins, Eliza's first appearance
in London society, and the outcome of that incident.
Just as Higgins's laboratory expresses his character, Mrs. Higgins's drawing room reflects an
educated, free-thinking woman of wealth, sophistication, refined taste, and modern leanings.
Her home is situated in Chelsea, an artist's quarter in London. The Morris wallpaper, curtains,
and similar decor show her interest in a popular decorative and fine arts movement of the
time: the Arts and Crafts Movement. The movement developed from a concern over the
effects of industrialization and set standards for home decor that aligned with emerging ideals
of beauty. Designer and artist William Morris was a leading figure in this movement. Mrs.
Higgins further proclaims her modernity with open spaces and uncluttered surfaces, rejecting
the fussy Victorian style that left nothing unadorned. Her taste in artwork is refined, and her
portrait is in the romantic style of the Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, whose
work led to a widespread recognition of the need for beauty in everyday life.
Mrs. Higgins's home is the perfect setting for Eliza. In her clothing and mannerisms, the
Flower Girl has made great strides. Even her speech is perfectly articulated. However, her
choice of topic hardly matches either her exquisite appearance or language, especially her use
of bloody, a word considered obscene in Shaw's time. It should have given her away, yet it
does not. In this way, Shaw demonstrates the foolishness of making judgments based on
appearances.
In the encounter with the Eynsford Hills, Clara is a foil for Eliza. As a lady of the upper class,
Clara has the education and refinement that Eliza desires. She has always been clean and well
dressed and is at home in society. Eliza, in contrast, is rising from the ignorance and squalor
of poverty. She knows what it is to be dirty, cold, and ill dressed. Clara represents everything
to which Eliza aspires and, in the meeting, is the benchmark against which her progress will
be measured. However, both women are wearing a mask and putting on a show. Clara is
aware of her family's decline in wealth and exhibits "the bravado of genteel poverty." Eliza
knows where she comes from and does her best to imitate a lady.

In this act, new relationships form, which will have far-reaching effects as the play continues.
The first is one of sympathy between Mrs. Higgins and Eliza. Despite her modern leanings,
Mrs. Higgins is a product of the Victorian Era, which confines women to strictly defined
roles in society. She conforms to her role and sees the dangers for Eliza. Though some
women are demanding increased political and legal rights and greater economic
opportunities, Mrs. Higgins recognizes that those opportunities may not be available to
Eliza—her son and Pickering are jeopardizing the girl's future. Her sympathy for Eliza is
established when Higgins carelessly replies, "There's no good bothering now. The thing's
done."
A second relationship forms between Freddy and Eliza. He is smitten with her beauty and
unconventional ways. Later, his adoration will be a source of comfort for Eliza and of
irritation for Higgins.
The optional scene at the end of Act 3 in the 1941 version of Pygmalion provides a deeper
insight into Higgins's character. Curious and clever Nepommuck divines—incorrectly—that
Eliza is a Hungarian princess, proving Higgins's premise that acquiring proper speech will
breach social barriers. However, Higgins is disappointed that it was so easy to fool his former
student and the elites at the party. Instead of reveling in the victory, he says to Eliza and
Pickering, "Let us get out of this. I have had enough of chattering to these fools."
ACT 4

It's midnight, and Eliza, Higgins, and Pickering are returning to Wimpole Street after the
exhausting but highly successful final test of Eliza's skills. Higgins scornfully remarks, "Oh
Lord! What an evening! What a crew! What a silly tomfoolery!" Then, complaining that he
cannot find his slippers, he takes no notice when Eliza finds and places them before him and
continues to sound off about the party, saying, "Thank God it's over!" Oblivious to Eliza's
growing resentment, he labels the whole experiment as a "bore" and "simple purgatory," and
then states that he "can go to bed at last without dreading tomorrow." Eliza holds her temper
until Higgins and Pickering leave the room, and then bursts into tears of rage.
Moments later, Higgins returns, once more searching for his slippers, and she throws them at
him with all her strength. She has won his bet for him, and now he has no more use for her.
"What's to become of me?" she demands. Higgins attempts to persuade her that she is simply
tired and suffering a case of nerves; a good night's sleep will make things right. After all, she
is now free and can do what she likes. Gradually, he understands that she has no idea what
she is fit for or what will become of her. Clumsily, he suggests that she could find a rich man
to marry who will take care of her—a solution Eliza rejects: "We were above that at the
corner of Tottenham Court ... I sold flowers. I didn't sell myself."

Refusing to take the problem seriously, Higgins starts off for bed. He stops when Eliza
quietly asks, "Do my clothes belong to me or to Colonel Pickering?" She wants to know what
she can take with her and doesn't "want to be accused of stealing." He is shocked, then further
angered when she hands him the jewels he rented for her along with a ring that he bought her,
telling him she doesn't want it anymore. Dashing the ring into the fireplace, he stalks out and
slams the door.

In another important "optional scene" Eliza changes clothes and leaves the house. Outside,
she comes upon Freddy gazing up at her window. Love-struck, he spends most of his nights
there on the street. Hungry for comfort, Eliza falls into his arms and responds to his
passionate kisses—until first one, then another constable tells them to move along. They end
up in a taxi with a plan to drive around all night. In the morning, Eliza will visit Mrs.
Higgins and ask her advice on what she should do.

Analysis

In this act, the evening's success is the culmination of all Eliza and Higgins have worked to
achieve. Yet, the turning point in the play occurs after the victory. Eliza's contribution to the
evening's triumph—her months of tireless study and fine performance—go unacknowledged
by Higgins and barely touched upon by Pickering. The professor still sees Eliza as little more
than a means to an end, a way of proving his theory about language and his genius as a
teacher. In Act 1, Pickering asks, "Does it occur to you, Higgins, that the girl has some
feelings?" Higgins replies, "Oh no, I don't think so. Not any feelings that we need bother
about." Clearly, nothing has changed for Higgins. Eliza now feels the sting of his words
deeply when he acts as if the experiment has been a bore and the outcome somewhat
meaningless. When Pickering compliments him, saying, "There's always something
professional about doing a thing superlatively well," Higgins answers, "Yes: that's what
drives me mad: the silly people don't know their own silly business." In other words, they
were easy to fool and no thanks to Eliza.
The crisis comes when Eliza gives vent to her anger and frustration, finally standing up to
Higgins in the face of his insensitivity. Fear floods her at the thought that, having no further
use for her, he will abandon her, throwing her into the street—just as her father and
stepmother had done. She has had a taste of life as a lady and acquired all the necessary
attributes. Her dreams have grown beyond merely working in a flower shop. As Mrs.
Higgins had predicted in Act 3, she now has "the manners and habits that disqualify a fine
lady from earning her own living" and has no means of supporting herself.
Higgins dismisses her fear, suggests that now she could marry well, and advises her to take a
good look in a mirror—"you won't feel so cheap," meaning, worthless. Throughout the
experiment, Higgins has viewed Eliza as his creation, and the changes he has imposed are
superficial: language, clothing, and manners. Therefore, in his perception Eliza is what he can
see and hear, and he assumes this is all that matters to her as well. In Act 3, he speaks to his
mother about the human soul, saying that proper speech can fill up "the deepest gulf that
separates class from class and soul from soul." Even so, Higgins has not yet seen that Eliza
possesses this feature.

