pygmalion marxist criticism essay

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A Study of Identity in George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion

is first performed in 1912. This means that it was performed at the end of the Victorian period in England. It is known that the Victorian Period was characterized by social oppression. There was a gap between the rich and the poor. The wealthy, high-class characters of the play extremely concern themselves with keeping this gap between classes.

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The representations of Victorian identity take place through active discourses which aim to indoctrinate Victorian people with certain characteristics to form class identity. Victorian social classes are marked differently by various scholars. This study investigates Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion in light of Matthew Arnold's Culture and Anarchy to elucidate how Arnoldian paradigms impose social and cultural behaviours to each Victorian social class by limiting and defining class identity. Arnold's concept of culture is further investigated in terms of Marxist criticism. In Shaw's work, Eliza Doolittle represents the Victorian working-class while Higgins represents the Victorian upperclass. While Arnold does not envisage the same sort of education for the working-class Victorians for their inability to learn and become culturally equal to the upper-class Victorians, Shaw represents an opposing view where he endows Eliza Doolittle with energy to excel the upper-class ideals. Moreover, this study examines Shaw and Arnold as social critics to question whether they are Organic Intellectuals who serve the upper-class ideology or represent objective ideas alienated from upper-class ideology. Lastly, this study seeks to elucidate how the indoctrination of class identity takes place via language in the context of Shaw's Pygmalion.

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Eliza Doolittle and the phonograph/gramophone are gendered and objectified throughout Pygmalion, given how often Higgins and Pickering conflate her identity with the machine. In parallel, Ireland was also often gendered as female and compared to the gramophone during the 3rd Home Rule debates. Pygmalion represents the detriments of this political gendering, but ultimately depicting Eliza's (and the parallel Ireland's) declaration of independence from the machine and her mentor, signaling​ the successes of the finally passed Home Rule.

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Marxist Analysis on G B Shaw’s Pygmalion

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), Anglo-Irish author of more than 60 plays and winner of both the Nobel Prize for Literature and an Academy Award (Oscar) (1930, for Pygmalion), as well as prolific producer of literary and music criticism, focused most often on social issues. He supported equality of political rights for women and protested what he saw as exploitation of workers; his socialist idealism was bone-deep, to the point where he refused to believe news of famine in the supposed rural paradise of the Soviet Union, despite all evidence of that system’s failures. This paper analysis G B Shaw’s Pygmalion on Marxist point of view.

Marxism was a literary school which its pioneers were Marx and Engels. They divided society into 2 major classes: Bourgeoisie and labors. Bourgeoisies are the minority who rules and set the norms on the society and take benefits while labors are just low class of society and workers who are trying to please that minority. None of these two categories can live without the other one; they just can be explained as living together. Then there appears a third class which is mostly middle class. They can be neither like bourgeoisies nor like the working class. They have a mixture of these two lives and norms.

Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw can be a good example of these classes of society. He discovered Marxism in 1882. Having read Marx in a French translation, he began to spread the word speaking out about Fabianism, the British brand of socialism he favored, just about-any place where people would listen, on street corners, in market squares, in parks, in town halls, and at political assemblies. In fact, Shaw’s oratory zeal almost got him arrested at least twice. A flower girl and a noble man can bring a situation to see the differences and study their behaviors and norms clearly.

Pygmalion is the story of a flower girl name Eliza and a Phonologist name Henry Higgins. Her bad language and accent attracts Higgins to take some notes and this accident is the beginning of their acquaintance when Eliza decides to change her language to find a job in a flower shop and become a lady. Higgins bet on her to win over the Colonel and make a duchess out of her then the journey starts. At the end of the play Eliza leaves him both are sad and wounded, one claims that she wanted more attention and respect while the other claims that has treated perfectly and as he has used to be. Eliza tells that she wants to marry the absent minded youth, Freddy to find love and respect and that drives Higgins mad and sad at the end. At first let’s have a look over the myth behind the play. Pygmalion was an artist who found faults in women at last he created a sculpture out of ivory, so beautiful that no women could be compared with and fell in love with that figure. Venus heard his prays and made her come alive. In this story Higgins tries to make a new girl out of Eliza and obviously falls in love with her. Higgins finds fault in women but why? Is he cold blooded like Pygmalion? Or is he too snub? We can categorize the characters of this play into three different categories, high class which includes Higgins, Pickering, Mrs. Higgins and Freddy, upper middle class, Mrs.Pierce and low middle class to which Eliza and Alfred Doolittle belong. Neither Col.Pickering nor Henry Higgins have a clue about the situation they are putting Eliza or themselves into. The different behaviors of the first and class group are noticeable. Pickering as a gentleman is too caring and polite and has no pain, just like Higgins, though, he is much freer in speech and action. The character of Higgins it can be said freer in speech and action. The character of Higgins , it can be said fits the Marxist stereotype of the greedy, manipulative bourgeois who exploits the working class in order to fulfill has own ends.

Hedoes not care about other feelings or thoughts which is one of the most obvious behaviors of the high class.

