Pygmalion, A Romance in Five Acts

Pygmalion , A Romance in Five Acts

Pygmalion , by George Bernard Shaw , is a romantic comedy on the use of language by the various social classes of London . Two old men , Colonel Pickering and Henry Higgins , develop the plot through their phonetic observations on the dialects used by the people who are sheltering from rain under the portico of St . Paul 's Church in Covent Garden . Higgins bets Pickering that he would be able to pass the cockney speaking flower girl , Eliza Doolittle , as a duchess at an ambassador 's garden party

Eliza

Doolittle appears at his laboratory on Wimpole Street the next day to ask for speech lessons . Higgins makes fun of her , but takes up the challenge of transforming her speech using his scientific experiment Pickering agrees to cover the costs of the experiment if Higgins can pass Eliza off as a duchess at an ambassador 's garden party . The challenge taken , Higgins starts by having his housekeeper bathe Eliza and give her new clothes . Eliza 's father Alfred Doolittle , who comes to get money from Higgins using his daughter , fails to recognize the now clean , pretty flower girl as his daughter

Higgins trains Eliza to speak properly and subject her to two trials to test his experiment . The first trial takes place at Higgins ' mother 's home , where Eliza is introduced to the Eynsford Hills , a trio of mother daughter , and son . The son Freddy gets attracted to her and thinks it is her affected "small talk " when she slips into cockney . The second trial , which takes place some months later at an ambassador 's party , is a resounding success . Higgins wins the bet and gets bored of the experiment . Eliza is hurt as she does not know what to do with her new speech skills . She runs away and threatens to work for Higgins ' rival Nepommuck . The play ends in an open note with Eliza going out without a decisive reply to Higgins ' commands

Though a romantic comedy , Pygmalion tries to give insights into the social class , human behavior , and on the dialects used in various parts of London . While the upper class dialect is more formal - Oh , sir , is there any sign of its stopping ' the dialect of the flower girl is more casual - Nah then , Freddy : look wh ' y ' gowin , deah ' Shaw shows distinction in the psychology of the upper and the lower classes through these dialogues . The various attitudes portrayed by the characters throw light on the importance of class and etiquette that were quite looked upon in early London society

Shes quite a common girl , sir . Very common indeed . I should have sent her away , only I thought perhaps you wanted her to talk into your machines . I hope Ive not done wrong but really you see such queer people sometimes ' by Mrs . Pearce , the housekeeper of Higgins , clearly brings to light the line between the classes in London society . Shaw describes the appearance of Eliza Doolittle on the day of her meeting...