In the 1913 version of the play, Higgins takes the ring Eliza returns to him along with her
rented jewelry and throws the ring violently into the fireplace. The scene ends with Eliza "on
her knees on the hearthrug," searching through the ashes for the ring—an image suggestive of
the fairy tale character Cinderella. In the 1941 version, this scene leads into the optional
scene with Freddy. Eliza retrieves the ring and puts it on the dessert stand where she knows
Higgins will find it, being so fond of sweets. She then goes upstairs, changes her clothes, and
leaves. Outside, when Freddy sees her he properly addresses her as "Miss Doolittle." Judging
herself by Higgins's behavior, Eliza rebukes him, saying, "Don't you call me Miss Doolittle,
do you hear? Liza's good enough for me." She "knows" she is only a low-class flower girl
masquerading as a lady. Nevertheless, Freddy's affection is comforting and the tonic she
needs.
ACT 5

The next day, Mrs. Higgins is in her drawing room when the parlor-maid announces that
Higgins and Pickering are downstairs phoning the police about Eliza's disappearance. Mrs.
Higgins sends the parlor-maid upstairs, where Eliza has taken shelter, to ask that she stay
there until she is sent for. Mrs. Higgins then chastises her son and Pickering for their
thoughtless treatment of the girl, but the arrival of Doolittle cuts the scolding short. He enters
dressed in the height of fashion for a bridegroom and in a highly agitated state. Without
greetings, he accosts Higgins with the heated accusation, "See here! Do you see this? You
done this." Doolittle then explains that Higgins's offhand remark in a letter to a rich
gentleman has delivered him into the hands of "middle class morality." The gentleman died
and left the dustman a generous yearly pension. Now his happy days are over as one of the
undeserving poor, and everyone wants to "touch" him for money, just as he used to do. In
addition, his live-in missus now wants to get married.
Seeing a solution to Eliza's financial future in her father's newfound wealth, Mrs. Higgins
reveals that the girl is upstairs. Explaining how she came to be there, Mrs. Higgins again
reproaches her son and Pickering for their callous conduct the night before. Then sending for
Eliza, she asks Doolittle to wait on the balcony until Eliza is ready for the shock of his news.

Eliza enters, looking coolly self-possessed, and politely greets the two men. She then thanks
Pickering for always treating her well and showing her respect. "The difference between a
lady and a flower girl," she explains, "is not how she behaves, but how she's treated ... I can
be a lady to you, because you always treat me as a lady, and always will." Higgins's arrogant,
ill-mannered reaction to this prompts Doolittle to make his presence known to Eliza. After an
awkward moment, he and Eliza are guardedly reunited, and she agrees to come along to see
him married.

For a few moments before leaving, Eliza and Higgins are left alone. Higgins tries to convince
her that he did not treat her any differently than anyone else, that he treats everybody rudely.
Then he softens a bit and tells her that he will miss her if she leaves. Knowing Higgins will
never change and refusing to be trapped by sentimentality, Eliza suggests that she may
marry Freddy and support them both by teaching phonetics, possibly as an assistant to
Nepommuck. Outraged, Higgins grabs her and threatens to wring her neck if she does. Yet he
suddenly sees something in Eliza that he has overlooked until now: No longer a sniveling
flower girl, Eliza is a woman, "a tower of strength: a consort battleship." He likes her like
this. Even so, as the play closes, Eliza seems set on a path away from Higgins. In contrast, the
professor remains cheerfully confident that she will return to Wimpole Street and continue to
be part of his life.

Analysis

A play's resolution, or denouement, usually ties up all the loose plot threads and answers any
lingering questions. However, Shaw breaks with tradition and leaves the question of Eliza's
future unanswered. Higgins and Eliza talk about the possibilities—marriage to Freddy,
reconciliation and return to Higgins, a return to her father—but nothing is conclusive. Eliza
declares her independence from Higgins, says good-bye for the last time, and sweeps out of
the room. Even so, there is no guarantee that she intends never to see him again, and Higgins
himself is confident that she will return. The resolution, then, is left up to the audience and
depends on their interpretation of events, what they learned about the characters, and their
own romantic tendencies.
The final act also raises a fresh question: Is Eliza better off now that she is a lady? Shaw
uses Doolittle's reappearance as a wealthy gentleman to clarify the question, but not the
answer. In contrast to Eliza, Doolittle's rise in social status is not wished for. He was happy as
a member of "the undeserving poor" and, still a dustman at heart, mourns the loss of freedom
to live as he likes. Unhappy in his newfound wealth, he feels like a victim of middle-class
morality, forced to act respectably and responsibly. At the same time, he lacks the courage to
reject the generous inheritance, feeling caught between "the Skilly of the workhouse and the
Char Bydis of the middle class." He is referencing a story from Homer's The Odyssey in
which a narrow sea passage is guarded on one side by Scylla, a sea monster, and on the other
by Charybdis, a deadly whirlpool.
Unlike her father, Eliza wants to be a lady, and views returning to the ways of a flower girl as
a "relapse into the gutter." She has lost the knack for her old ways and has grown beyond her
dream of selling flowers in a shop. Her only path is forward, but she faces new limitations
based on her elite status. So, despite new advantages, is the lady better off than the flower
girl?

Shaw also uses Act 5 to explore the essential qualities of a lady and of change. Underscoring
the power of language, Eliza attributes her true transformation to Pickering always calling her
"Miss Doolittle" and treating her like a lady. His respect creates a frame of reference—a
possibility that she can fulfill. While acquiring good manners and fine speech, she also
assimilates this new perception of herself. Higgins cannot see Eliza as anything but a flower
girl until she establishes herself as his equal: self-assured and independent. At this point, the
transformation is real and complete. Eliza, in her soul, truly "owns" her status as a lady, and
not even Higgins, her creator, can take that away.