“Well when I’ve done with her, we can throw her back into the gutter;and then it will be her own business again.”

(Act II) Higgins’ nonchalant attitude regarding Eliza’s future is similar to how a bourgeois is interested in a worker only to the extent that he can use the worker for his ends; what happens to the worker at the end of the work day is of no concern to the bourgeois. For Higgins, what happens to Eliza after Higgins has won his bet is of no concern to him. Thus because he regards Eliza only as either a commodity or a worker only to be used to fulfill his designs, Higgins is a classicexample of Marx’s heartless, avaricious bourgeois.(http://culturemining.blogspot.de/2009/12/bourgeois-flowergirl-and-worker.html) Though he is not that much heartless as he shall be.

“HIGGINS. About you, not about me. If you come back I shall treat you just as I have always treated you. I can’t changemy nature; and I don’t intend to change my manners. Mymanners are exactly the same as Colonel Pickering’s.” (Act V)

When Eliza objects to he just simply says:

“LIZA. That’s not true. He treats a flower girl as if she was a duchess. HIGGINS. And I treat a duchess as if she was a flower girl.”(Act V)

Even at the beginning of the play Mrs. Pierce refers to his bad habits, the curses he uses all the time, the mess he makes and leaves everywhere and he never turns a hair to what others may think of him. On the other hand, Eliza always is trying to be a good girl that is the most common thought among the middle class and she repeats it all through the play:

“LIZA. You’re no gentleman, you’re not, to talk of such things. I’m a good girl, I am; and I know what the like of you are, I do.” (Act II)

Even at the end of the play she again refers to herself that she was a good girl and now after this change she is no good anymore. She begs for mercy and kindness which Higgins calls it “Puppy- Trick” and hates it the most. He asks her to have self-respect and do not seek it in the others behaviors.s

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Pygmalion – FAQs

Q: What is the main theme of Pygmalion? A: The main theme of Pygmalion is the transformation of the individual through education and the superficiality of social class distinctions. It explores how external changes in speech and behavior can lead to different social perceptions and opportunities, while also questioning the true nature of identity and self-worth.

Q: Who are the main characters in Pygmalion? A: The main characters in Pygmalion include Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who undergoes a dramatic transformation; Henry Higgins, a professor of phonetics who takes on the challenge of transforming Eliza; Colonel Pickering, a fellow phonetician and a gentleman; and Alfred Doolittle, Eliza’s father, who provides comic relief and social commentary.

Q: What is the significance of the title Pygmalion? A: The title Pygmalion is significant because it alludes to the Greek myth of Pygmalion, a sculptor who falls in love with a statue he has created, which then comes to life. In Shaw’s play, this allusion reflects the theme of creation and transformation, as Higgins attempts to sculpt Eliza into a new identity.

Q: How does Pygmalion comment on social class and mobility? A: Pygmalion critiques the rigid class system of its time by showing that the markers of social class, such as speech and manners, can be acquired. It suggests that social mobility is possible, but also questions the value of changing one’s identity to fit into a different social class. The play highlights the superficial nature of class distinctions and the potential for individuals to transcend these boundaries through personal transformation.

Q: Does Eliza return to Higgins at the end of the play? A: The ending of Pygmalion is deliberately ambiguous, leaving it open to interpretation whether Eliza returns to Higgins. Shaw himself preferred an ending where Eliza gains independence from Higgins, suggesting a future where she can define her own identity and path in life, possibly with Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

Q: How does Shaw use language in Pygmalion? A: Shaw uses language as a key theme and tool in Pygmalion, exploring how accents and speech patterns are tied to social class and identity. The play demonstrates how changing one’s speech can alter others’ perceptions and opportunities in society, serving as a critique of social stratification based on language.

Q: What role does Colonel Pickering play in the story? A: Colonel Pickering plays a crucial role in Pygmalion as a foil to Higgins and a model of gentlemanly behavior. His respectful and kind treatment of Eliza contrasts with Higgins’ often harsh and impersonal approach, highlighting the importance of empathy and decency in human relationships.

Spot the Literary Devices Used in This Paragraph from Pygmalion:

“Eliza’s transformation was not merely external. The real change lay deeper, within the contours of her mind and the echoes of her heart. Her speech, once a jumbled cascade of Cockney, now flowed with the elegance of a serene river, reflecting a newfound confidence. Yet, this metamorphosis was a double-edged sword, slicing through her old life and leaving her perched between two worlds, neither of which felt entirely like home. The professor, with his alchemical skills, had turned lead into gold, but at what cost?”

