, Research Paper
Since almost the beginning of civilisation, people have been divided into social classes. There was always an upper class; rich, powerful and in control. Then there was a middle class; less comfortably off than the upper class, and certainly less powerful, but respected nonetheless. Last of all (and usually least) the lower working class making up the majority of people, rarely having the necessities of life and never considered by other classes no matter how long or hard they worked on improving their situation. In the following essay, I will discuss whether George Bernard Shaw agreed with this distinction and division of society and how he exhibited his views through his renowned play “Pygmalion”.
Throughout the play, ladies and gentleman are continuously recognised for who they are through four factors: how they are dressed, their manners, how they speak and their money. It is however noticeable that a combination of all four factors is rarely to be found. For instance Henry Higgins, although well – dressed, well spoken and with money, has manners which could not be characterised as genteel. Alfred Doolittle (after acquiring some money) is well dressed, has some form of manners and could be classified as rich, yet is not well spoken. Nevertheless, when the maid opens the door to him she instantly percieves that he is a gentleman. So what really does make a lady or a gentleman?
Many times during the play the difference between the appearance of the classes is expressed. It is especially noticeable in the first two acts. An indication of this would be when Higgins is distinguished as a gentleman and not a detective because of the boots he is wearing.
Bystander: “E’s a gentleman, look at his boots.”
The bystander obviously knew what sort of clothing a gentleman would wear. This implies that it was well known what kind of boots were worn by whom, which means that the difference between the classes was so apparent that everyone was aware of the boundaries of their class. Another model for this distinction would be when Alfred Doolittle arrives at Wimpole St, in the second act, and doesn’t even recognise his own daughter, Eliza, just because she has been washed and elegantly dressed.
Alfred: Beg Pardon, miss.
Eliza: Garn! Don’t you know your own daughter?
Alfred: Bly me! Its Eliza.
This demonstrates that the working class were not used to washing and dressing up, which was customary for the upper class. The dissimilarity in the appearance of the upper class from the working class was so sensational that even someone who was your own flesh and blood could be naturally mistaken. This trend of depicting appearances goes right through to the end of the play, when on arrival at Mrs Higgins’ house, Doolittle is mistaken for a gentleman by the maid, merely because of the way he is dressed
Higgins: Doolittle! Do you mean a dustman?
Maid: Dustman! Oh no sir, a gentleman.
The appearance of Doolittle is taken into main consideration when it comes to deciding what class he belongs to. The question is the raised, what separates the classes really, if clothing can do so much for how someone is perceived. Apart from the way people dress, they are also defined by the way they speak. In Pygmalion the way people converse is a very important part of the play, not least because the structure of it is based on the fact that Eliza can’t speak “properly” and Higgins can teach he how. It was obviously considerably important to speak well at that time, which is emphasised by Shaw over and over again. The play even starts with Higgins criticising the way that Eliza speaks, because it is not only up to standard compared to “proper” English it will also resultantly keep her in the gutter for the rest of her days. He expresses that he could teach even someone with such dreadful pronunciation within 3 – 6 months, this already means that whether you can speak adequately or not doesn’t actually mean anything, if you can be taught how to in such a short period of time. Noticeably Shaw doesn’t make it a must to speak correctly, this is probably for the reason that a lady or gentleman, although would preferably have to have good English, would not necessarily have perfect English to be accepted into the upper class. This is demonstrated by Nepommuck at the ambassadors ball ”
Can you show me any Englishwoman who speaks English as it should be spoken”.
This leaves only money. There will always be a division between the classes simply because there shall never be equality in money, but this is not what distinguishes ladies and gentlemen from flower girls and dustman. I believe, out of all the contrasts between classes, that manners are the most important cause of distinction. For it is true that money can buy a lot, titles, clothes, but it cannot buy manners, and in my opinion Eliza is right when she says:
“Really and truly, apart from the things anyone can pick (the dressing and the proper way of speaking and so on), the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves but how she is treated I learnt really nice manners and that’s what makes one a lady.”
Because isn’t the way you are treated more important then what you are treated to?
In conclusion, I believe that Shaw strongly comprehended that the classes were divided for all the wrong reasons, and that the important reasons were always blocked out, because the way people treat each other really does determine what class they are in. If every working class citizen was treated as a Duke, there wouldn’t be inequality because even money can’t control people’s kindness. In the Bible it is stated that in the eyes of God we are all equal, no matter how we speak, what our financial status is, or what we dress in, that love cannot be bought and sold, but only given, so doesn’t it mean that our manners towards each other determine whether we are of higher or lower class?