THEMES

In the preface to Pygmalion, Shaw states that plays should always be instructive.
Subsequently, this play asks socially conscious questions and explores problematic themes.

Language as a Class Barrier

Shaw laments the fact that the English do not sufficiently value the power of their language.
Through the character of Higgins in Act 1, he reminds the audience that articulate speech is a
divine gift, and the eloquent words of Shakespeare and Milton and the Bible form the basis of
their native tongue. The defining nature of language is illustrated when Higgins accurately
pinpoints the geographic origins of various people among those sheltering from the rain. He
then declares that the flower girl Eliza's kerbstone English will "keep her in the gutter." Yet
by teaching her better English, he could pass her off as a duchess. This boast serves as the
catalyst for all that follows in the play as Shaw attempts to show that social placement is not
innate and, hand in hand with language, may be acquired.
There is danger in the experiment to teach Eliza to speak well. As pointed out by Mrs.
Higgins in Act 3, Eliza will be stranded between two worlds when she has "the manners and
habits that disqualify a fine lady from earning her own living without giving her a fine lady's
income." Shaw emphasizes the rigid hierarchy of English society through a variety of
characters from different socioeconomic levels. Eliza, with her Cockney dialect, is associated
with the lowest social rank. In contrast, Higgins and Pickering represent the elite. Between
the two levels are Mrs. Pearce, a member of the servant class; Doolittle, representing the
middle class (following his inheritance); and the Eynsford Hills, standing in for the genteel
poor—those whose higher living standards have been reduced by hard times.
The power of language to break through social barriers is fully realized in Eliza's triumphant
performance at the ambassador's party. She is perceived to be a duchess. Yet victory has its
price. In Act 5, she tells Higgins that she is like a child who has come to a foreign country
who "picks up the language in a few weeks, and forgets its own." She can speak nothing but
his language now, which cuts her off from her former life. Feeling abandoned by Higgins and
faced with an uncertain future, she says, "Oh! if I only COULD go back to my flower basket!
I should be independent of both you and father and all the world!" But language has
irreversibly placed her in society's higher echelon, and she must—and will—find a new way
to strike out on her own.

Transformation

Shaw explores the theme of transformation by showing how a poor flower girl becomes a
lovely, self-reliant lady, both superficially and at heart. Her metamorphosis begins with an
idea planted by Higgins when he tells Pickering in Act I that he could teach "this creature" to
speak like a duchess. It takes a further step when she is given a bath in Act 2, cleaning her up
so well that even her father does not recognize her. By the time she visits Higgins's mother
in Act 3, the transformation is well on its way. As Mrs. Higgins tells her son, "She's a
triumph of your art and of her dressmaker's."
Nevertheless, the changes so far are only external. Like "visible Speech"—the notation
system Higgins uses for visualizing the production of speech—they are merely the sight and
sound of Eliza. Higgins himself sees her in superficial terms as a pupil: "a block of wood,"
something to be shaped, an experiment. He works to "create" Eliza, like the Greek sculptor
Pygmalion created his sculpture, and several times Higgins refers to her as a "creature".
The professor does not realize that a deeper, more important transformation is taking place—
something he cannot take credit for. It is the awakening of Eliza's soul. From the beginning,
the qualities required lie within her, like uncultivated seeds. For example, in Act 1, while she
appears rough, ill-mannered, and saucy, she displays a crude sense of dignity when she thinks
Higgins is a policeman who may accuse her of soliciting for prostitution. Defensively, she
asserts, "He's no right to take away my character. My character is the same to me as any
lady's." A quality of courage comes to light when Eliza seeks out Higgins and lays before him
her fragile dream to become a lady. She then pursues that goal with diligence. However, it is
after the ambassador's party that Eliza becomes a lady in more than speech and manners. In
response to Higgins's insensitive treatment, she takes a stand for her own self-worth and
dignity and then leaves him. She understands that this aspect of her metamorphosis was
sparked by Pickering. In Act 5, she asks the colonel, "But do you know what began my real
education? ... Your calling me Miss Doolittle that day when I first came to Wimpole Street.
That was the beginning of self-respect for me." She further explains, "The difference between
a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she is treated."
All three facets of Eliza's transformation—sight, sound, and soul—come together when, at
last, she breaks free of Higgins, her creator. Like Pygmalion's ivory sculpture, she is brought
to passionate life. No longer a "squashed cabbage" or even a duchess, she becomes an
independent woman. It is important to note that Shaw is pointedly contrasting Eliza to
Pygmalion's idealized statue. In Ovid's version of the story, Pygmalion and Galatea, the
statue now brought to life, marry and live happily ever after. But Galatea is nothing more
than a blushing bride with little agency. Shaw rejects this version to show the foolishness of a
man who would fashion a human being in this simplistic way.

Appearance and Identity

In Act 1 of Pygmalion, Henry Higgins is thought to be a policemen, though one bystander

points out, "It's all right: he's a gentleman: look at his boots." Throughout the play,
appearances identify the social status of characters. How they speak, how they dress, their
money (or lack of it), and their manners and morality all serve as indicators. Yet the signs are
superficial, often contradicting reality, as in the case of Henry Higgins who has all the
trappings of a gentleman and few of the expected social graces. And as Eliza demonstrates
most clearly, it is the reality beneath appearances that matters. While exploring the
relationship between appearances and a person's identity, Shaw suggests that the outward
show can be a reflection, a mask, or a means of changing identity.
Pickering offers an example of the mirror-like nature of appearances. He appears as a well-
dressed gentleman of military bearing. In keeping with this upper-class facade, he is kind and
well-mannered to everyone, without consideration of social standing. For example, in Act 1,
his speech and conduct do not change whether he is speaking to Clara and her mother, the
flower girl, or Higgins. Another example of this theme is the behavior of Eliza's
father, Doolittle, as he is introduced in Act 2. His crude speech and manners, dustman's
clothing, poor financial state, and questionable morality are all indicators of his station in life
as a happy member of the "undeserving poor." He has no use for middle-class morals, spends
his life "touching" others for money, and at this point he has never pretended to be other than
what he seems.
However, appearances can be deceiving and mask the true essence of a person. In Act 1,
Eliza is a dirty, disheveled flower girl who butchers the English language while wheedling a
few coins from pedestrians in exchange for flowers. Nothing about her appearance suggests
the intelligence she possesses, her desire to be a lady, or her potential. Only her protestations
of "I'm a good girl, I am" and distress at the idea of losing her character hint at hidden
qualities that later emerge. In the reverse, her father, once he comes into money, is taken for a
gentleman by his fine clothes and his adopted middle-class ways.