• Metaphor – “The real change lay deeper, within the contours of her mind and the echoes of her heart.” This metaphor compares Eliza’s internal transformation to physical changes in the landscape of her mind and heart, emphasizing the depth and complexity of her personal development.
• Simile – “Her speech, once a jumbled cascade of Cockney, now flowed with the elegance of a serene river,” uses a simile to compare Eliza’s refined speech to the graceful flow of a river, illustrating the smoothness and beauty of her transformation.
• Symbolism – “This metamorphosis was a double-edged sword” symbolizes the dual nature of Eliza’s transformation, indicating both positive outcomes and negative consequences, reflecting the complex nature of change.
• Allusion – “The professor, with his alchemical skills, had turned lead into gold,” alludes to the medieval practice of alchemy, comparing Higgins’ transformation of Eliza to the alchemical goal of transmuting base metals into gold. This allusion highlights the miraculous nature of Eliza’s change, while also questioning the value and implications of such a transformation.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Pygmalion — Pygmalion Eliza’s Character Analysis

Pygmalion Eliza’s Character Analysis

• Categories: Pygmalion

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Words: 614 |

Published: Jan 30, 2024

Words: 614 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Eliza's appearance and social status in the beginning, eliza's motivation for change, eliza's transformation through education and training, eliza's struggles and resilience during the transformation, eliza's gradual assertiveness and self-confidence, eliza's ultimate empowerment and independence, references:.

• Shaw, George Bernard. Pygmalion. Penguin Books, 2003.
• Hornby, Richard. The Social and Economic Context of Shaw's Pygmalion. The Modern Language Review, vol. 60, no. 2, 2015, pp. 215-230.
• SparkNotes. Pygmalion Study Guide. Spark Publishing, 2019.

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George Bernard Shaw

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The title of Shaw's play is taken from the myth of Pygmalion. In this story, Pygmalion scorns all the women around him and makes a sculpture of his ideal woman. The sculpture is so beautiful that he falls in love with it and it comes to life. By titling his play after this story, Shaw calls attention to questions of femininity and gender. As Pygmalion sculpts his ideal woman, so Higgins and Pickering mold Eliza into an ideal lady. These two narratives show how unrealistic and even unnatural the expectations that society often has for women are. Pygmalion's perfect woman can only be attained with an artificial construct, a sculpture. Similarly, the ideal noble lady of British society in the world of Shaw's play is a kind of fake, only a role that Eliza must learn to play. Pygmalion can thus be seen as showing how oppressive unrealistic ideals of femininity can be: to attain these ideals, Eliza has to be coached, disciplined, and taught. She has to pretend to be someone other than who she really is.

The play further explores gender roles with its other female characters. As it is set in the early 20th century, before women gained many basic rights and privileges, the play's other female characters— Mrs. Pearce and Mrs. Higgins —are largely confined to their respective households. Nonetheless, they both play important roles. Mrs. Pearce ensures the functioning of Higgins' household and reminds him of his own manners. And Mrs. Higgins takes Eliza in when she leaves Higgins and Pickering, and helps resolve things at the play's conclusion. These two characters thus demonstrate how women might still exert some agency within an oppressive Victorian society. But despite any redeeming aspects to women's roles in the world of the play, they ultimately cannot escape the constraints of their sexist world. At the end of the play, Eliza must choose between living with Higgins, living with her father, or marrying Freddy . In any case, her future can only be under the control of a man of some sort. She tells Higgins that she desires independence, but—although she is a strong character—we never see her actually obtain her independence in the play. Eliza is greatly transformed over the course of the play, but it would take even greater transformations of society itself in the 20th century for women like Eliza to have real independence.

Femininity and Gender Roles ThemeTracker

Femininity and Gender Roles Quotes in Pygmalion

A young woman! What does she want? Well, sir, she says you'll be glad to see her when you know what she's come about. She's quite a common girl, sir. Very common indeed.

I find that the moment I let a woman make friends with me, she becomes jealous, exacting, suspicious, and a damned nuisance. I find that the moment I let myself make friends with a woman, I become selfish and tyrannical. Women upset everything.

Then might I ask you not to come down to breakfast in your dressing-gown, or at any rate not to use it as a napkin to the extent you do, sir. And if you would be so good as not to eat everything off the same plate, and to remember not to put the porridge saucepan out of your hand on the clean tablecloth, it would be a better example to the girl.

Is this reasonable? Is it fairity to take advantage of a man like this? The girl belongs to me.

I shall never get into the way of seriously liking young women: some habits lie too deep to be changed. [ Rising abruptly and walking about, jingling his money and his keys in his trouser pockets ] Besides, they're all idiots.

You certainly are a pretty pair of babies, playing with your live doll.

Nonsense! He can't provide for her. He shan't provide for her. She doesn't belong to him. I paid him five pounds for her.

She had become attached to you both. She worked very hard for you, Henry! I don't think you quite realize what anything in the nature of brain work means to a girl like that. Well, it seems that when the great day of trial came, and she did this wonderful thing for you without making a single mistake, you two sat there and never said a word to her, but talked together of how glad you were that it was all over and how you had been bored with the whole thing. And then you were surprised because she threw your slippers at you!

Liza: Freddy loves me: that makes him king enough for me. I don't want him to work: he wasn't brought up to it as I was. I'll go and be a teacher. Higgins: What'll you teach, in heaven's name? Liza: What you taught me. I'll teach phonetics.

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Feminist Perspective In Pygmalion By George Bernard Shaw

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