Другие работы по теме:
Bernard ShawS Pygmalion Essay Research Paper An
Bernard Shaw?S Pygmalion Essay, Research Paper An interpretation of Class Relations in Pygmalion by, Bernard Shaw In Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, there is a distinct variance in class relations and the way that early 20th century Britains were perceived as being different by their speech, money, wealth, style, manners, and appearance.
Pygmalion And Its Characters Essay Research Paper
Choose a character and analyze the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists; how the character is affected by and responds to those standards; and how the character s reactions develop meaning in the work.
Pygmalion Essay Research Paper I chose the
Pygmalion Essay, Research Paper I chose the archetype ?The prostitute with a heart of gold?. An archetype is defined as a universal idea that can take many forms, appearing ?spontaneously, at any time, at any
From Dirt To Duchess Essay Research Paper
How could a lowly flower girl make such a drastic change into a refined lady? She could not have possibly pulled it off herself; she would need help. Thus is the case in the play Pygmalion, by G.B. Shaw. The poor flower girl, Eliza, is turned into a “duchess,” so to speak, by the other characters in the play. The characters responsible for the change in Eliza throughout the play were Henry Higgins, Mrs.
Ncaa Essay Research Paper NCAA Division I
Ncaa Essay, Research Paper NCAA Division I, II, and III Membership Criteria The NCAA is an organization that was established in 1906 to administer intercollegiate athletics. It enforces the rules for various sports and the eligibility criteria for athletes. The NCAA supervises athletic contests for about 80 national championships in about 20 sports per year.
PygmalioA Essay Research Paper Higgins
Pygmalio(A) Essay, Research Paper Higgins’ Philosophy Professor Higgins is seen throughout Pygmalion as a very rude man.While one may expect a well educated man, such as Higgins, to be agentleman, he is far from it. Higgins believes that how you treatedsomeone is not important, as long as you treat everyone equally.
Middle Class Morality Essay Research Paper MIDDLE
Middle Class Morality Essay, Research Paper MIDDLE CLASS MORALITY Values and morals of the Victorian era are quite different than those that our society upholds today. The satirical plays, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, and Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, examine the problems with certain beliefs held by the people, both men and women, of the Victorian age.
Themes In George Bernard Shaw
’s Pygmalion Essay, Research Paper George Bernard Shaw s play Pygmalion is the story of Henry Higgins, a master phonetician, and his mischievous plot to pass a common flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, off as a duchess at the Embassy Ball. In order achieve his goal, Higgins must teach Eliza how to speak properly and how to act in upper-class society.
Model Society Essay Research Paper Model SocietyMy
Model Society Essay, Research Paper Model Society My model society would be a small society consisting of about one hundred to two hundred people. The people in this society would all believe in the same god, they would also all be the same race. Those are two large issues that cause major conflict among a society.
Artificial Creation Essay Research Paper Artificial CreationThe
Artificial Creation Essay, Research Paper Artificial Creation The word Artificial, derived from the Latin word artificialis is defined as Made by humans; produced rather than natural. Since the beginning of time man has always been enthralled by a magnificent sight; however what is beautiful to one person may be uncanny to another.
Conforming Vs Not Conforming To Society
’s Expectations Essay, Research Paper “Conforming vs. Not Conforming to Society’s Expectations” The advantages of conforming to society’s expectations are obvious. You will be
Pygmalion Act III Essay Research Paper It
Pygmalion Act III Essay, Research Paper It is Mrs. Higgins’ at-home day, and she is greatly displeased when Henry Higgins shows up suddenly, for she knows from experience that he is too eccentric to be presentable in
The Lottery Essay Research Paper Essay
The Lottery Essay, Research Paper Essay # 1: Sociological Theory “The Lottery” is a short story by Shirley Jackson that was published in 1948 and gave a good example of the definition of the term sociological theory. This theory is a set of ideas on how people behave and how institutions operate. The analysis of this short story and the of the work of Emile Durkheim shows the relationship of the two in the field of Sociology.
Critical Thinking Essay Research Paper Critical thinking
Critical Thinking Essay, Research Paper Critical thinking would be important to the well being of our society for many reasons except for the fact that hardly anyone ever uses it. If people used critical thinking all the time society would be a very different place. People would actually think about what they were going to say and what it means before they said it.
Pygmalion Essay Research Paper is an element
Pygmalion Essay, Research Paper is an element of comedy in the sThere tory Pygmalion and in the film My Fair Lady. In the play and the film alike, a woman of the streets named Liza
Ideologies In Transition Essay Research Paper One
Ideologies In Transition Essay, Research Paper One would have to agree with the statement that the changes in ideology in the transition from Band to Chiefdom are a reflection of the changes in the infrastructure of the society. Using the course kit titled A Comparative and Evolutionary Approach by Peter Landstreet along with various notes from lectures and tutorials.