At the same time, appearances can be a vehicle for changing identity. This idea is
demonstrated in Eliza's transformation as well as her dilemma once she becomes a lady.
Under the guidance of Higgins and Pickering, she evolves in speech and dress, etiquette, and
expectations. However, she discovers that she no longer fits into her former situation. That
self is lost to her. Her identity—who she is and where she fits in the world—must adjust.

The fundamental nature of identity is expressed well by Higgins, who recognizes, perhaps too
late, that what lies beneath the beautiful language and clothes—the essence of Eliza—is what
matters to him. In Act 5, when he tells her he has become accustomed to her voice and
appearance, she retorts, "You have both of them on your gramophone and in your book of
photographs. When you feel lonely without me, you can turn the machine on. It's got no
feelings to hurt." Higgins replies, "I can't turn your soul on."

Femininity

Victorian values strictly defined the status and functions for women and established firm
boundaries for femininity among social classes. In Pygmalion, Shaw illustrates these class
boundaries and roles through various characters. At the bottom tier of the hierarchy is the
flower girl, Eliza, a member of the working-class poor. Mrs. Pearce, Higgins's housekeeper,
represents the servant class. Doolittle's wife-to-be—once the dustman comes into money—
represents the middle class that has achieved a higher standard of living through work. Mrs.
and Miss Eynsford-Hills, members of the genteel poor, do not work. Occupying the top tier
is Mrs. Higgins, an upper-class lady of some wealth who has raised a family and keeps a
home. Shaw aims to show in Pygmalion that such boundaries, with their fixed roles and
definitions of femininity, are artificial and can be breached.
Victorian society envisioned the ideal woman as inhabiting a separate sphere from a man: the
home, an oasis to which the man escaped from the moral taint of the business world. As wife
and mother of his children, she was calm, cheerful, efficient, and morally superior (the "angel
of the house"), and certainly did not aspire to life outside the home. Marriage and
motherhood were her means of securing financial security.

Shaw envisions a new ideal in Pygmalion: a free-spirited, educated, self-reliant, and career-
minded woman. Higgins's mother provides the model upon which the final creation—Eliza—
is based. Mrs. Higgins is intelligent, cultured, educated, and independent. Higgins himself
says, "My idea of a lovable woman is something as like you as possible" (Act 3). She
sympathizes with Eliza as the subject of her son's experiment and eventually becomes her
champion. However, it is too late for her to more fully break the social mold. She runs her
household as expected and upholds the customs of the day. The next step must be taken by a
younger woman.
In Eliza, Shaw creates a fresh ideal—a woman with all the attributes of Higgins's mother but
with the time, spirit, and ambition to go her own way. Like the mythic artist Pygmalion who
sculpts the ideal woman, Higgins and Pickering fashion Eliza into the perfect lady—refined,
self-reliant, and with all the potential this implies. Nevertheless, the question remains: Can
she break through the reigning Victorian definition of femininity set for middle- and upper-
class women? Or has she exchanged one set of limitations—those of a working-class flower
girl—for another? She still must have a means of financial survival.
It seems that society has left her three options—to marry Higgins, Pickering, or Freddy. Yet
in Act 5, Eliza herself conceives of a fourth. She, indeed, may marry Freddy, but now she has
a career choice—the capability to teach what she has learned. By exercising this choice, she
can breach established boundaries and define for herself a new femininity.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Higgins

In addition to being an authority on phonetics, Henry Higgins is the author of Higgins's

Universal Alphabet. He is described as "a robust, vital, appetizing sort of man of forty or
thereabouts" and is "of the energetic, scientific type, heartily, even violently interested in
everything that can be studied as a scientific subject." He is also "careless about himself and
other people, including their feelings." This trait becomes most evident in his treatment of
Eliza. Yet his "genial bullying" and "stormy petulance" are balanced by a forthright manner
and lack of any malice, so that "he remains likeable even in his least reasonable moments."
Throughout the play, his complex temperament serves as a catalyst for events, beginning with
his ill-mannered eavesdropping on Eliza and boorish comments about her English in Act 1.
His continued inability to see and treat Eliza as anything more than a lowly flower girl forces
her to take a stand for independence and self-respect. While Higgins remains fundamentally
unchanged by the end of the play, he gains a new perspective on Eliza and holds her in higher
regard and with more respect.

Eliza

Eliza Doolittle, also called Liza, is a girl perhaps 18 or 20 years old. Her initial appearance as
a flower girl is quite unattractive: dirty, shabbily dressed, and in need of a dentist. Her
Cockney accent and "kerbstone English" place her in London's lower class, yet her
intelligence and ambition allow her to aspire to something finer. The flower girl who presents
herself at Higgins's laboratory is a "deplorable figure," making her transformation to a lady
who can pass for a duchess all the more awesome. Yet, as Eliza points out to Pickering, her
fine speech and manners are acquired skills, nothing more. Learning them was "just like
learning to dance in the fashionable way." The real transformation comes with being treated
like a lady and, from there, gaining self-respect. By the end of the play, Eliza emerges as a
poised, independent woman who knows her own worth and intends to make her own way in
the world.

Pickering

In addition to his expertise in language, Colonel Pickering is the "author of Spoken Sanscrit"
and is a master of Indian dialects. He is an "elderly gentleman of the amiable military type,"
and throughout the play, he demonstrates a generous and courteous nature, particularly
noticeable in his treatment of Eliza—both as a flower girl and a lady. In fact, it is Pickering
who kindles Eliza's feeling of self-respect when, on the day she first comes to Wimpole
Street, he calls her "Miss Doolittle." Thereafter, he shows her in "a hundred little things" that
she is "something better than a scullerymaid" and to him, she will always be a lady. For his
part in the experiment, Pickering pays for Eliza's lessons and clothes. He also provides a
counterbalance to Higgins's chronic insensitivity. He is sincerely alarmed when Eliza, driven
by anger and hurt, leaves the professor's home and indicates that she will not be returning.
His final words to her before accompanying Alfred Doolittle to the former dustman's
wedding are, "Do stay with us, Eliza."
Doolittle

Alfred Doolittle is described as "an elderly but vigorous dustman." A happy member of the
undeserving poor, he "seems equally free from fear or conscience" and exhibits skill at
wheedling money out of others. "He has a remarkably expressive voice" and, as Higgins
discovers, no morals at all—he is willing to turn his daughter over to Higgins, no questions
asked, for five pounds. During the course of the play, Doolittle comes into money and, as a
result, is vaulted into middle-class status. Lacking the courage to reject the money, he finds
himself forced to align with the higher standards of middle-class morality, which includes
marrying his live-in missus. In misery he laments that "happier men than me will call for my
dust ... and I'll look on helpless, and envy them."

