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pygmalion (protagonist (Liza (quick learner (easily learns to act like a…
pygmalion
protagonist
Liza
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desires independence but finds herself under the control of men like Pickering, Higgins, and her father
At the end of the play, she stands up to Higgins and leaves him, but he is confident that she will come back to him.
The play thus leaves it somewhat ambiguous as to whether or not she ever really achieves some of the independence she wants.
Higgins
focused on his academic interest that he lacks empathy and fails to consider other people's feelings or concerns
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rude not only to Eliza, but generally to everyone
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Pickering
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He calls Liza "miss Doolittle" , and this is what actually encouraged Liza to change
At the end of the play, he apologizes to Eliza for treating her like the subject of an experiment, unlike the selfish Higgins who never apologizes.
Clara
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"Manners are simply a matter of habit, and there is no such thing as right or wrong manners"
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Mrs Higgins
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While Higgins doesn't listen to her, she tries her best to resolve things
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Alfred Doolittle
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He thinks little of 'middle class morality' or the responsibilities brought on by money, though at the same time he doesn't have courage to give up his newfound money
key facts
climax
In act four, after winning the bet concerning Eliza, Higgins says he has been bored with his experiment, and treats Eliza poorly. Infuriated, Eliza throws Higgins' slippers at him and argues and fights with him.
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George Benard Shaw
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He changed schools several times as he grew older, and developed a strong dislike of schools and formal education
antagonist
While Eliza and Higgins argue with each other, they both cooperate in order to fool London's high society. The rigid hierarchy of social classes in Victorian England can be seen as the antagonist against which all the characters struggle, as they deal with issues of class and wealth.
myth
In the myth, Pygmalion makes a sculpture of his ideal woman, named Galatea. He falls in love with his beautiful statue, which then comes to life.
Shaw implies that Eliza is a kind of Galatea, molded by Pickering and Higgins into the ideal lady of Victorian society.
historical context
set in the early 20th century, at the end of the Victorian period
Victorian society was characterized by a rigid social hierarchy, but as the 20th century began social change was on the horizon
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Shaw's comedy of manners, which satirizes the customs and habits of the Victorian elite, plays with and critiques the social conventions of this historical moment.
theme
Language and Speech
the play reveals power of language (Eliza's transformation is spurred simply by Pickering calling her by the name ms Doolittle)
Shaw exposes how shallow and imprecise this conception is, how it doesn't actually capture/represent the full person
At the end, Eliza is able to change her identity simply by learning to talk differently
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appearance and identity
Pygmalion explores how social identity is formed not only through patterns of speech but also through one's general appearance.
The importance of appearances in the play reveals that identity is often changeable, and does not come naturally.
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