Pygmalion
’s Higgins Essay, Research Paper Bernard Shaw shows and describes Professor Higgins throughout Pygmalion as a very rude man. While one may expect a very well-educated man, such as Higgins, to be a gentleman, he is far from being a gentleman. Higgins believes that the way you treat someone is not important, as long as you treat everyone equally.
Creation Of Eliza Essay Research Paper PygmalionShawBernardPygmalion
Creation Of Eliza Essay, Research Paper PygmalionShaw,Bernard.Pygmalion. Creation of Eliza can be viewed from two completely different angles dependent on if you look at Eliza’s side or Professor Higgins side. Beginning with Eliza we see that she was a poor flower girl who sold penny bunches to afford a living.
Mitosis And Meiosis Essay Research Paper Mitosis
Mitosis And Meiosis Essay, Research Paper Mitosis and Meiosis : how they are similar and different Mitosis and Meiosis are alike in many ways essentially they are both forms of cellular reproduction. Both go through similar cellular division stages. Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase, and Cytokinesis all occur in both Mitosis and Meiosis.
The War On Cancer Essay Research Paper
The War on Cancer Cancer is a genetic disease caused by mutations in proto-oncogenes and tumor-repressor gene, the genes that control cell division. A mutation in proto-oncogenes increases cell division, while in the tumor-repressor gene inhibits cell division. A mutation in either of these can cause a cell to divide rapidly.
Pygmalion Act IIII Essay Research Paper The
Pygmalion Act IIII Essay, Research Paper The trio return to Higgins’ Wimpole Street laboratory, exhausted from the night’s happenings. They talk about the evening and their great success, though Higgins seems
Pygmalion 2 Essay Research Paper During
Pygmalion 2 Essay, Research Paper During the time of the play, Pygmalion, classes in England were seemingly artificial. It is shown very well in Act III during one of Mrs.
Pygmalion Essay Research Paper In the play
Pygmalion Essay, Research Paper In the play Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw, lessons regarding speech, relationships, and the nature of society are taught. It is intensely and deliberately didactic .
Pygmalion Essay Research Paper Pygmalion and My
Pygmalion Essay, Research Paper Pygmalion and My Fair Lady are a modern parallel of the story of Pygmalion, legendary sculptor and King of Cyprus, who fell in love with his own statue of Aphrodite. At his prayer, Aphrodite brought the statue to life as Galatea. George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion is the story of Henry Higgins, a master phonetician, and his mischievous plot to pass a common flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, off as a duchess at the Embassy Ball.
Pygmalion Essay Essay Research Paper According to
Pygmalion Essay Essay, Research Paper According to a Greek myth, Pygmalion, an ancient sculptor living on Cyprus Island, worshipped the goddess of love, Venus. The local women disgusted him, so he sculpted himself the perfect one for him; Galatea. Higgins undertakes a similar project, to sculpt a duchess by changing the appearance and the manners of a flower girl.
Pygmalion Essay Research Paper Pygmalion Higgins
Pygmalion Essay, Research Paper Pygmalion: Higgins’ Philosophy Professor Higgins is seen throughout Pygmalion as a very rude man. You would expect a well-educated man, such as Higgins, to be a gentleman, however, he is far from it. Higgins believes that how you treat someone is not important, as long as you treat everyone equally.
Pygmalion Essay Research Paper Comparing Pygmalion to
Pygmalion Essay, Research Paper Comparing Pygmalion to My Fair Lady Numerous times a piece of literature is changed into a movie or musical it s plot and or theme has been changed to suit the director s thought of what would appeal to the public. One such example is Bernard Shaw s play Pygmalion. In this play Shaw s purpose and ideas were horribly misconstrued to the point at which he was forced to write an Epilogue to try to reconcile the injustice done to his masterpiece.
An Ideal Society Essay Research Paper An
An Ideal Society Essay, Research Paper An Ideal Society There is no real way to describe an ideal society many authors have tried to write what they believe it might be like, but by the end of every story the perfect society all most always fails . The only real way we could have a perfect society is if the people who made up the society were perfect.
Adam Smith Essay Research Paper Adam Smith 2
Adam Smith Essay, Research Paper Adam Smith, (1776), of the division of labor According to Adam Smith, economic growth is rooted in the increasing division of labor and the specialization of the labor force by the breaking down of large jobs into many little ones. Under this regime, each worker becomes an expert in one area of production and workers do not have to switch tasks during the day.
Pygmalion Essay Research Paper DiscriminationSociety has been
Pygmalion Essay, Research Paper Discrimination Society has been split apart since renossance England. The novel Pygmalion written by Bernard Shaw demonstrates that proper speech and a fake appearance can easily fool the upper class English. Different levels of society are usually seperated because of money, appearance and speech, and attitude.