Mrs. Higgins

Mrs. Higgins is a gracious member of the upper class. Her affection for Higgins does not
shield her from irritation at his lack of manners, and she is adept at putting him in his place.
Intelligent and perceptive, she soon discerns the problems that her son's experiment will
cause for Eliza, and sympathizes with the girl. As the conflict between Eliza and Higgins
erupts, it is to Mrs. Higgins that Eliza turns for help.

Freddy

Freddy is a young man of 20, a member of the upper class, good-natured though somewhat
weak, and a true gentleman. He is infatuated with Eliza, writes to her daily, and is happiest
just spending time on the street where she lives. At the end of the play, Eliza suggests that she
might marry Freddy, though he has no money to support them both and seems unfit for work.
But he is devoted to her, can offer the kindness that she needs, and, unlike Higgins, he won't
try to make something out of her.

Mrs. Pearce

Mrs. Pearce has been Higgins's housekeeper for some time—long enough to know his
singular ways and, without fear, to reproach him when needed for his lack of social graces.
She has a strong sense of propriety, and takes it upon herself to be sure that Eliza is cared for
properly while in the house. A bond between them grows, and Mrs. Pearce frequently pushes
Higgins to show consideration for Eliza and to think about her future.

Answer the following questions

Short Answer Questions (1-2 sentences)

1. Why did the lady agree to buy flowers from the flower girl?
The lady bought flowers from the flower girl to get rid of her persistent begging and
show her kindness.
2. Why does the crowd get upset with the note taker?
The crowd gets upset with the note taker because they think he is a policeman trying
to accuse the flower girl of wrongdoing.
3. What was the profession of the note taker?
The note taker, Henry Higgins, was a professor of phonetics.
4. How did the note taker make a living out of teaching phonetics?
The note taker made a living by teaching proper speech and accents to people who
wanted to improve their social status.
5. What claim did the note taker make with respect to language?
The note taker claimed that he could identify anyone's place of origin based on their
accent and could teach them to speak like a member of the upper class.
6. Who were the note taker and the gentleman?
The note taker was Henry Higgins, a phonetics professor, and the gentleman was
Colonel Pickering, an expert in Indian dialects.
7. Why had the flower girl come to meet Mr. Higgins?
The flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, came to meet Mr. Higgins to learn proper English and
improve her chances of getting a respectable job.
8. Why did Eliza want to learn proper English?
Eliza wanted to learn proper English to work in a flower shop and earn a better living.
9. What was the bet between Mr. Higgins and Mr. Pickering?
The bet was that Higgins could transform Eliza into a refined lady who could pass as
a duchess at an ambassador’s garden party.
10. Who was Alfred Doolittle?
Alfred Doolittle was Eliza’s father, a dustman with unconventional views on morality
and society.
11. How did Mr. Doolittle know the address of Liza?
Mr. Doolittle found Eliza’s address from the cab driver who had taken her to Higgins’
house.
12. Why had Mr. Higgins invited Liza to the house of Mrs. Higgins?
Higgins invited Liza to his mother’s house to test her progress and refine her social
manners.
13. Who were the guests at Mrs. Higgins’?
The guests were Clara and Mrs. Eynsford-Hill, along with Eliza, Higgins, and
Pickering.
14. What was Mrs. Higgins' impression about Eliza?
Mrs. Higgins thought Eliza had potential but criticized Higgins for treating her like a
laboratory experiment rather than a human being.
 15. Who was Whiskers?
"Whiskers" was Eliza’s nickname for a gentleman with a beard who had once bought
flowers from her.
16. What was Nepommuck doing at the reception?
Nepommuck, a former student of Higgins, was working as an interpreter at the
ambassador's reception.
17. Why did the presence of Nepommuck frighten Mr. Pickering?
Mr. Pickering feared Nepommuck might expose Eliza as a fraud due to his expertise
in phonetics.
18. Whom does Nepommuck think Eliza was?
Nepommuck believed Eliza was a Hungarian princess.
19. Whom had Mr. Higgins written a letter to?
Mr. Higgins wrote a letter to Ezra D. Wannafeller, a wealthy philanthropist, regarding
Alfred Doolittle.
20. Whom would Eliza marry and why?
Eliza suggested she might marry Freddy because he was kind and romantic, unlike
Higgins, who was dismissive of her feelings.
21. What work does Eliza plan to do?
Eliza planned to teach phonetics and make a living on her own.

Paragraph Questions (150 words)

1. Describe the flower girl.

The flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, is a poor Cockney girl who sells flowers in London to
make a living. She is uneducated and speaks in a thick, almost unintelligible accent,
which reflects her lower-class origins. Despite her rough mannerisms and appearance,
Eliza has a strong determination to improve her social standing and change her
circumstances. Her resilience and ambition lead her to approach Professor Higgins to
learn proper English. Underneath her initial crudeness, Eliza reveals her vulnerability
and desire for dignity, making her transformation in the play all the more remarkable.
She symbolizes the struggle of the lower class to break free from societal constraints.
2. How does the note taker display his passion and respect for the English
language?
The note taker, Henry Higgins, exhibits his passion for the English language through
his obsession with accents and phonetics. He meticulously records and studies
people's speech, identifying their origins and class based on their pronunciation. He
believes that clear and proper speech is a powerful tool for social mobility and
respectability. Higgins’ dedication to his craft is evident in his ability to transform
even the roughest accents into refined speech. His belief in the transformative power
of language showcases his respect for its role in society.

