Throughout the play Pygmalion, Eliza Doolittle is forced to follow the standards of society by changing herself in order to be accepted by others. Society 's values of being educated and proper affect how she sees herself. From Eliza’s actions and responses, one can understand that an education and having manners will make you more valuable because they symbolize wealth. If you have both, then you are considered to be more important. In this society, wealth is a major factor of whether or not you are accepted well into society. Eliza is part of a society during the early 20th century where class differentiation are strictly observed. In order to maintain society’s standards, Eliza is forced to change herself, mentally and physically, so that
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Pearce, Pickering, and mostly Mr. Higgins due to her appearance and speech reveal her low level of education. As a result of Eliza’s immature outbursts, like weeping for no significant reason, Higgins makes it seem like she is not important. For instance, when Pickering asks Higgins if they should consider Eliza’s feelings, Higgin’s replies, “ Oh no, I don’t think so. Not any feelings that we need to bother about” (40). Clearly, he does not view Eliza as one of his kind because she does not speak properly and does not have a high level of education. Prior to Mr. Higgins’ disregard for her emotions, he mentions how somebody who speaks like Eliza should not even be alive and states, “A woman who utters such depressing and disgusting sounds has no right to be anywhere—no right to live. Remember that you are a human being with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech: that your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and The Bible; and don 't sit there crooning like a bilious pigeon” (22). According to this society, people who don’t speak the language with a sense of perfection and accuracy are not even worth living. Eliza is forced to follow these …show more content…
Higgins’ goal to create a duchess out of a “squashed cabbage leaf” succeeds when she is mistaken for a Hungarian princess at the Embassy ball (22). She is first illustrated as an uneducated and ill-mannered typical working class girl. All in the first act, Eliza transforms from a girl trying to sell flowers to a girl who obnoxiously whines when situations don’t go her way. For example, when Higgins explains how low class Eliza is, he describes her as “...deliciously low-so horribly dirty,” and Eliza cries out “Ah-ah-ah-ow-ow-oo-oo!!! I aint dirty” (36). Although Higgins did insult her lack of education and appearance, Eliza had no reason to cry about it. Later on, Eliza slowly begins to change herself, beginning with her manners. When Eliza is to attend Mrs. Higgins’ party, she is told to only say “how do you do” and talk about the weather (75). While meeting with the Eynsford-Hills, Eliza makes sure she has perfect pronunciation and gracefulness when asking them how they were doing. She also goes on to talk about the weather by stating, “The shallow depression in the west of these islands is likely to move slowly in an easterly direction. There are no indications of any great change in the barometrical situation” (76). The conversation would have been considered typical smalltalk if she hadn’t had mentioned how her aunt had apparently died of influenza.
Pearce, Pickering, and mostly Mr. Higgins due to her appearance and speech reveal her low level of education. As a result of Eliza’s immature outbursts, like weeping for no significant reason, Higgins makes it seem like she is not important. For instance, when Pickering asks Higgins if they should consider Eliza’s feelings, Higgin’s replies, “ Oh no, I don’t think so. Not any feelings that we need to bother about” (40). Clearly, he does not view Eliza as one of his kind because she does not speak properly and does not have a high level of education. Prior to Mr. Higgins’ disregard for her emotions, he mentions how somebody who speaks like Eliza should not even be alive and states, “A woman who utters such depressing and disgusting sounds has no right to be anywhere—no right to live. Remember that you are a human being with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech: that your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and The Bible; and don 't sit there crooning like a bilious pigeon” (22). According to this society, people who don’t speak the language with a sense of perfection and accuracy are not even worth living. Eliza is forced to follow these …show more content…
Higgins’ goal to create a duchess out of a “squashed cabbage leaf” succeeds when she is mistaken for a Hungarian princess at the Embassy ball (22). She is first illustrated as an uneducated and ill-mannered typical working class girl. All in the first act, Eliza transforms from a girl trying to sell flowers to a girl who obnoxiously whines when situations don’t go her way. For example, when Higgins explains how low class Eliza is, he describes her as “...deliciously low-so horribly dirty,” and Eliza cries out “Ah-ah-ah-ow-ow-oo-oo!!! I aint dirty” (36). Although Higgins did insult her lack of education and appearance, Eliza had no reason to cry about it. Later on, Eliza slowly begins to change herself, beginning with her manners. When Eliza is to attend Mrs. Higgins’ party, she is told to only say “how do you do” and talk about the weather (75). While meeting with the Eynsford-Hills, Eliza makes sure she has perfect pronunciation and gracefulness when asking them how they were doing. She also goes on to talk about the weather by stating, “The shallow depression in the west of these islands is likely to move slowly in an easterly direction. There are no indications of any great change in the barometrical situation” (76). The conversation would have been considered typical smalltalk if she hadn’t had mentioned how her aunt had apparently died of influenza.