3. Why was the note taker offended by the language of the flower girl?
The note taker, Henry Higgins, was offended by the flower girl’s language because
her poor grammar and harsh Cockney accent represented what he considered the
degradation of the English language. Higgins, being a phonetics expert and a staunch
advocate of linguistic precision, viewed her speech as crude and unsophisticated. He
believed that such misuse of language not only reflected her low social status but also
symbolized a broader societal failure to preserve the beauty and correctness of
English. His offense stemmed from his professional pride and personal belief in the
power of language to elevate individuals socially and intellectually.
4. Why was Mrs. Pearce apprehensive about Mr. Higgins teaching Liza?
Mrs. Pearce, Higgins’ housekeeper, was apprehensive about Higgins teaching Eliza
because she was concerned about the moral and ethical implications of the
experiment. She doubted whether Higgins would take proper care of Eliza, a young
woman unfamiliar with upper-class etiquette, and feared he might treat her harshly or
disrespectfully. Mrs. Pearce worried about Eliza’s future once the experiment was
over, recognizing the potential emotional and social consequences of transforming her
without considering her long-term well-being.
5. What was Eliza’s work for the next six months according to Mr. Higgins?
According to Mr. Higgins, Eliza’s work for the next six months involved rigorous
phonetics lessons, strict speech practice, and mastering the behavior and manners of
an upper-class lady. She was expected to memorize and perfect her pronunciation,
learn proper grammar, and adopt the habits of refined speech and decorum. Higgins
demanded her complete dedication, turning her into the centerpiece of his experiment
to prove he could transform a common flower girl into a duchess.
6. What was Mr. Higgins’ opinion on women and marriage?
Mr. Higgins held a dismissive and condescending opinion about women and
marriage. He viewed women as irrational, demanding, and incapable of logical
reasoning, which made them frustrating companions in his eyes. Higgins believed that
marriage was unnecessary and burdensome, as it would interfere with his intellectual
pursuits and independence. He showed no interest in romantic relationships and often
treated women, including Eliza, as objects of study or amusement rather than equals
deserving of respect and care.
7. Write a note on the relationship between Eliza and Mr. Doolittle.
Eliza and her father, Alfred Doolittle, share a strained yet humorous relationship.
Doolittle is a carefree, opportunistic dustman who has little regard for conventional
morality or fatherly responsibility. He openly admits that he is not a good father and is
only interested in benefiting from Eliza’s association with Higgins. Despite his
selfishness, Doolittle’s charm and wit make him an amusing character. Eliza, on the
other hand, is frustrated with her father’s lack of support and his attempts to exploit
her situation for money. Their relationship is emblematic of the lack of stability and
care Eliza experienced in her early life.
8. Why, according to Mr. Doolittle, did he deserve five pounds?
Mr. Doolittle claimed he deserved five pounds from Higgins because he viewed
himself as part of the working class and believed that he had the right to accept money
in exchange for letting Higgins take Eliza for his experiment. He also argued that he
was not greedy, asking only for five pounds instead of more, and presented himself as
a clever opportunist, making Higgins laugh at his unconventional reasoning.
9. What were Mrs. Higgins’ concerns with respect to Eliza?
Mrs. Higgins was concerned that Henry and Pickering treated Eliza like a mere
experiment rather than a human being. She feared that their focus on teaching her
language and manners ignored the emotional impact on Eliza, leaving her in a
precarious position once the experiment ended. Mrs. Higgins worried about Eliza’s
future, as transforming her into a lady without providing her with financial or social
stability could isolate her from both the lower and upper classes.
10. How is the superficiality of class distinctions based on language brought out in
the play?
The play highlights the superficiality of class distinctions by showing how language,
rather than intrinsic qualities, defines social status. Eliza’s transformation from a
flower girl to a “duchess” demonstrates that proper speech and behavior can disguise
 one’s origins, undermining the rigid social hierarchy of Edwardian England. Shaw
critiques society’s obsession with appearances and the arbitrary nature of class
divisions by exposing how easily they can be manipulated through external changes
like speech.
11. How impressive was Eliza at the reception?
At the reception, Eliza was impressively poised, well-spoken, and graceful, fooling
the guests into believing she was of noble birth. Her speech and manners were so
polished that Nepommuck, an expert in phonetics, mistook her for a Hungarian
princess. However, her performance also revealed the artificiality of her
transformation, as her carefully crafted persona masked her true identity.
12. Why did Nepommuck think Eliza was a fraud?
Nepommuck thought Eliza was a fraud because, although her speech and manners
were perfect, she overperformed, and her background did not align with the nuances
of true aristocracy. Her exaggerated perfection led him to conclude that she was not
who she claimed to be but rather someone hiding her real identity.
13. What was the result of the letter written to Ezra D. Wannafeller?
The letter to Ezra D. Wannafeller resulted in Alfred Doolittle being unexpectedly
transformed into a wealthy man, as Wannafeller appointed him to a position of social
responsibility. This change forced Doolittle to adopt the middle-class lifestyle he had
previously criticized, much to his discomfort.
14. According to Mrs. Higgins, what were the mistakes of Mr. Higgins and Mr.
Pickering toward Eliza?
Mrs. Higgins believed their mistake was treating Eliza as an experiment rather than a
person with feelings and a future. They failed to consider the emotional consequences
of their actions and left her with no clear place in society after her transformation.
15. What changes do we see in Mr. Doolittle’s appearance and attitude through the
play?
Mr. Doolittle’s appearance and attitude change drastically after he becomes wealthy.
Once a carefree, scruffy dustman, he becomes a well-dressed, respectable gentleman.
However, he resents his newfound responsibilities and laments losing his freedom to
live on his own terms.
16. Why does Eliza wish Higgins had left her where he found her?
Eliza wishes Higgins had left her as a flower girl because her transformation alienates
her from both her old life and the upper class, leaving her feeling lost and without a
clear identity or purpose.
17. Why did Eliza think Freddy was a better choice to marry?
Eliza thought Freddy was a better choice because he treated her with kindness,
admiration, and love, unlike Higgins, who was dismissive and condescending toward
her.
18. Comment on the ending of the play.
The ending of Pygmalion is deliberately ambiguous, leaving Eliza’s future uncertain.
While she asserts her independence and confronts Higgins, their unresolved
relationship and her hinted affection for Freddy create a mix of empowerment and
tension. Shaw avoids a conventional romantic resolution, emphasizing Eliza’s
autonomy over her dependency on men.
Essay Questions (300 words)

1. Discuss Eliza’s transformation in the play Pygmalion.

Eliza Doolittle’s transformation in Pygmalion is central to the play’s exploration of
identity, class, and language. Initially, Eliza is a poor flower girl with a thick Cockney
accent, struggling to survive in Edwardian London. Her journey begins when she
approaches Professor Henry Higgins to teach her proper English, aspiring to improve
her prospects. Over the course of six months, Eliza undergoes rigorous training in
speech, manners, and behavior, eventually becoming indistinguishable from a refined
upper-class lady.
Eliza’s transformation is not merely external; it also affects her self-perception and
confidence. She gains a sense of dignity and independence, challenging the societal
norms that confine her to a lower-class identity. However, her transformation also
brings challenges, as she becomes alienated from both her old and new social circles.
While Higgins views her as the success of his experiment, Eliza struggles with her
identity and future. Her assertion of independence at the end of the play highlights her
emotional and intellectual growth, making her transformation both empowering and
bittersweet.
Through Eliza’s journey, Shaw critiques the superficiality of class distinctions based
on language and appearance. Her ability to transcend class boundaries exposes the
artificial nature of societal hierarchies. Ultimately, Eliza’s transformation symbolizes
the potential for personal growth and the limitations of social mobility in a rigid class
system.

2. In what ways is Pickering a more influential teacher than Higgins?

Colonel Pickering, in Pygmalion, emerges as a more influential teacher for Eliza than
Henry Higgins, despite Higgins being the primary figure responsible for her phonetic
training. While Higgins teaches Eliza proper English and upper-class etiquette, his
methods are often harsh, dismissive, and emotionally neglectful. He treats Eliza as an
experiment rather than a person, showing little regard for her feelings or humanity. In
contrast, Pickering’s teaching style is rooted in kindness, patience, and respect, which
play a vital role in Eliza’s emotional and moral development.
Pickering’s influence lies in the way he treats Eliza with dignity, addressing her as a
lady from the beginning and providing her with a model of gentlemanly behavior. His
approach helps Eliza develop self-respect and confidence. While Higgins’ lessons
focus on external transformation, Pickering’s treatment encourages Eliza’s internal
growth and self-worth.
Ultimately, Pickering’s empathy and respect shape Eliza’s character more profoundly
than Higgins’ technical expertise, making him a more effective teacher in her overall
transformation.
3. Pygmalion is a coming-of-age story of Eliza. Elaborate.
Pygmalion can be seen as a coming-of-age story for Eliza Doolittle, as it traces her
journey from a naive, unrefined flower girl to a self-assured, independent woman. At
the beginning of the play, Eliza’s life is defined by her poverty and low social status,
but her determination to rise above her circumstances drives her to seek Higgins’
help. Over the course of the play, she undergoes a significant transformation,
mastering the language, manners, and behavior of the upper class.
However, Eliza’s growth is not limited to external refinement. She matures
emotionally and intellectually, gaining self-awareness and independence. Her
conflicts with Higgins highlight her struggle to assert her identity and autonomy. By
 the end of the play, Eliza no longer depends on Higgins for her sense of self-worth.
She chooses her own path, expressing a desire to marry Freddy and explore teaching
phonetics.
Eliza’s transformation represents a coming-of-age journey, as she learns to navigate
the complexities of class, identity, and self-determination.
4. Shaw highlights the pruderies, hypocrisies, and inconsistencies of higher society.
Explain.
In Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw critiques the pruderies, hypocrisies, and
inconsistencies of Edwardian society, particularly through the lens of class
distinctions and social expectations. The play exposes how superficial markers like
language and etiquette, rather than intrinsic worth or ability, determine one’s social
standing. For instance, Eliza’s transformation from a flower girl to a “duchess”
demonstrates how easily societal perceptions can be manipulated, highlighting the
arbitrariness of class divisions.
Shaw also satirizes the upper class’s pretensions to moral superiority. Characters like
Alfred Doolittle, who openly rejects middle-class morality, appear more honest and
self-aware than the so-called respectable elite. Furthermore, Higgins’ rudeness and
lack of decorum, despite being an upper-class gentleman, contrast with Eliza’s
eventual grace and dignity, challenging the notion that higher status equates to better
character.
Through witty dialogue and sharp observations, Shaw reveals the contradictions and
superficiality of societal norms, calling for a more genuine assessment of human
worth.
5. Comment on the title Pygmalion.
The title Pygmalion references the Greek myth of a sculptor who falls in love with a
statue he creates, which is brought to life by the goddess Aphrodite. In Shaw’s play,
Professor Henry Higgins is analogous to Pygmalion, as he “sculpts” Eliza Doolittle
into a refined lady through his teachings in phonetics and etiquette. However, Shaw
subverts the traditional myth by giving Eliza agency and independence. Unlike the
statue in the myth, Eliza refuses to remain a passive creation, asserting her
individuality and rejecting Higgins’ control over her life.
The title also reflects Shaw’s exploration of the transformative power of education
and the tension between creation and autonomy. While Higgins takes pride in
“making” Eliza, the play emphasizes her humanity and resilience, challenging the
idea that he is solely responsible for her transformation. Ultimately, Pygmalion
highlights the dynamic between creator and creation, offering a modern critique of
power, identity, and independence.

6. How is shallowness of higher class represented in Pygmallion?

In the play "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw, the theme of class and social
status is explored through the characterizations of the upper class, particularly in
their shallowness and superficiality. The play revolves around the transformation
of a working-class girl named Eliza Doolittle into a refined and polished lady
through the efforts of Professor Henry Higgins.
 The shallowness of the higher class is depicted through their obsession with
appearances, manners, and accents. The upper-class characters, such as Mrs.
Eynsford Hill and her daughter Clara, are portrayed as being preoccupied with
etiquette, social norms, and the way things are perceived rather than genuine
human connections or values. They judge people based on their accents and
outward appearances, considering themselves superior due to their refined speech
and privileged upbringing.

Eliza's transformation highlights the shallowness of the upper class even more.
As she improves her manners and pronunciation under Higgins' guidance, she
gains acceptance in high society, but she continues to face prejudice and is often
treated as an object of curiosity rather than a person with feelings and aspirations.
The upper-class characters are more interested in her physical transformation and
her ability to conform to their standards than in understanding her as an
individual.

Furthermore, the character of Alfred Doolittle, Eliza's father, provides a satirical

portrayal of the upper class's shallowness. Despite being a lower-class dustman,
Doolittle becomes unintentionally wealthy through an inheritance. This sudden
wealth exposes the hypocrisy of the upper class, as they are willing to accept and
court him simply because of his newfound status and the possibility of financial
gain.

Through these portrayals, Shaw critiques the shallow values and social
hierarchies of the upper class. He challenges the notion that social class and
outward appearances should define a person's worth or determine their place in
society, highlighting the inherent flaws and lack of substance in such a system.

7.How is Eliza is a social experiment in Pygmallion:

Eliza is not specifically a social experiment in Pygmalion. Pygmalion is a play

written by George Bernard Shaw in 1913, which tells the story of Professor
Henry Higgins, a phonetics expert, who transforms Eliza Doolittle, a working-
class woman with a strong Cockney accent, into a refined lady by teaching her
proper speech and manners.

On the other hand, Eliza, in the context of computer science, refers to a computer
program developed in the 1960s by Joseph Weizenbaum at the MIT Artificial
Intelligence Laboratory. Eliza was designed to simulate conversation with a
human by using pattern matching and simple linguistic rules. It aimed to mimic a
Rogerian psychotherapist by rephrasing user inputs as questions and reflecting
them back to the user. The program was named after Eliza Doolittle from Shaw's
play as a reference to the transformation it attempted to achieve in conversations.

While both Pygmalion and the Eliza program involve transformations and
interactions between individuals, they are distinct entities with different purposes.
Pygmalion explores issues of class, identity, and social transformation, while
Eliza is an early example of a conversational agent in the field of artificial
intelligence.
8.How is the character of Eliza a social experiment in Pygmallion?

In the play Pygmalion, the character of Eliza Doolittle can be seen as a social
experiment because she undergoes a transformation that challenges societal
expectations and norms related to class, language, and identity.

Eliza is initially portrayed as a working-class flower girl with a strong Cockney

accent and limited education. Professor Henry Higgins, a phonetics expert, takes
her under his wing and makes a bet with his colleague Colonel Pickering that he
can pass her off as a duchess by teaching her to speak and act like a lady.

The experiment lies in the attempt to alter Eliza's social standing and appearance
solely through changes in her speech, manners, and presentation. By teaching her
to speak in a more refined manner, Higgins and Pickering aim to demonstrate the
influence of language and social behavior on how a person is perceived and
accepted in society.

Throughout the play, Eliza faces various challenges and struggles as she
navigates the upper-class world she is introduced to. The experiment not only
explores the effects of language and appearance but also raises questions about
identity, authenticity, and the social constraints imposed by class divisions.

Eliza's transformation highlights the artificiality of social distinctions and the

power dynamics at play in society. The experiment forces both Eliza and the
other characters to confront their prejudices, assumptions, and biases about class
and language.

Ultimately, the social experiment with Eliza in Pygmalion reveals the limitations
of social mobility based solely on external transformations. It prompts reflection
on the complexities of social hierarchies, the impact of language on identity, and
the importance of recognizing one's intrinsic worth beyond superficial markers.

8.Analyse Eliza's transformation from flower girl to the duchess.

Eliza's transformation from a flower girl to a duchess in Pygmalion is a complex

process that involves not only changes in her appearance and speech but also
challenges her identity, self-perception, and societal expectations. Let's analyze
her transformation in different aspects:

Linguistic Transformation: One of the primary focuses of Eliza's transformation

is her language. Professor Higgins teaches her proper pronunciation, grammar,
and diction, thereby altering her Cockney accent to a more refined and upper-
class way of speaking. Through intensive training and repetition, Eliza learns to
mimic the speech patterns of the aristocracy. This linguistic transformation aims
to demonstrate the impact of language on social acceptance and mobility.

Physical Transformation: Alongside her linguistic makeover, Eliza undergoes a

physical transformation. She learns how to carry herself, dress elegantly, and
 adopt the mannerisms of a lady. Higgins and Pickering invest in her appearance,
providing her with stylish clothes and grooming her to fit the social expectations
of the upper class. This physical transformation plays a crucial role in convincing
others of her newfound status as a duchess.

Emotional and Psychological Transformation: Eliza's transformation extends

beyond her outward appearance and speech. As she goes through the process, she
experiences emotional and psychological challenges. She confronts her own
insecurities, doubts, and frustrations, particularly in her relationship with
Professor Higgins. Eliza's journey forces her to question her identity, grapple with
the tension between authenticity and artifice, and assert her own worth beyond
societal expectations.

Social and Class Transformation: Eliza's transformation from a flower girl to a

duchess puts her in contact with the upper-class society, exposing her to a world
she had never known before. She faces various social challenges, such as
acquiring the necessary social graces and navigating the complex etiquette of the
upper class. These experiences offer a critique of class divisions and shed light on
the arbitrariness of social hierarchies.

Self-Discovery and Empowerment: Throughout the transformation process, Eliza

starts to develop a sense of self-awareness, autonomy, and agency. She realizes
her own potential and challenges the oppressive dynamics she encounters. Eliza
becomes more assertive, demanding respect and fair treatment. Her
transformation is not solely about conforming to societal norms but also about
discovering her own strength and asserting her individuality

Eliza's transformation from a flower girl to a duchess encompasses linguistic,

physical, emotional, psychological, and social dimensions. It highlights the
complexities of identity, challenges societal expectations, and examines the
nature of social mobility and class divisions. Eliza's journey is not just about
external changes but also about self-discovery, empowerment, and the realization
of her own worth beyond superficial markers of status.

9.Write a note on Mrs Higgins in Pygmallion.

Mrs. Higgins is a significant character in George Bernard Shaw's play

“Pygmalion." She is portrayed as a strong-willed and independent woman, and
her role in the play serves as a contrast to other female characters, particularly
Eliza Doolittle.

Mrs. Higgins is the mother of Henry Higgins, the renowned phonetics professor
who takes on the challenge of transforming Eliza, a Cockney flower girl, into a
refined and well-spoken lady. While Mrs. Higgins has a relatively minor role in
the play, her character brings a sense of sophistication and stability to the story.

One of Mrs. Higgins' most notable qualities is her astute perception and insight
into human behavior. She possesses a keen observational skill that allows her to
understand people's motives and intentions. She often serves as a voice of reason
and is not easily swayed by the eccentricities of her son or the social conventions
of the time. Her intelligence and wit are evident in her interactions with other
characters.

Mrs. Higgins also acts as a moral compass within the play. She challenges the
class prejudices and snobbery displayed by some of the upper-class characters,
particularly Henry Higgins. She criticizes his treatment of Eliza as a mere
experiment and reminds him of the importance of treating people with respect and
dignity. Her character represents a more compassionate and empathetic
perspective, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the humanity in others.

Furthermore, Mrs. Higgins symbolizes the generational gap and the changing
social norms of the time. As an older woman from a more traditional era, she
provides a contrasting viewpoint to the younger characters. Her open-mindedness
and progressive attitudes challenge the rigid social conventions of Edwardian
England.

In the final act of the play, Mrs. Higgins plays a crucial role in the resolution of
the story. She supports Eliza's decision to assert her independence and leave
Higgins' home, highlighting her belief in women's autonomy and self-
determination.

Overall, Mrs. Higgins serves as an important character in "Pygmalion" by

representing a voice of reason, morality, and progressiveness. Her character
contributes to the exploration of themes such as social class, gender roles, and
individual identity within the play. Through her presence, Shaw brings nuance
and depth to the narrative, allowing for a broader examination of societal norms
and values.